OH Study Shows Cobalt”s Detrimental Effects

Blood-Horse

The first phase of an Ohio study into the effects the mineral cobalt has on horses showed that intravenous administration at high doses has detrimental effects on body systems.

Dr. James Robertson, consulting veterinarian to the Ohio State Racing Commission, Nov. 23 outlined the progress of the study, which came about through a partnership among the OSRC, the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture Analytical Toxicology Laboratory. The first phase involved five healthy Standardbreds that were treated weekly.

“Blood and urine samples were taken for analysis and will continue to be taken in weeks to follow,” Robertson said. “Intravenous cobalt chloride, especially at the higher dosage levels, produced a rapid onset of clinical signs and had detrimental effects on a number of body systems including the cardiovascular system—hypertension, arrhythmias, and tachycardia—and the renal system (as evidenced by bloody urine).”

Robertson said the effects appeared to be transient, meaning they were short-lived, but more research would be done.

“Sample analysis and data collation will take place over the next few months,” he said.

The study, which OSRC officials called comprehensive, was announced earlier this year. Robertson at the time said the goals for the pilot study are to investigate the pharmacology of different doses of intravenous cobalt chloride on healthy horses; associate cobalt doses with blood and urinary cobalt concentrations over time; and determine how cobalt chloride affects cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, and hematopoietic systems.

“Based on the dose-response data collected from the pilot study, we intend to do a series of larger studies to examine all aspects of the effects of cobalt in the horse, including its effects on performance,” Robertson said. “The OSRC, OSU, and (Department of Agriculture) have the financial, physical, and intellectual resources to plan and execute the most comprehensive series of cobalt studies to date.”