Toxic Plants, Weeds, and Vegetation
A list of plants, weeds, and other vegetation that are toxic to equines could go on indefinitely. What may be toxic to one animal may not be toxic to another. Additionally, vegetation varies from region to region and from state to state, and specific effects from vegetation depend on how much your mustang or burro consumes, the level of vegetative toxicity, and whether or not the toxicity is cumulative.
The following is a list of Websites that contain valuable information regarding vegetation that, to one degree or another, may be or is toxic to equines. The Bureau of Land Management recommends that you use your favorite search engine to locate plants that may be more specific to your area or state. Several universities have excellent Websites that are relatively exclusive and detailed for your area.
Whispering Way ™ Natural Horsemanship
http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/PoisonousPlants.html
Horse Country's Vet Pages
http://www.horse-country.com/vet/index.html
This is a particularly useful site that lists toxic plants in Indiana, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
Pet Care Tips
http://www.petcaretips.net/symptoms_plant_poisoning.html
ASPCA - American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_horsetoxicplants
University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=16
Utah State University
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/Equine_Brochure.pdf
Ten Most Poisonous Plants to Equine
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/feeding/feed/poisonousplants_041105/
The NewsMagazine of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.dvmnews.com/dvm/Equine+Medicine/Plants-poisonous-to-horses-the-neurotoxic-variety/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/463084
Cherokee Animal Clinic - Texas
http://www.cherokeeanimalclinic.com/equine_toxicplants.htm
Buckeye Nutrition
http://www.buckeyenutrition.com/equinetechnical/EB14_Contaminants_that_are_potentially_toxic_to_horses.html
Purdue University
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/bytox1.htm or http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/add/tox/byanim.htm
University of CA, Davis
http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/symposium/proceedings/2006/06-71.pdf or http://envhort.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-Com.htm plus University of California, Davis - Weed Research and Information Center
Books
A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America. 2001. A. P. Knight and R. G. Walter. This excellent 367-page resource is unique in organization and comprehensive in scope. Its 10 chapters are organized by the impact that poisonous plants have. For example, Chapter 1 is “Plants causing sudden death," Chapter 2 is “Plants affecting the cardiovascular system,” Chapter 10 is “Plants affecting the mammary gland.” The authors give specific descriptions of the toxins involved and their modes of action; they have also included a useful glossary of botanical terms. Geographic location maps are provided that highlight the distribution of specific plant species within North America. Some species are not found in the north central region, as most poisonous plants affecting livestock are found in the rangeland in the Plains and Western regions. Available from
www.veterinarywire.com.
Poisonous Plants of the Central US. 1980. H. A. Stephens. It contains 165 pages and includes black-and-white photos of several aspects (leaves, seeds, whole plants, etc.,) of many poisonous species. The book can be ordered for $15.95 (plus $3.00 for shipping) from 2501 West 15th St., Lawrence, KS 66049. An order form is available at
http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/order.html or you can call 785-864-4155.
Pasture Plants Toxic to Livestock in Michigan. 1985. Alice Marczewski. This eight-page publication is general in nature and gives a description of the plant, its dangerous times of the year, its habitat and distribution, the animals affected, and the toxic principles and effects for 23 weeds. These species could also be found in Wisconsin. The publication also has a table listing crop plants that can possibly be poisonous. Extension bulletin E-1725 available from MSU Bulletin Office, 10-B Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039. You may also FAX your order to 517-353-7168.
Plants Poisonous to Livestock. 1991. Lisa Axton and Beverly Durgan. A 14-page bulletin that is similar to the one above and is available for $2.00 from the Univ. of Minn., Minn. Exten. Ser., Publications Office, St. Paul, MN 55108. Call 612-625-8172 and ask for bulletin AG-FO-5655-D. Or order it on-line at www.extension.umn.edu/units/dc/.
Poisonous Plants of California. Thomas C. Fuller and Elizabeth McClintock. Available on-line.
Horse Owners Field Guide to Toxic Plants. Sandra M. Burger.
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