PetMD Editorial. Bracken Symptoms Bracken, (Pteridium aquilinum), also called brake or bracken fern, widely distributed fern (family Dennstaedtiaceae), found throughout the world in temperate and tropical regions.The fronds are used as thatching for houses and as fodder and are cooked as vegetables or in soups in some parts of Asia. The clinical signs relate to this, typically being: Blood clots in the urine, Redwater, Thickened bladder wall, Poisoning by this plant causes a variety of skin and circul.. Bracken fern toxicity occurs as a result of ingesting toxins contained within the plant. Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is a common form of intoxication in cattle known as enzootic bovine haematuria.Brack fern is an ornamental plant that cattle eat when normal food supplies are limited. Diagnosis of bracken fern poisoning should be based on the history of the fern being eaten for an extended period of time, a hemorrhagic syndrome, caused by bone marrow depletion resulting in thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. Its curling green fronds decorate many British hillsides, dying down and turning a … Bracken fern is widely distributed in open woodlands with sandy soils and disturbed (clear cut or burned) areas throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The complex taxon embraced in the Pteridium genus, popularly known as bracken fern and notorious weeds in many parts of the world, is one of the few vascular plants known to induce cancer naturally in animals. Signs of toxicity may take some time to develop. It can be consumed directly by animals or accidently baled into hay. Bracken fern is rather common in some areas. Bracken Poisoning in Horses. Tip: The bracken is the most poisonous fern in Germany. The more chronic form of disease is a cancer of the bladder wall. 12/30/01. Symptoms of poisoning by fern It is considered poisonous to livestock when eaten in quantity, but the rootstocks and the young shoots, cooked, are used for food. It is more commonly documented in cattle and sheep. Alternatively, the use of herbicides is suitable for protecting children and pets from the toxic bracken fern. November 02, 2011. Bracken fern poisoning: Introduction. Etiology. The new leaf growths (fiddleheads) are actually safely edible. Share this: Bracken is a type of fern that is found throughout the world, notably in areas with a more temperate climate. Bracken fern poisoning of cattle Page 2 Revised January 2016 Pinpoint haemorrhages in the skin, gums, and vaginal surfaces, Blood in the urine, Death. Ingestion of significant quantities results in signs of poisoning related to thiamine deficiency. Bracken is a fern that grows on every continent except Antarctica. 6026. Bracken. If he settles in your garden or in the pasture, fight him by digging or cutting him down. Bracken fern: Is the common name for a tall fern ( Pteridium aquilinum ) with large triangular fronds, widespread throughout the world, often as a weed. The presence of blindness (horses), or bladder tumors warrant consideration of bracken fern poisoning. Bracken Fern Poisoning. The curling fern that seems to spreading like a bad, green rash across moor and heath at an alarming rate is not only spoiling the countryside, but harbours a tick that passes lyme disease to humans, causes poisoning in cattle, horses, sheep and people and its spores are one of the latest cancer suspects. Bracken fern poisoning: Bracken fern is a type of fern which contains chemicals (glycoside and thiaminase) and can cause symptoms if eaten. It has been known for long to be acutely toxic to livestock and sublethal chronic oral fee … The plant is considered to have a relatively low level of toxicity. 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