2 Women on 2 Acres

A List of Plants that are Poisonous or Harmful to your Animals

Before we begin, this list is a ‘living’ list, by this I mean, things will be added or taken away when I have sufficient evidence that things are no longer poisonous or I find new things that are.

IMPORTANT BIT

Please if you think you have an animal suffering from poisoning RING THE VET AT ONCE

This page and the information it contains, is just that: information to help you care for your animals. We nearly lost a loved animal because we didn’t know exactly what was harmful

This is a list I compiled when Izzy, our baby goat, became very sick this summer (2008) and we thought she had been poisoned by us cutting down some shrubs and trees in our garden.

Izzy, does not normally eat so many leaves as the other goats, but, in a drought food is scarce and she must have eaten more than usual. It was a dreadful time for us all, poor girl was so sick I had to force fluid into her every half an hour.

Three days we battled with her, and we were lucky, she survived and has now bounced back to a healthy little girl.

This list is in NO way a substitute for professional advice, in all cases of illness or suspected poisoning you MUST contact your vet for professional advice.

In your Garden:

Tips for keeping an eye on things:

Keep your shrubs trimmed or the animals will do it for you, if you have harmful or poisonous plants this is when they will do the most harm to your animals, when they trim the branches and leaves.

Goats, especially, can stretch up, really, really high, when they want to eat green leaves. They are also, notorious for jumping fences, getting through small gaps and even working out the problem of getting to what they want.

Believe me, I have 5 goats and they can all jump into my kitchen garden at will, if they so desire. Goats, like variety, as all animals do. It is a myth that animals only eat grass.

You give a goat a chance to free range, to eat anything they want, I bet, they will eat everything you didn’t really want them too.

They are easily bored and will find a way to investigate the greener grass on the other side of the fence to find out it tastes the same!!

Young animals are especially vunerable to poisoning, so it is better to monitor their food.

Also, it is great to have a day in the garden, pruning and pulling those weeds, but if the pile, that is left at the end of the day is still assessable to your animals, they will eat it, especially if they are hungry.

So, try and clear up after yourself, having animals is like having children..:)

The plants and trees which I am led to believe are poisonous to animals are:

OLEANDER:

I am led to believe all parts of the oleander are poisonous even when dried.

YEW TREES:

I am led to believe all parts of this tree are toxic. It is said to contain substances which once inside their stomach, will get into the blood stream and stop the heart beating. There are no antidotes to prevent sudden death.

RHODODENDRON:

After eating, your animal can remain unwell for a few days afterwards. Likely symptoms include:

A kicking motion towards its stomach, this is because of stomach pains.

Animals after ingestion, have been known to vomit, to help expel the poison. Vomiting in goats is uncommon, so if your goat is vomiting, it is likely that it has rhododendron poisoning.

Breathing difficulties, have also been reported after eating.

Rhododendron poisoning is usually not fatal, but err on the side of caution and remove any bushes if considering goats especially or indeed any other live stock.

LABURNUM (GOLDEN CHAIN TREE)

Again, I am led to believe all parts of this plant are poisonous. Be warned the pods and seeds are extremely toxic, so be cautious even check neighboring properties, when the seed and pods are carried in the wind.

Signs and symptoms include: Neurological symptoms, (excitement, convulsions, and this is followed by death.)
YES: Eating laburnum is usually fatal. The vet may administer a sedative to minimize the nervous signs
and this can allow the animal to expel the toxins from it’s body.

GREEN ACORNS:

If eaten in large quantities these can be poisonous to animals.

Weeds:

HEMLOCK:

All parts of the plant are poisonous. It has been known for animals to have been poisoned by eating the seeds.

Signs and symptoms: Again, there may be some neurological signs and symptoms, which include, excitement and convulsions. These are followed by coma and death.

Hemlock has been blamed for birth defects in young animals.

RAGWORT:

Ragwort can cause irreversible changes in the liver. These changes may not be apparent for some time, then all of a sudden your animal will be suddenly very sick.

Signs to look for:
Their abdomen/belly area becomes very big and swollen. The affected animal appears very miserable and dull.

Normally animals avoid ragwort, as they don’t like the taste, but if some ragwort has been harvested in the hay they may NOT recognize the smell and eat it.

Ragwort poisoning is fatal and there is no cure.

BRACKEN:

Animals may eat bracken when feed is scarce, like during the summer, drought or for a time after a drought. The animals usually avoid the fresh plant as it does taste horrible.But, like ragwort, it has been known
to be harvested in hay, where the taste is more palatable.

Bracken can cause scouring/diarrhea, with blood in the faeces/poo, all this can cause severe anaemia because of a condition called thrombocytopenia. This a deficiency in thrombocytes which are essential for clotting the blood

Other harmful things to be aware of:

Any new/old containers that could be lying around, we often ‘put’ something down, thinking we will tidy it up later!!
I know you know what I mean!! But, seriously, have a good look around, think how you shut away dangerous substances in the home to protect your children. It is the same around the farm, animals are just as bad a small children for ‘breaking into things“

Things like: Chemicals,insecticides, poisons, old drench containers, herbicides, rat poison, slug bait, petrol, paint, disinfectant, solvents, caustic chemicals.

Animals are curious by nature, and if they feel they have to, they will eat, chew and swallow anything. I have known my house cow to open the top of a sealed dustbin with her tongue and eat all the chicken pellets inside!!

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