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Poisonous Plants

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

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Poisonous Plants

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. Review • Non-Infectious Diseases • Nutritional Diseases • Reproductive Problems • Chemical Poisoning • Toxicity of Insecticides • Poisonous Plants • Miscellaneous Plants

  4. Poisonous Plants • Why plants • Decoration • Ground cover • Hay • Etc • Problem • May be poisonous • Certain stage of growth • Seasonal • Large quantities

  5. Plants are area specific • Temperature • Rainfall • Soil • Terrain • Know the plants in your area

  6. 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

  7. Plant identification • Leaves • Seeds • Flowers • Root system • Stems

  8. Detection of Poisonous Plants • Hard to determine if illness or death due to poisonous plants • Field observation • Laboratory diagnosis • Blood samples • Urine samples • Stomach contents

  9. Examples • Oaks • Contain gallotannin • Affects kidneys • Poison • Leaves • Seasonal • Spring • Early growth • Buds • palatable • Acorns • Seasonal • Fall • Green acorns • Abundant • Brown/mature acorns are ok

  10. Symptoms • Weight loss • Depression • Blood tinged nasal discharge • Diarrhea • Mucous • Blood • Increased water consumption • Increased urination

  11. Treatment • Remove animals from area • Graze on acorn-free pastures • Return only when acorns brown • Prevention • Feed calcium hydroxide as supplement • Monitor acorn and leave conditions • If severe kidney damage - death

  12. Plants with cyanide • May form cyanide • Rapid poisoning • Rapid death • Ruminants are more susceptible • Examples • Grain sorghums • Johnson grass • Sudan grass • Wild black cherry tree

  13. When occurs • Drought • Frost • Have elevated concentrations • Dissipates in hay • Affects • Blocks the use of oxygen by cells

  14. Symptoms • Increase breathing rate • Excited • Rapid breathing • Bright red mucous membranes • Labored breathing • Muscle trembles and spasms • Large amounts consumed • Stagger • Fall • Convulsions

  15. Treatment • None = death • Remove animals • Prognosis • If survive 2 hours possibility of living

  16. Excessive Nitrates • Plants can accumulate nitrate compounds • High concentrations not usually present in plants • Conditions • Excessive nitrate fertilizer • Pond runoff • Unusual fertilizer • Unusual conditions • Drought • Rain after a drought • Rapid growth

  17. Ruminants are more susceptible • Rumen flora convert to ammonia • Nitrite is intermediate step (~10 times more toxic) • Interferes with the bloods ability to carry oxygen to tissue

  18. Crops with high nitrate concentrations • Cereal grasses • Oats • Millet • Rye • Corn • Sunflower • sorghums

  19. Weeds with high nitrate concentrations • Pigweed • Lamb’s quarter • Thistle • Jimson weed • Fireweed • Smartweed • Dock • Johnson grass

  20. Symptoms • Occur quickly or after several days • Weakness • Trembling • Staggering • Rapid breathing • Collapsing • Brownish-blue membranes (mouth and nostrils)

  21. Treatment • Work with a veterinarian

  22. Dallis Grass • Ergot fungus in seed heads • Advanced stages have toxin • Affects the CNS • Does not affect horses • See in late summer

  23. Symptoms • Nervousness • Excitable • Trembling/staggering walk • Treatment • Remove animals • Prevention • Mow down the seed heads

  24. Coffee Senna • Affects muscle • Found along roadsides • Not eaten if possible

  25. Symptoms • Weakness • Unable to stand • Coffee colored urine • Diarrhea • Ataxic • Afebrile • Alter up until death • Treatment • None known

  26. Oleander • Common ornamental plant • Tree like • Affects the heart • Small amounts are fatal • Has a bitter taste • Species • All

  27. Symptoms • Appear 4-12 hours after eating • Depression • Vomiting • Diarrhea • Increased pulse rate • Weakness • Trembling • Convulsions • Coma • Death • Treatment • None

  28. Resources • Toxic Plants of Texas • https://agrilifebookstore.org/ • $25

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