Zinc toxicosis due to ingestion of a penny in a gray-headed chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps).

ABSTRACT

Zinc toxicosis was diagnosed in a gray-headed chachalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps) due to ingestion of a copper-plated zinc penny. Histopathological lesions were most marked in the pancreas. These lesions included apoptosis, zymogen granule depletion, and loss of normal acinar architecture. There was also severe gizzard erosion. Heavy metal analysis revealed abnormal levels of zinc and iron in the liver. Iron pigment in the liver was most concentrated in Kupffer cells. This, along with evidence of erythrophagocytosis in the spleen, suggested that extravascular hemolysis was also associated with zinc toxicosis in this case.