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“They over drink because they’re thirsty”

It seems like everyone is feeling the heat this summer. Human, canine, feline, or even bovine, we’re all at the mercy of high temperatures.

In Texas, several cattle are dying due to the drought-like conditions. The hitch is, they’re not dying of thirst. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Cattle are dying from too much water.

The drought conditions have caused cattle producers to move their herds from pastures where water tanks have dried to new pastures with healthier water supplies. The cattle then gorge themselves on too much water and die within minutes of water intoxication, according to The Associated Press.

“They over drink because they’re thirsty,” said Dr. Robert Sprowls of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in Amarillo. “Once they fill up on water it happens pretty quickly.”

While over-hydrating can be a problem for cattle, they’re also suffering from dehydration.

Typically, an average cow consumes as much was 8.4 gallons of water per day through grazing but this year daily water consumption is down to about 0.6 gallons, according to The Associated Press.

Add in to that mix the fact that some water supplies are becoming dangerous for the cattle to drink, and you have a classic “danged if you do, danged if you don’t” scenario.

Cattle can drink from tanks where water may contain high amounts of salt, nitrates, or other organic materials. At that point, the animals do not consume enough water, according to The Associated Press.

And to make matters worse, the excessive heat and blazing sunshine can heat up stagnant water and produce potentially toxic algae blooms. If the cattle consume the hazardous algae, it can be fatal, according to The Associated Press.

Sadly, the drought does not seem likely to end any time soon. Ranchers are taking any means or methods necessary to combat these problems, but there is no clear cut or simple solution. Some ranchers have even resorted to relocating their herds to other states.