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Kochia poisoning suspected in livestock deathsBy Randy Buhler Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Logan County Agent (Agronomy) Logan County Extension received a couple of calls recently concerning poisoning of livestock. Investigation led us to suspect kochia poisoning. Livestock readily graze kochia, but it may cause health problems or death if overgrazed. Toxic substances in the plant can cause photosensitization, polioencephalomalacia, kidney damage, liver damage, blindness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, jaundice, and mouth sores. Toxic substances identified in kochia include saponins, alkaloids, nitrates, sulfates, and oxalates. Several tests of kochia as the primary feedstuff are reported in the literature. Thilsted reported that steers grazing only kochia lost weight and showed depression, dehydration, muscular weakness, and photosensitization. Among 48 kochia plant samples, a maximum of 4.7 percent soluble oxalates and 11.4 percent total oxalates were found following a heavy rainfall. That level is sufficient to cause chronic oxalate poisoning, or alkalosis, as reported by Dickie. Dickie reported kochia poisoning in cattle appears to be greater after substantial rains, when plant growth accelerated, and flowering, pollination, and early seed development were occurring. He noted evidence of thiamin (Vitamin B1) deficiency. Saponins are usually responsible for loss of appetite. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, liver damage, and photosensitization may be promoted by saponins. Oxalates cause a rapid decline in blood serum calcium. Sudden death can result. Feeding a salt with 25 percent dicalcium phosphate free choice can work as a preventative when grazing a pasture dominated by kochia. Polio cases can be treated with vitamin B1 (thiamine). Sulfates are responsible for the neurological symptoms associated with toxicity. Feeding supplemental feedstuffs so that no more than 50 percent of the total ration comes from kochia can reduce or eliminate toxicity problems. Changing the diet to reduce the percentage of kochia can take care of most of the toxicity problems when caught in time. Longer exposure can result in liver damage that becomes irreversible. Compounding the kochia problem are other weeds that also accumulate oxalates, nitrates, and sulfates as well as produce their own alkaloids and saponins. A key point with kochia is that levels of toxic compounds increase as the plant matures, comes under stress, or sprayed with herbicides. Both poisoning cases this year involved turning animals into mature kochia patches with no other feed available. Problems occurred within a few hours to several days of exposure. Animals were removed from the pastures to another location, fed other feed, and are recovering. We do not see this problem every year, even though many animals do get a significant portion of their diet from kochia and other toxic accumulating plants like lambsquarters, Russian thistle, pigweed and sunflower. Date: 8/29/07
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