Download Nutritional Diseases - Texas A&M University

Poisonous Plants
4-H Veterinary Science
Extension Veterinary Medicine
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M System
http://aevm.tamu.edu
Objectives
 Discuss the factors that cause an animal to
consume poisonous plants
 Describe the signs of oak poisoning
 List and recognize plants that contain cyanide
 Describe signs of cyanide poisoning
 List and recognize plants that contain
excessive nitrate
 Describe signs of nitrate poisoning
 Discuss laboratory methods for diagnosing
plant poisoning in animals
Review
 Non-Infectious Diseases
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Nutritional Diseases
Reproductive Problems
Chemical Poisoning
Toxicity of Insecticides
Poisonous Plants
Miscellaneous Plants
Poisonous Plants
 Why plants
 Decoration
 Ground cover
 Hay
 Etc
 Problem
 May be poisonous
 Certain stage of growth
 Seasonal
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Large quantities
 Plants are area specific
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Temperature
Rainfall
Soil
Terrain
 Know the plants in your area
 To help prevent problem
 Identify poisonous plants
 Remove animals
 Remove plants
 Spraying
 Mowing
 Remove clippings and wilted leaves
 If suspect poisoning
 Move animals
 Call veterinarian
 Plant identification
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Leaves
Seeds
Flowers
Root system
Stems
Detection of Poisonous Plants
 Hard to determine if illness or death due to
poisonous plants
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Field observation
Laboratory diagnosis
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Blood samples
Urine samples
Stomach contents
Examples
 Oaks
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Contain gallotannin
Affects kidneys
Poison
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Leaves
 Seasonal
 Spring
 Early growth
 Buds
 palatable
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Acorns
 Seasonal
 Fall
 Green acorns
 Abundant
 Brown/mature acorns are ok
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Symptoms
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Weight loss
Depression
Blood tinged nasal discharge
Diarrhea
 Mucous
 Blood
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Increased water consumption
Increased urination
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Remove animals from area
Graze on acorn-free pastures
Return only when acorns brown
Feed calcium hydroxide as supplement
Monitor acorn and leave conditions
If severe kidney damage - death
 Plants with cyanide
 May form cyanide
 Rapid poisoning
 Rapid death
 Ruminants are more susceptible
 Examples
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Grain sorghums
Johnson grass
Sudan grass
Wild black cherry tree
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When occurs
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Drought
Frost
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Have elevated concentrations
Dissipates in hay
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Affects
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Blocks the use of oxygen by cells
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Symptoms
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Increase breathing rate
Excited
Rapid breathing
Bright red mucous membranes
Labored breathing
Muscle trembles and spasms
Large amounts consumed
 Stagger
 Fall
 Convulsions
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Treatment
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None = death
Remove animals
Prognosis
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If survive 2 hours possibility of living
Excessive Nitrates
 Plants can accumulate nitrate compounds
 High concentrations not usually present in
plants
 Conditions
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Excessive nitrate fertilizer
 Pond runoff
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Unusual fertilizer
Unusual conditions
 Drought
 Rain after a drought
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Rapid growth
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Ruminants are more susceptible
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Rumen flora convert to ammonia
Nitrite is intermediate step (~10 times more toxic)
Interferes with the bloods ability to carry
oxygen to tissue
 Crops with high nitrate concentrations
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Cereal grasses
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Oats
Millet
Rye
Corn
Sunflower
sorghums
 Weeds with high nitrate concentrations
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Pigweed
Lamb’s quarter
Thistle
Jimson weed
Fireweed
Smartweed
Dock
Johnson grass
 Symptoms
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Occur quickly or after several days
Weakness
Trembling
Staggering
Rapid breathing
Collapsing
Brownish-blue membranes (mouth and
nostrils)
 Treatment
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Work with a veterinarian
 Dallis Grass
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Ergot fungus in seed heads
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Advanced stages have toxin
Affects the CNS
Does not affect horses
See in late summer
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Symptoms
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Treatment
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Nervousness
Excitable
Trembling/staggering walk
Remove animals
Prevention
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Mow down the seed heads
 Coffee Senna
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Affects muscle
Found along roadsides
Not eaten if possible
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Symptoms
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Weakness
Unable to stand
Coffee colored urine
Diarrhea
Ataxic
Afebrile
Alter up until death
Treatment
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None known
 Oleander
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Common ornamental plant
Tree like
Affects the heart
Small amounts are fatal
Has a bitter taste
Species
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All
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Symptoms
 Appear 4-12 hours after eating
 Depression
 Vomiting
 Diarrhea
 Increased pulse rate
 Weakness
 Trembling
 Convulsions
 Coma
 Death
Treatment
 None
Resources
 Toxic Plants of Texas
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https://agrilifebookstore.org/
$25