VMLL 1014 - Poisonous Plants: Plants Affecting the Digestive System

Plants and their toxins that cause digestive diseases in livestock and horses are discussed in this course. As there is a wide variety of plants affecting the digestive system, they will be grouped by the clinical signs they cause: plants causing excessive salivation, vomiting, bloat, colic and diarrhea.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Recognize the plants that cause digestive disturbances in animals.
• Determine the toxin in the plants responsible for the presenting clinical signs.
• Explain the pathogenesis associated with various plant toxins.
• When appropriate, provide recommendations for treating or preventing the plant toxicity problem.

Noncredit courses do not produce academic credit nor appear on a Colorado State University academic transcript.

Instructors

Dr. Tony Knight
Anthony.Knight@colostate.edu

Dr. Knight has taught plant toxicology in the professional veterinary medical curriculum for over 20 years and has recently published a book with CD on the subject. (A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America. Published by Teton New Media). He has utilized his field experience in working with livestock owners who have had plant poisoning problems to embellish the plant toxicology course taught to veterinary students at Colorado Sate University.

He is frequently invited to speak to veterinarians, livestock producers, and Cooperative Extension personnel on the importance of toxic plants in the western United States. To help answer frequent questions on the subject of plant poisoning, Dr Knight also has a popular web page on toxic plants.