A fASTUHE HANDBOOK 63 



In many instances poisoning occurs when some weed has become 

 unusually plentiful in a pasture or when the animals have been feeding 

 largely on a particular plant. In such cases, it is best to remove the 

 animals from the pasture or affected part of the range. 



If the cause of the trouble is not fully understood, as complete a 

 description as possible of the cases, and samples of the suspected 

 plant or plants, should be forwarded at once to the State agricultural 

 experiment station or to the United States Department of Agriculture 

 with a request for information bearing on the condition. 



In any case of poisoning, treatment is best given or prescribed by 

 a qualified veterinarian. Many poisoned animals that would have 

 recovered had they been left undisturbed have been killed by attempts 

 made by untrained persons to administer remedies. Bleeding, a 

 method in too common practice among stockmen, is very rarely of 

 benefit to the poisoned animal. In attempts to drench sick animals, 

 the medicine being used often gets into the trachea, or windpipe, 

 and results in pneumonia and death. In general it is a good practice 

 to protect the poisoned animals from excessive heat and cold and dis- 

 turb them as little as possible until veterinary aid can be obtained. 



Some suggestions for preventing animals from being poisoned are 

 as follows: Avoid overgrazing of pastures as the animals may be forced 

 to eat poisonous plants, since the most palatable and nutritious plants 

 may be killed out and the less palatable ones are given a chance to 

 grow. See that animals are not forced, for prolonged periods, to eat 

 a limited variety of feeds. When animals are hungry or have been on 

 one type of feed, such as dry hay, for some time, do not turn them into 

 a pasture where there are poisonous plants, especially when these 

 plants are green. 



PLANTS SOMETIMES INJURIOUS 



A few plants or parts of plants when fed under certain conditions 

 occasionally are injurious to animals. The most important of these 

 plants with the essential facts regarding them are given in table 10. 



