A Case of Dallisgrass Staggers in Oklahoma

Authors

Stephen T. Lee PhD, USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research LaboratoryFollow
Giselle Cino Ozuna D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate ACVP, Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow
Adriana Villasenor DVM, Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow
Daniel Cook PhD, USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research LaboratoryFollow

Abstract

Dallisgrass is a warm-season, perennial forage found in pastures across the southeastern United States. Seed heads of dallisgrass are susceptible to ergot infection resulting in production of several tremorgenic indole-diterpene alkaloids such as paspalinine, paspalitrem A, and paspalitrem B. Herein, we report a clinical case of “dallisgrass staggers” in Oklahoma beef cows resulting in 31% morbidity and 5% mortality. Clinical signs were first observed within 36 hours of exposure to a new pasture, and included shaking, whole body tremors, staggering, swaying and wobbling when walking, falling down, and hyperexcitability. Tremorgenic indole diterpene alkaloids were detected from ergotized seed heads collected from the pasture.

Corresponding Author

Stephen T. Lee

Recommended Citation

Lee, Stephen T. PhD; Cino Ozuna, Giselle D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate ACVP; Villasenor, Adriana DVM; and Cook, Daniel PhD (2024) "A Case of Dallisgrass Staggers in Oklahoma," Poisonous Plant Research (PPR): Vol. 7, p. 29-33.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/256c-1d01
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/poisonousplantresearch/vol7/iss1/4