Clinical cases of neoplasms of the urinary bladder and upper digestive tract related to the ingestion of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) in cattle, diagnosed at the Veterinary Diagnostic Centre of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul from 1964 into 1991 are described. Haemangiomas are the more common neoplasms found in the bladder, associated with haematuria. Squamous cell carcinomas are found along the upper digestive tract inducing clinical signs related to their location, such as difficulty of swallowing, emaciation, respiratory distress, coughing and bloating. A few animals developed tumours in more than one location. Papilomas associated to the urinary bladder and upper digestive tract were also observed.
poisonous plants; Pteridium aquilinum; bracken poisoning digestive system carcinoma; tumours of the bladder
