Plant Poisoning for Horses
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VETERINARY © www.tuttoarabi.com PLANT POISONING for horses by Domenico Bergero and Cynthia Préfontaine z photos by TuttoArabi Archive he horse is an herbivore that exclusively feeds himself, in nature, with diverse parts of plants, T mainly herbs. Therefore, the plant kingdom also has their own survival defense. In fact, many plants contain harmful substances that could advise again their daredevil users qualitatively or/and quantitatively. Then, among herbs available for horses, there are not only essential nutrients, but also non nutritional factors that can clearly be damaging. There are however not that much poisonous plants that can be dangerous for horses. Nevertheless, in those particular cases, it’s unavoidable to know them, at SOLANUM DATURA least insure their control in the paddocks and in field used to DULCAMARA STRAMONIUM produce hay. GENERAL APPROCH Which part of the plants and when? First of all, in term of plant toxicity, many questions need reflection: which part of the plant is dangerous and which shape it has, or what is the lethal or toxic dose for horses? It then become of essential concern for every poisonous plant to carefully identify the plant itself, her life cycle and then, its dangerous part. For example, the ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) from hedera plant genus, is entirely toxic but above all for their fruits. The tamaro (Tamus communis) has an ATROPA HYOSCYAMUS exclusive toxic location situated in the red fruits. BELLADONNA NIGER Yew (Taxus baccata), conifer native to western, central and southern Europe has toxic seed only. Verat (Veratrum spp.) and ferns (Pteridophyta division) have mainly poisonous rhizoid. 228 | TUTTO ARABI - www.tuttoarabi.com VETERINARY The snowdrops (species of of Digitalis purpurea extract Galanthus genus), that form white containing cardiac glycosides for the carpets in the landscape at spring treatment of some heart diseases), time, have toxic bulbs. while some other theoricly save can be toxic at high dosage. The Common Hawthorn bloom (Crataegus monogyna) has specific It is anyway good to mention that toxic flower that bloom in late there is a lot of plants toxic at a spring. low dosage. For example, lethal TAXUS BACCATA dose of Digitalis and Oleander PLANT That being so, realizing that your (Nerium oleander) for horses horse shows abnormal symptoms are about 100 g; 250-500 g for grazing on an infested field during Hellebores; 500 g for the Conium a critic period (plant cycle of life) of (Conium maculatum and Cicuta the year should take your attention. virosa); 500 g for some hedge POISONING Be aware of the reactions of your trees like the Common Laburnum horse and/or manage him in an (Laburnum anagyroides) and the other way in case of doubts to avoid Alpine Laburnum (Laburnum troubles. alpinum), 1 kg for the Box (Buxus spp.) and 500g – 5 kg for the Yew for horses In which condition the poison of (Taxus baccata). the plants could be active? VERATRUM Another aspect to consider; many In general, cases of lethal essences will get their venomous poisonings are relatively rare action when they are fresh and lose and above all, link to toxic plant their toxicity, mainly because of the ingestion by inexperienced and heat and the deshydratation status, bored horses or by individuals put when desiccated. It is the case of in a degraded pasture considerably the Ranunculaceae family where infested by poisonous flora. On the the plants will normally lose their other hand, the chronic poisonings, potential toxicity with a warm link with the continuous ingestion desiccation condition and will not of small quantities of toxic plants be of major concern if the hay is well are harder to recognize because dried. Therefore, hay containing PTERIDOPHYTA of the symptom subtleties. In this Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) or case, evidences will normally be Hellebores (Helleborus genus), part observed through the liver and of this family, will be consider save the kidneys, decreasing the horse only when dry and mature in term general form and performance and of fermentation also. increase the probability to bring the animal some other relative The same thing is valuable for problems. Among those damage the Water Hemlock or Cowbane are included a low resistance to (Conium genus) as it contains infective agent, chronic enteritis, a venom that evaporate slowly diverse types of colic, bothers and absolutely request a complete GALANTHUS NIVALIS with reproduction or, the fermentation process to be consider most probable hypothesis, out of danger, while 2,5-5 kg of a general uneasiness fresh plant is fatal for horses. condition represented by performance diminution. At which dosage the plants are toxic? Another important aspect to look upon is the dosage because: “every substances is toxic and no one is perfectly harmful; only the dosage will determine the toxicity”, according to Paracelsus. This mean that some venoms can be used, in particular dose, as medication (like the small amount use VETERINARY ACONITUM NAPELLUS HELLEBORUS HELLOBURUS VIRIDIS FOETIDUS NERIUM OLEANDER CICUTA VIROSA LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES