Happy Monday, are you ready to learn about another plant your horse can’t eat? Today’s plant goes by a variety of names and lights up the hills with color. Fireweed is beautiful and plentiful but not so good for your pony.
A Little About Fireweed
Chamerion angustifolium is also called Rosebay Willowherb and Fireweed. This is a perennial herb with a smooth reddish central stem. Leaves are lanceolate and alternate, flowers are magenta/pink, radially symmetrical and have 4 petals.
How Dangerous Is It?
This plant is unpalatable to horses and only a problem during drought conditions. However, it can often be found in the path of grazers and it contains Grayanotoxin which affects skeletal and cardiac muscle as well as nerve function.
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. Fireweed toxicity symptoms occur within a few hours of ingestion and include gastrointestinal upset, drooling, loss of appetite, diarrhea, loss of coordination, stupor, paralysis, weak heart rate and colic.
Learn More
Be sure to check out the Fireweed 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.
What part of the plant do they find Grayanotoxin?
What concentration? Is there a study on this?
Thank you for your time.
Florence