DIAGNOSIS OF OLEANDER POISONING IN LIVESTOCK

Since mid-1989, 37 cases of oleander poisoning in livestock have been diagnosed at the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System. T he most frequent source for oleander exposure was plant clippings. Sud den death was the most common presenting complaint. Other signs report ed included diarrhea, pulmonary edema, tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmia s, colic, and lethargy. In the past, a presumptive diagnosis of oleand er poisoning could be based only on matching clinical signs with evide nce of consumption of oleander. A new 2 dimensional Thin-layer chromat ography analysis of ingesta for oleandrin and an awareness of lesions in heart muscle have greatly improved the ability to diagnose oleander toxicosis.