Caprine Health Nitrate Poisoning Alert Plants that poison goats

Nitrate Poisoning Alert Recent good growing conditions following a long dry period have created the perfect conditions for nitrate/nitrite poisoning. A local veterinary clinic reported seeing four cases with stock affected or large numbers of stock lost in the last few days. Both young stock and cows have been affected. New permanent pasture has been responsible in two cases, while annual rye and oats have also been involved. Nitrate fertiliser had not been used in all cases. Animals should not be allowed onto these food sources when hungry. There is a fast test available to test nitrate levels with same day return if samples are received by lunchtime. (Check to see if your vet clinic offers this service.) Symptoms are laboured breathing, depression, sitting down, and death. Progression is rapid and death can occur within 30 minutes of first signs. Abortions can also occur without other symptoms. It is vital that if you have stock with symptoms you ring a vet immediately as there is a good anti-dote available. This is an emergency situation as a few minutes can mean the file of death of affected stock.   Plants that poison goats by John Mathews, 2nd Edition 1999. Blackwell Science. ISBN 0-632-05167-1 Assume that all garden shrubs are a potential danger to goats. Some plants cause delayed poisoning as well as immediate poisoning eg ragwort and St John’s wort. Some plants are equally toxic when fresh or when dried in hay eg ragwort. Plants that cause diarrhoea: Hemlock Oak (young leaves) Wild arum Castor seed (in foodstuffs) Foxglove Water dropwort Box Potato (green) Rhododendron Linseed Plants that cause haemorrhage Bracken fern Plants that cause nervous signs: Ragwort Hemlock Water dropwort Potato Black nightshade Male fern Rhododendron Laburnum Rape Rhubarb Common sorrel Prunus family Plants that Plants that cause photosensitisation: Ragwort St John’s wort Buckwheat

Plants that cause sudden death: Yew Rhododendron Laurel Linseed Foxglove Water dropwort Plants that cause frothy bloat: Legumes -clover, lucerne Plants that case anaemia Rape Kale Plants that cause goitre and stillbirth: Brassica spp Linseed Some clovers Plants that case eostrus Some clovers Plants that discolour urine Bracken Oak Rape Kale Cabbage Brussel sprouts Treatment of plant poisoning in goats Remove the plant from the goat - empty its mouth if possible. Keep the goat walking slowly so that it doesn’t settle and start cudding. Give large quantities of strong cold tea. The tannic acids will precipitate many of the alkaloids and salts of heavy metals. Strong coffee will have similar effects. Don’t dose a vomiting goat. Don’t give tea to a goat that has been poisoned with acorns that are full of tannic acid already. Give large doses of liquid paraffin (500ml) as a first aid remedy. Treat for shock - keep quiet and warm. Try to identify the source of poison to tell the vet. Give a mixture of eggs, sugar and milk t soothe and relieve irritation of the stomach linings.    Lucy Taking Care of Her Nursely Duties goat and dog owned by the Keeners