QUERCUS ERODIUM SENECIO PTERIDIUM ROBUR CICUTARIUM JACOBAEA AQUILINUM Is the toxic potentiality of a poisonous plant the same for signs, has red-brown urine are make convulsions. every species of animals? How to recognized an intoxication? An other important point to consider is the specie-specificity: The time between the toxic plant ingestion and the not all the poisoning plants the horses are damageable for symptomatic onset is also to take in account. For example, other species of animals or at least, at the same dosage and the ingestion of a Conium sp. or Erodium cicutarium horse vice versa. For example: the digitalis strongly toxic for all lethal dose, will gives little hours to the horse life and we will the animals, will be of less concern for horses compare to then observe a rapid symptom insurgence. bovines; the oaks (Quercus)leaves and acorns, eaten by deer On the contrary, the senecio (Dendrosenecio kilimanjari) and peccaries, will lead to foal intoxication if ingested in the or the brackens (Pteridium aquilinum) can create severe pasture, especially after a hot summer where grass is run out. symptoms even one mouth after continuous ingestion. In the case of the brackens (Pteridium aquilinum) specifically, the The symptoms of poisoning, not always easy to identify, will symptoms will normally strictly appear after 30 days of hay be characterized by a progressive weakening of the animal administration containing this essence or grazing fresh in an that can: becomes drowsy in term of behavior and general infested pasture. aspect, has a lower temperature compare to the normal standard, develops mouth ulcers, shows head compression The age of the horse is also a factor to observe in term of 230 | TUTTO ARABI - www.tuttoarabi.com VETERINARY CONIUM MACULATUM DIGITALIS PURPUREA PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS RhODODENDRON LABURNUM ALPINUM ROBINIA PONTICUM PSEUDOACACIA CYTISUS BUXUS SEMPERVIRENS RhODODENDRON LABURNUM LUTEUM www.tuttoarabi.com - TUTTO ARABI | 231 VETERINARY T. HYBRIDUM T. REPENS T. INCARNATUM AETHUSA OENANTHE EQUISETUM SP SINAPIS CYNAPIUM CROCATA ARVENSIS CLINICAL SIGNS & RELATED problematic plant intoxication. Young horses got less the Rhododendron sp. (Rhododendron ponticum and POISONOUS PLANTS enzymes to resist the action of toxic plants, obviously beyond Rhododendron luteum) and Cytisus laburnum. weakened and recovering subjects, who ask major attention. The most important offhand herbaceous toxic plants will Salivation-Inducing Plants In which concrete case should we then consider a plant be described in the following lines bellow.Concerning intoxication? First of all, the horse has a natural born intoxication done with cultivated plant we can mention instinct to normally chose in the pasture, the best herbs the one done: with clover (Trifolium hybridum, Trifolium leaving apart the others. This is moreover true for horses, repens, Trifolium incarnatum), related to the rising spring that since the beginning of their life, had been habituated to and those links with beet consummation that particularly stay in wide paddocks. The problem will generally observe have leaves rich in oxalates. with young foals, still inexperienced, or in some “too tight” stallion paddocks. In fact, we need to pay high attention Among poisoning offhand plants present in Europe, we when we face a situation where the paddock dimension is can find almost all the Ranunculaceae family (Ranunculus smaller then necessary, overused by the animals and where acris, repens, flammula; Caltha palustris) which have horses have eaten all the good hay and bored, start to fed with diverse toxicity level and appear to be save when included unwanted flora. in a well prepared hay. Poisoning symptoms are: general Obviously, horses always pent in a box are at “risk subjects” inflammation, skin irritation and narcosis. As mention because receiving rarely green diet, they haven’t develop before, two species of this family are especially dangerous by enough their selective instinct for herbs and are simply maintaining their toxicity in the hay which are: Hellebores attracted by any fresh herbs when they are suddenly at (Helleborus genus) and Monkshood (Aconitum napellus). disposition. Specifically for them, the ingestion will lead the horse to: depression, convulsions, paralysis and short term death (some Specific distinctions between plants hours for Aconitum napellus and some weeks for Helleborus A particular distinction in the toxic plant description can be genus). done between toxic trees for horses, offhanded and cultivated An other plant problematic family for horses in Europe herbs. In the first category, beyond Yew (Taxus), we find are the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae referring for example to many essences cultivates or used as hedge, that will be ingested Cicuta virosa, Conium maculatum, Aethusa cynapium and only by inexperienced horses often hold in the surrounding Oenanthe crocata. of the city, like the Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), the Buxus sp., the Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Acknowledged to attack the nervous system with their diverse 232 | TUTTO ARABI - www.tuttoarabi.com pp.