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Related Experiment Videos

Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed) poisoning in cattle

S W Casteel1, G C Johnson, M A Miller

  • 1Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65205.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
|April 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) caused kidney damage and death in cattle. This nephrotoxicity differed from oak poisoning, affecting distal tubules more severely.

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Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Toxicology
  • Ruminant Pathology

Background:

  • Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed) is a common weed with potential toxicity in livestock.
  • Nephrotoxicity in cattle can result from various causes, necessitating accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and characterize Amaranthus retroflexus-induced nephrotoxicity in cattle.
  • To differentiate pigweed poisoning from other causes of renal failure in cattle, such as oak poisoning.

Main Methods:

  • Diagnosis of suspected Amaranthus retroflexus poisoning in six cattle herds.
  • Clinical assessment, including serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in affected animals.
  • Postmortem and histopathological examination of kidneys from affected cattle.
  • Comparison of kidney lesions with archived cases of Quercus (oak) poisoning.

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Main Results:

  • Forty-eight cattle died and 35 were clinically affected by suspected pigweed ingestion.
  • Clinical signs included elevated serum urea nitrogen and creatinine.
  • Gross findings included peritoneal effusion and perirenal edema.
  • Histopathology revealed severe degeneration and necrosis of renal tubules, particularly distal tubules.
  • Pigweed-induced nephrotoxicity showed distinct features compared to oak poisoning, with less interstitial fibrosis and oxalosis.

Conclusions:

  • Amaranthus retroflexus ingestion can cause significant nephrotoxicity and mortality in cattle.
  • The pattern of renal tubule damage differs from that seen in Quercus poisoning.
  • Drought conditions may alter the toxicological profile of pigweed, shifting toxicity from nitrate-induced sudden death to nephrotoxicity.