Poisonous PasturesPoisonous Pastures

By: John E. WoodmanseeExtension Educator

Agriculture/Natural ResourcesPurdue Extension – Grant County

Reviewed by Glenn Nice, Extension weed scientistPurdue University

Introduction

• Your veterinarian will be the person to check with for symptoms/treatments/cures

• Some sources of information you find on this subject may contradict each other

• We’ll discuss most common plants as referenced in Purdue Extension publication WS-9, “Indiana Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets” – supported by many references/research

Source: Purdue Extension publication WS-9, Indiana Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets

•Available on-line at: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm

Introduction

• In Indiana, poisonous plants far outnumber poisonings

• Animals generally prefer other plants to poisonous plants – may only eat poisonous plants when nothing else is available

• Poisonings most common in early spring, second most common in winter

You suspect a poisoning

• Eliminate all other possibilities

• Positively identify suspected plant

• Match symptoms to those reported for plant

Prevention is the key!

• No antidotes for many of the poisons in plants

• Know the poisonous plants in your pasture and control or keep animals away with fencing

• Supply good forage or feed

• Avoid overgrazing

If an animal appears poisoned…

• Avoid disturbing animal as much as possible

• Contact your veterinarian

• If practical or advised: move animal(s) to fresh pasture or give fresh feed/water

Animals react differently

• Individual animals within a species may react differently

• Different types of animals react differently (e.g. cattle may be killed, but swine fine)

Possible Symptoms

• Birth defects• Bleeding• Blood clots in stools• Blue coloration• Breathing difficulties• Death (sudden)• Diarrhea• Drooling• Dullness, depression• Excitedness, unusual

behavior

• Gangrene• Heart or pulse problems• Jaundice• Nausea• Prostration• Rash, sunburn• Staggering,

incoordination• Stomach upset, colic• Throat irritations• Trembles, convulsions

WS-9: Plants that cause physical injury (skin, eye, mouth, stomach, or hair-ball problems –

mechanical injury to animals)

• Foxtail barley

• Common burdock

WS-9: House/Garden plants that poison

• Aroids (Jack-in-the-pulpit, philodenron, etc.)• Bulb-bearing plants (lily-of-the-valley, amaryllis,

hyacinth, iris, daffodil, etc.)• English ivy• Lupine, wild and cultivated (bluebonnet, Quaker-

bonnets)• Catnip• Christmas plant (poinsettia)• Rhubarb• Azalea, rhododendron• Castorbean• Common tansey

WS-9: Forage and crop plants that poison

• Cultivated oats (nitrate poisoning)

• Ergot (a fungus parasite on heads of grasses)

• Tall fescue (varieties infected by Acremonium endophytic fungus – a “mold”)

• Sweetclover, yellow and white

• Tobacco

• Alsike clover

WS-9: Woodland plants that poison

• Jack-in-the-pulpit (Indian turnip)

• Larkspur, dwarf and cultivated

• Dutchman’s breeches, squirrelcorn (staggerweed, bleeding heart)

• White snakeroot (white sanicle, richweed)

• Brackenfern (brake fern)

• Groundsel (butterweed, ragwort)

• Green falsehellebore (white hellebore, Indian poke)

WS-9: Marsh and streambank plants that poison

• Milkweeds• Spotted waterhemlock (waterhemlock,

spotted cowbane)• Poison-hemlock• Field horsetail, scouringrush• Buttercups• Nettle, stinging and wood• Common cocklebur

WS-9: Plants of fields, roadsides, and open areas that poison

• Redroot pigweed• Mustard family (wild mustard, pennycress, peppergrass,

etc.)• Hemp (marijuana)• Jimsonweed (thornapple)• Spurges (prostrate spurge, cypress spurge, etc.)• Common St. Johnswort (klamath weed)• Star-of-Bethlehem (snowdrop, nap-at-noon)• Common Pokeweed (pokeberry, pokeroot, inkberry, poke)• Bouncingbet (soapwort)• Nightshades (eastern black nightshade, Carolina

horsenettle, bull nettle, bitter nightshade, climbing bittersweet)

• Johnsongrass

WS-9: Trees and shrubs that poison

• Ohio buckeye

• Black walnut

• Wild black cherry

• Red oak

• Black locust

• Yew, English and Japanese

WS-9: Most common toxic plants in Indiana

• Alsike clover• Bitter nightshade• Black nightshade• Common cocklebur • Dutchman’s breeches• Dwarf larkspur• Groundsel • Johnsongrass • Poison-hemlock

• Redroot pigweed• Field horsenettle,

Scouringrush• Spotted

waterhemlock • Sweetclover• White snakeroot • Wild black cherry• Yew

Source: WS-9. All line drawings and pictures to follow are from WS-9 unless noted.

Alsike Clover

Animals affected: dogs, sheep, cattle, poultry, caged birds

Bitter nightshade (also called bittersweet nightshade, climbing

nightshade)

Line drawing: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Bottom photo credit: George F. Russell @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Animals affected: Calves, goats, sheep, swine, poultry, rarely horses and cows

Black nightshade

Animals affected: calves, goats, sheep, swine, poultry, rarely horses and cows

Photo credit: Purdue Extension CD-ROM, CD-AY-3, “Broadleaf Weed Seedling Identification.”

Common cocklebur

Animals affected: cattle, swine, sheep, poultry

Dutchman’s Breeches

Animals affected: cattle, horses

Dwarf larkspur

Animals affected: cattle, horses, sheep

Groundsel (Senecio spp.)(also called Cress-leaved groundsel, Butterweed, Ragwort)

Animals affected: cattle, horses

Johnsongrass

Animals affected: all types, especially ruminants

Poison-hemlock

Animals affected: cattle, dogs, goats, swine, horses, sheep, poultry

Redroot pigweed

Animals affected: cattle, goats, sheep, swine

Field Horsetail, Scouringrush

Animals affected: horses, rarely cattle and sheep

Spotted waterhemlock

Animals affected: all livestock, especially cattle

Sweetclover

Animals affected: cattle, horses, sheep, rabbits

White snakeroot

Animals affected: cattle, horses, goats, sheep, swine (if they eat roots)

Wild black cherry

Animals affected: cattle, horses, dogs, goats, swine, cats, caged birds

Yew(also called English or Japanese Yew, Taxus spp.)

Animals affected: all livestock (especially horses), dogs, caged birds