Common Poisonous Plants

1. Common Poisonous Plants John C. Wenzel DVM Extension Veterinarian New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service

2. Common Poisonous Plantsgoldenrod Cooperative Extension Service

3. Common Poisonous Plantsgoldenrod • Toxin- Tremetol • Toxic dose-1.5% of bodyweight over a period of a week • Dried plants are not as toxic Cooperative Extension Service

4. Common Poisonous Plantsgoldenrod • Clinical signs- depression reluctance to move muscle tremors downers death • Treatment- supportive care • Don’t drive cattle that show signs Cooperative Extension Service

5. Common Poisonous Plantstansy mustard Cooperative Extension Service

6. Common Poisonous Plantstansy mustard • Two syndromes • Neurologic form Blindness- partial or complete Inability to use tongue • Liver disease and photosynthesis Cooperative Extension Service

7. Common Poisonous Plantstansy mustard • No specific toxin identified • Treatment- remove from pasture and feed in corral for a couple of weeks Cooperative Extension Service

8. Common Poisonous PlantsMesquite Cooperative Extension Service

9. Common Poisonous Plantsmesquite • No specific toxin identified • Seeds and pods form a sticky mass in rumen and can cause a rumen impaction • Prolonged consumption can cause neurologic signs Cooperative Extension Service

10. Common Poisonous Plantsmesquite • Clinical signs- weight loss, poor appetite, frothy salivation, emaciation, loss of rumen activity, intestinal obstruction • Neurologic signs- difficulty with chewing and eating, masseter muscle atrophy • Horses are especially susceptible to mesquite bean impaction Cooperative Extension Service

11. Common Poisonous Plantslocoweed,rattleweed Cooperative Extension Service

12. Common Poisonous Plantslocoweed, rattleweed • Toxin- three types – swainsonine -nitroglycosides -selenium toxicity • Clinical signs- depends on toxin type swainsonine- depression, wobbly gait, behavioral changes, incoordination, circling, weight loss, inability to eat Cooperative Extension Service

13. Common Poisonous Plantslocoweed, rattleweed nitroglycosides- respiratory difficulty, weight loss, wobbly gait, knuckling over of the fetlock joints, hindleg weakness and paralysis, recumbency and death selenium toxicity- chronic-(alkali disease) lameness, hairloss, blindness, head pressing, hair and hoof abnormalities (bobtail), repro failures, liver cirrhosis and heart atrophy Cooperative Extension Service

14. Common Poisonous Plantslocoweed, rattleweed • Horses are affected worse than cattle • Treatment- remove from pasture and feed in corral (6 to 12 months) • Once vacuoles are formed in the brain, they do not go away Cooperative Extension Service

15. Common Poisonous Plantsbroom snakeweed Cooperative Extension Service

16. Common Poisonous Plantsbroom snakeweed • Toxins- steroids, terpenoids, saponins and flavones • Triterpene saponins are thought to be the principle toxin of snakeweed • Clinical signs- poor appetite, weight loss, diarrhea then constipation, liver abnormalities, abortion, weak near term calves that die shortly after birth, retained placentas and udder edema Cooperative Extension Service

17. Common poisonous plantsbroom snakeweed • Treatment- remove from pasture and treat symptomatically Cooperative Extension Service

18. Common poisonous plantsother plants • Cyanogenic plants- cyanide poisoning Signs- sudden death, rapid breathing, foaming at mouth, dilated pupils, ataxia, convulsions and muscle tremors Treatment- difficult- sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate IV • Cyanogenic plants- catclaw, flax, johnsongrass, sudan grass, common vetch, others Cooperative Extension Service

19. Common Poisonous Plantsother plants • Nitrate plants – nitrate toxicity- nitrate converted to toxic nitrite Clinical signs- weakness, muscle tremors, increased heart and respiration rates, staggering, downer and death Treatment- methylene blue- difficult to find • Nitrate plants- ragweed, lamb’s-quarter, kochia, clover, johnson and sudan grass, filaree, goldenrod, oats, wheat, corn, others Cooperative Extension Service

20. Questions? THANKS!! Cooperative Extension Service