Poisonous Plants Effects

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Plants comprise one of the largest categories of poisons known around the world. They form a major part of livestock feed, thus toxicities in animals consuming these poisonous plants can be expected. Poisoning in animals may occur due to either accidental ingestion of material eaten along with grass or willful consumption of poisonous plants when pasture is dry while most of these poisonous plants remain green all the year round. Poisonous plants cause significant annual losses of money by causing injury to humans and livestock. Undoubtedly, poisonous plants reduce the quantity of products that is gained from livestock, and some can even kill people and all classes of livestock. Recent studies have estimated that 3.5% of all poisonings that…show more content…
These poisonous plants became significant problems in many areas of the world. Poisonous plants produce their toxic effects after being ingested and/or absorbed by animals which include physical upset, loss of productivity and death. Therefore, even though plants have vital nutritious and providing the normal atmospheric oxygen, it will cause life threatening if it is toxic. In addition to this, some chemicals which are in natural environment i.e. soil, water or industrial origin also may be toxic to livestock. But there are also some chemicals, macro and micro minerals, which living things cannot survive without them; in other side their absence causes abnormality of one of or total body structure or disturbance in health situation of an individual (Bah,…show more content…
Diagnosis of Plant poisoning in livestock rely on history, clinical sign manifested, post-mortem lesions, evidence that plants have been grazed, and remains of toxic plants in the digestive tract. If the principle of toxicosis is known Confirmatory laboratory tests may be possible for livestock poisoned with toxic plant (Botha and Penrith, 2008).Good pasture management is one of the most important steps in preventing animals suffering or loss from toxic plants. Most poisonous weeds and cultivated plants can be controlled. It may be managed by fencing off infested areas so that animals do not have access to particularly hazardous weeds. An alternative method of controlling poisonous weeds is to spray them with approved herbicides. Another alternative is to physically or mechanically remove the toxic plants. Determination of the amount of economic loss as result of the effect poisonous plant to livestock production is not an easy task. This is because separation between losses due to diseases, accidents, and predators from losses caused by ingestion of poisonous plants can be difficult (Holechek, 2002).Most of the livestock’s are kept under semi-intensive or extensive systems of management making them susceptible to poisoning by toxic plants. With increasing human activities such as

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