What is Alsike Clover toxicity?
Alsike clover toxicity has very infrequently occurred in hogs, sheep, and cattle, but is most prevalent in horses. It usually occurs among animals on alsike pasture in bright, sunny weather, but some of the characteristic symptoms and lesions have been found in animals fed alsike hay. Two syndromes have been recognized: photosensitization* and a fatal syndrome known as alsike clover poisoning. Alsike clover is somewhat unpalatable to horses, so as other vegetation is overgrazed, the clover can become dominant. Signs include jaundice, neurological disturbances such as head-pressing and aimless walking, anorexia and loss of body condition. Animals exhibiting these signs usually die. Pathology includes a greatly enlarged liver, grey-brown or green-yellow in colour. There is pronounced fibrosis of the liver. *Photosensitization is the circumstance where animals become hypersensitive to light. This is caused by phylloerythrin, a metabolite of chlorophyll. It is normally excreted in the bile
