INTOXICAÇÃO AGUDA POR PTERIDIUM AQUILINUM EM DOIS BOVINOS

TWO CASES OF ACUTE POISONING BY PTERIDIUM AQUILINUM IN CATTLE Pteridium aquilinum, also known as bracken fern, is a cosmopolitan plant that grows better in cold areas of moderate rainfall rate with low-fertility acid sandy soils. All parts of the plant contain active toxic principles. Some of the factors that lead to the intoxication of animals are hunger, lack of fibrous food, ingestion of contaminated hay, and the fact that the plant can be addictive. Considering the daily amount ingested and the period of ingestion, cattle can present three different clinical manifestations: 1) Acute hemorrhagic diathesis; 2) Bladder neoplasia or enzootic hematuria; 3) Digestive tract neoplasia. Two animals were attended to at the Veterinary Hospital of UNESP, Botucatu, presenting signs of acute poisoning by bracken fern. The diagnosis was based on anamnesis, clinical signs, complementary exams, and necropsy findings, which revealed hemorrhages and petechiae in the mucous membranes, pancytopenia, hemorrhages in the mucous and serous membranes, and aplasia of the bone marrow, respectively.