It’s Monday again and I’m excited to share another plant your horse can’t eat. Today we’ll take a closer look at a plant that is so blue it hurts my eyes, the Delphinium.
A Little About Delphiniums
Delphinium is also called Larkspur, Lark’s Heel, Lark’s Claw, Knight’s Spur & Staggerweed. This is an annual, biennial & a perennial and the size depends on the species. Leaves are lobed, toothed and pointed, flowers are purple, blue, red, yellow or white with five petals and grow in spurs.
How Dangerous Is It?
Another plant that is unpalatable to horse (they don’t tend to eat flowers anyway). However an incredibly high toxicity level makes them one horse owners should always be on the lookout for. Contains dangerous alkaloids which can be fatal.
All parts of this plant are toxic and can be fatal to equines.
What To Look For
You know your animal the best, so you should know when something is amiss. Delphinium toxicity symptoms can include irritation of the mouth & throat, diarrhea, weakness, muscle spasms, paralysis of respiratory function and convulsions.
Learn More
Be sure to check out the Delphinium page to learn more about the plant and while you are at it why not check out more toxic plants?
*It should be noted that I’m not a veterinarian. This information is written specifically for horses and should be used for reference purposes only. If you think your horse has eaten something toxic call your vet right away.