Poisonous Plants

Of the hundreds of toxic plants in North America, only a handful are likely to bring serious harm to horses. The veterinarians of Starwood Equine have put together a useful field guide to assist horse owners in the identification of harmful plants common to the region.

Most Common Clinical Signs of Poisoning

Ref: University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources' (UC ANR) “Livestock Poisoning Plants of California,” Forero, et al. EPub Jan 2011 https://ucanr.edu/sites/BayAreaRangeland/files/253120.pdf

Download the PDF below to view the other plants covered in this guide.

Treatment

Rapid development of illness and limited treatment options make plant toxicoses difficult to treat. Prevention is key.  If you do see your horse ingesting harmful plant material we encourage you to remove the plant source (or your horse from the offending pasture) and call your veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Treatment options may include the use of:

• Activated charcoal and mineral oil to decontaminate (if caught early)
• Aggressive IV fluids to correct dehydration and protect the kidneys
• Miscellaneous supportive measures to treat symptoms

Download the Guide

The veterinarians of Starwood Equine have put together a useful "field guide" to assist horse owners in the identification of harmful plants common to the region. Please consider downloading the PDF guide at the bottom of this blog post. Save it to your phone or print it out for reference at your barn!

Starwood Equine Top 5 Plant Guide
File Size:	1809 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Note: This is not an all-inclusive list of plants toxic to horses. Rather, it's a list of plants commonly found in Northern California that are also toxic to horses.

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References:
University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources' (UC ANR) “Livestock Poisoning Plants of California,” Forero, et al. EPub Jan 2011    https://ucanr.edu/sites/BayAreaRangeland/files/253120.pdf
​A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America. 2001. A. P. Knight and R. G. Walter
Poisonous Plants of California. Thomas C. Fuller and Elizabeth McClintock
Horse Owners Field Guide to Toxic Plants. Sandra M. Burger