OLIVEIRA, G. L. C.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/5435341672658456; OLIVEIRA, Getúlio Luiz Camboim de.
Resumen:
In Brazil’s northeastern semi-arid there is a great intoxication incidence in horses due to
the ingestion of toxic plants. An important example is the intoxication by Crotalaria
retusa that causes acute and chronic hepatic lesions provoking clinical signs of hepatic
encephalopathy and death. A retrospective study was conducted with the cases with C.
retusa intoxication in equines that were admitted in the Veterinary Hospital between
2004 and 2007. Twelve C. retusa intoxication cases in equines were identified. Six of
those animals were discharged from the hospital and the other 6 died, undergoing
necropsy in the Animal Pathology Laboratory. The clinical findings were characterized
mainly by anorexia, confusion, general physical indisposition, irritability, yawning,
muscular spasms, incoordination, low head positioning, aggressivity, walking or even
galloping without direction and pressing the head against obstacles. The main
modification in the necropsy results were in the liver demonstrating variable degrees of
red areas intermixed with yellow ones, which characterized chronic hepatopathy that is
the main alteration in this intoxication. Comparing the results found in this research
with the findings in other conducted studies with equines, 2.35% of the animal cases in
the Veterinary Hospital were due to C. retusa intoxication and 50% of the animals died
still in the hospital and one of the animals after hospital discharge. As to the other
discharged animals, it wasn’t possible to keep a follow-up program.
