Principles Of Management of Poisoning in Farm Animals

Plant poisonings in livestock are uncommon, but feed incidents involving some plant components of a diet are more common, and some of these can have serious consequences. It is not uncommon for a wide range of plant by-products to be fed to livestock, the majority of which can be associated with some level of risk. The likelihood of poisoning and subsequent damage in various ruminant species and categories varies according to the animal management system and feeding used. For barn-kept animals, the greatest risk is posed by contaminated or poor-quality feedstuffs (mycotoxins, nitrates, poisonous plants), incorrect doses of substances used as ruminant feed supplements (urea, mineral substances), and incorrect doses of administered drugs. Grazing ruminants, on the other hand, are most vulnerable to poisonous plant ingestion, contaminated water, and zootoxins