symptom of several unrelated animal diseases, in which the affected animal walks with
an unsteady, staggering gait and seems to be blind. The many possible causes include
poisoning from ingesting plants containing a high level of selenium or from ingesting grasses
infected with the fungal disease known as ergot. Magnesium or calcium deficiency may also
cause blind staggers, as may inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or of the brain coverings
(meningitis).
