Abstract

MACEDO BARRAGAN, Rafael; ARREDONDO RUIZ, Victalina; RAMIREZ RODRIGUEZ, Julia  and  GARCIA MARQUEZ, Luis Jorge. Grazing sheep poisoned by milkweed Asclepias curassavica or gastrointestinal nematosis? A case report findings. Vet. Méx [online]. 2009, vol.40, n.3, pp.275-281. ISSN 0301-5092.

A case study was conducted with the objective to describe and determine whether the occurrence of sheep poisoning was due to milkweed Asclepias curassavica or an acute case of gastrointestinal nematosis. Milkweed population and distribution as well as animal data such as grazing behavior and poisoning symptoms were collected in the field. A necropsy was carried out with the objective to describe histopathological findings in relation to the observed symptomatology and confirm poisoning diagnosis. Symptoms such as inability to stand, muscle paralysis, salivation, diarrhea, followed by facial edema and death, began when the animals grazed on native grass prairie with a scarcity of forage but a high density of A. curassavica. Nevertheless, the study of the grazing behavior in the area where there were intoxication cases showed only exploratory contacts between lambs and milkweed. Necropsy findings showed diffuse edema of the subcutaneous tissue (anasarca), serous fat atrophy, poor development of pale muscles, hydrothorax, hydropericardium, hydroperitoneum and abomasum containing blood, mucous, and abundant blood-sucking nematodes Haemonchus contortus with no evidence of poisoning. These findings indicated a severe mucohemorrhagic abomasum inflammation and generalized edema associated with a hypoproteinemia due to an acute haemonchosis as the cause of death.

Keywords : Ovis aries; Toxic Weeds; Haemonchus contortus; Grazing.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )