Intoxicações por Senna obtusifolia e Senna occidentalis em ovinos.

Abstract

This dissertation consists of two articles. The first one describes an outbreak of Senna obtusifolia poisoning in sheep of a semi-extensive breeding in the city of São Bento-PB. In a picket severely invaded by S. obtusifolia, ten of sixty sheep showed muscle weakness, one survived and nine died after 24-76 h of clinical evolution. The observed clinical signs were followed by difficulty staying in season, reluctance to move, muscle tremors, walking with rigid pelvic limbs, regurgitation, and dark brown urine. Serum creatinine phosphokinase was increased in all sheep examined. At necropsy of four sheep that died, only one animal was observed a pale area in the femoral biceps muscle. Histologically, various degrees of necrosis and polyphasic segmental degeneration were observed in the skeletal muscles of all sheep examined. Although the plant is common in northeastern Brazil, spontaneous intoxication it has not been described in sheep, probably because animals do not ingest it or due to variations in toxicity. In the second article we describe an outbreak of Senna occidentalis poisoning in sheep of a semiextensive breeding in the city of São José de Espinharas-PB. The sheep grazed on pickets severely infested by S. occidentalis and with low availability of forage. Of 240 sheep, twenty were affected. The affected animals had difficulty to stand and to move, muscle tremors, rigids pelvic members, regurgitation, and dark brown urine. Serum levels of creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase are increased. At the necropsy of three sheep that died, only one animal was observed a pale area in the longissimus lumbar muscle. The histopathological findings were multifocal polyphasic segmental degeneration and necrosis of skeletal muscles fibers. The diagnosis of poisoning was based on the epidemiological, clinical-pathological and biochemistry findings.