Plant and Other Poisoning (new)
Compared with some parts of the world East Africa is fortunate in the relatively small losses of stock which occur from poisonous plants. Although there are a great number of plants which have been shown to be toxic by drenching experiments only a few are known to have been responsible for actual deaths under natural conditions. Many illnesses which at one time were attributed to plant poisoning are now recognised as being due to infectious diseases and not to poisoning at all.
Except in the case of individual, newly introduced animals, isolated cases of plant poisoning are rare. Plant poisoning usually occurs as an outbreak and as a result when it does occur, losses may be heavy.
Animals which have been bred in a particular district usually know which plants are edible and which are not. Poisoning in such animals may, however, occur when grazing is scarce, or when they are taken to a new area of grazing on the same farm. Animals newly introduced to a district will frequently eat toxic species with which they are unfamiliar.
Another cause of stock poisoning is the contamination of prepared fodder or concentrates with poisonous material which the animal might well recognise and avoid in its natural state. In addition certain foodstuffs which are harmless if fed in reasonable amounts, are toxic if fed as the main article of diet. Aflatoxin containing feedstuffs are also a risk.
Prevention of plant poisoning
You can help to stop animals getting poisoned by:
- Making sure animals are well fed and healthy. Healthy well fed animals are much less likely to eat poisonous plants or scavenge for food and eat poisons by mistake.
- Do not graze animals where you know there are poisonous plants
- Avoid pastures that have just been fertilised with nitrogen in any form or sprayed with herbicides or pesticides
- Do not let animals graze near rubbish where people have thrown things that may be poisonous like old paint.