Cattle across drought-stricken Texas are dying after drinking too much water.
Agriculture officials said Wednesday that there are no hard numbers for this latest impact in Texas' worst drought in decades, but reports are on the rise across the nation's leading cattle producing state.
Producers are losing cattle after moving them from withered pastures where water tanks have dried up. Once in new pastures, cattle that take in too much water too quickly can die within minutes.
As with humans, water intoxication can occur when there's too much water in the body, which throws off cell chemistry. Death can occur.
Texas is coming off its driest nine-month period ever and its hottest June on record. More than 90 percent of the state is in the two most severe drought stages.
