Lantana Toxicity
Lantana Toxicity
Sources
Lantana camara – there are over 30 different colour forms of Lantana and not all of them are toxic to herbivores. As a rule of thumb the toxic colour forms include:
- Most red and orange flowered forms
- Most pink flowered forms NORTH of ROCKHAMPTON
- Helidon white (SEQ)
- The common pink variety (found in SEQ) is non toxic.
Distribution and Habitat
Coastal and subcoastal Queensland and New South Wales, on a range of soil types and forest types
Animals affected
Ruminants
Poisoning circumstances
Poisoning usually occurs when cattle are introduced to unfamiliar surroundings containing the plant or during droughts or floods when normal feed is difficult to get.
Clinical signs
- Loss of appetite and frequent urination are followed by constipation and dehydration
- Dermatitis of unpigmented skin (eg; muzzle, tongue).
- Jaundice (look at the gums and other mucous membranes)
- Seeking shade
- In severely affected cattle a short period of diarrhoea with black strong smelling faeces may occur
- Death may take from 2 days in severely poisoned cattle to 1-3 weeks in less severely affected cattle
Diagnosis
- Access to lantana
- Clinical signs
- Pathology ie subcutaneous oedema and jaundice
Treatment
- Drenching cattle with activated charcoal can help to reduce further toxin absorption. A second dose of activated charcoal and rehydration therapy may be necessary before recovery starts.
- Affected animals should be kept in the shade
Prevention/ Control
The most economic and effective control of the plant in grazing land is:
- A combination of clearing, burning or both
- Oversowing with competitive pasture species
- Herbicide spraying of regrowth
- Controlled grazing