Fescue poisoning

Attention! This is a potentially life-threatening condition for your Cow. Time is of the essence, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Fescue Poisoning

Fescue Poisoning

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea ) is one of the most abundant cool-season grasses in the southeastern United States, occupying over 35 million acres of land. 62% of the grasses on this land are infested with the endophyte fungus, Neotyphodium coenophialum. N. coenophialum lives within the plants and seeds and produces varying amounts of ergot alkaloids.
Cattle are extremely sensitive to ergot alkaloids, and become poisoned over time through consumption of the endophyte-infected grass or hay. The principal alkaloid responsible is ergovaline; the amount present in the plant varies considerably depending on the strain, plant part, stage of maturity, environmental conditions, and geographic region.

Symptoms

Rough hair coat
Increased body temperature
Gangrenous necrosis of extremities (feet, tail, ears)
Reduced weight gains
Agalactia
Reduced conception

Diagnosis

  • History
  • Clinical signs
  • Laboratory testing of pasture or hay

Treatment


Treatment TypeDetailsReference
Domperidone
Perhenazine
Reserpine
Removal from endophytic-infected fescue pasture
Kill infected strains of endophyte-infected pasture and replant with endophyte-free fescue seeds

Prevention

  • Knowledge of breeding dates
  • Kill infected strains of endophyte-infected pasture and replant with endophyte-free fescue seeds
  • Monitoring of mammary gland development
  • Removal from endophyte-infected fescue pasture and hay

Article Reference

Risk Factors

  • Letting cattle graze on endophyte-infested tall fescue pastures

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