Rayless Goldenrod (Isocoma pluriflora)

This chapter presents the traditional categories of overview, etiology/pathophysiology, signalment/history, clinical features, key differential diagnosis, diagnostics, and therapeutics of rayless goldenrod toxicology in equine. Rayless goldenrod is a bushy perennial shrub that grows on rangelands throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. It contains a group of related compounds collectively known as tremetol, of which tremetone is the major toxin. Data are insufficient to predict a toxic dose and estimates are confounded by variation in plant tremetol content. The chapter presents a wealth of color photographs to aid in plant identification. It is an indispensable reference for veterinary clinicians and students dealing with equine medicine, as well as for anyone seeking concise and comprehensive information about equine toxicology.