 |  |
|
Spoiled sweetclover hay can be dangerous
| | |
By The Associated Press
| 10/21/2009 |
| | |
Spoiled sweetclover hay can cause bleeding problems in livestock, and producers feeding it to cattle are reminded to do so with care.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Veterinarian Russ Daly said sweetclover as grazed forage is not a culprit. Instead, problems arise when this legume spoils during or after the process of putting it up as hay.
"It can accumulate a compound that results in prolonged bleeding time and hemorrhaging in cattle," Daly said. "Unspoiled sweetclover is not a problem, but when the plant tissue is spoiled or moldy the molds can change coumarins into dicoumarol, which is the toxic compound."
Livestock problems rising from spoiled sweetclover may increase this fall because of a successful growing season.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Range Management Educator Dusty Jager said this year's abundant sweetclover growth in western South Dakota means that beef producers should use more caution when feeding it to their herds.
"A considerable amount of sweetclover was cut and put up with native grasses as prairie hay this year," Jager said. "Problems arise when the sweetclover is not cured completely. If molding happens, it can lead to poisoning."
Daly said that when animals consume dicoumarol, it interferes with the animal's ability to manufacture prothrombin, a substance animals need so that blood will clot normally.
"Abnormal bleeding is more likely to take place, and the signs of abnormal bleeding depend on where the hemorrhage is taking place," said Daly. "In some cases, the first animals that the toxicity affects may be found dead due to internal bleeding after an injury or other forms of trauma."
Daly said that in other cases, abnormal bleeding into joints may cause lameness or stiffness in some animals, and the bleeding into the respiratory or digestive tract may result in nosebleeds or blood in the manure. Blood blisters, or prolonged bleeding after surgical procedures such as dehorning or castrating, may be observed as well.
Daly said that dicoumarol may pass through the placenta of pregnant cows, resulting in miscarriages.
Both Jager and Daly said that even sweetclover that appears unspoiled may harbor elevated levels of dicoumarol, and they recommend producers take precautions when feeding this hay. Those steps include:
-- Avoid feeding sweetclover hay to cows for 2-3 weeks before and after the calving period.
-- Delay surgical procedures in calves that have been fed sweetclover hay for at least 2-3 weeks after the calves have been off the forage.
-- Producers can feed moldy sweetclover hay if it is alternated with alfalfa hay. Seven days of feeding sweetclover followed by seven days of alfalfa hay may prevent overt clinical signs, but still may result in prolonged bleeding times.
-- Discuss diagnosis and treatment of animals suspected of having exposure to moldy sweetclover with a veterinarian. Typical treatments may include injections of vitamin K, and in some cases, blood transfusions.
Jager said sweetclover poisoning can happen in any livestock, but that the selective eating habits of horses and swine decreases the likelihood of injury in those species. Caution is necessary, but resources can help producers avoid problems, Jager said.
"Not all moldy sweet clover is toxic, and the absence of observable mold is not an absolute assurance that dicoumarin is not present in the forage," Jager said. "An analysis of the forage is the only definitive measurement of risk, and the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab can test dicumarol levels in hay."
| |
©Madison Daily Leader 2010
| |
| |
|
  | Send us your community news, events, letters to the editor and other suggestions. Now, you can submit birth, wedding and engagement announcements online too!
Copyright © 1995 - 2010 All Rights Reserved. |
|
