Sorghum Poisoning in Cattle and its Therapeutic Management

Sorghum poisoning in cattle

Abstract

Sorghum is a cyanogenic plant and whenits level exceeds 20 mg per 100 g (200 ppm, 200 mg/kg) of forage, liver enzymes gets exhausted and HCN starts accumulating in the animal body. When the cyanide level becomes 0.5-3 mg/Kg b.wt., clinical symptom of poisoning appears which may end up in death of the animal. The article reports about a cow that have accidentally poisoned with sorghum forage, the animal was treated with sodium nitrite, which is effective in converting haemoglobin to methaemoglobin, which in turn reacts with cyanide (Prussic acid) to form cyanomethaemoglobin. A simultaneous injection of sodium thiosulphate provides sulphur to convert cyanomethaemoglobin to non-toxicthiocyanate which is excreted through urine. This paper presents the successful treatment of cyanide toxicity incattle.

Keywords: Asphyxiation; cyanogenic; glycosides; hydrocyanic acid; forage