Wild onion question
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Minimor
Well-Known Member
Apparently they can lead to a form of anemia; somewhere I should have a link to the article on this, I'll see if I can hunt it up. In some cases the anemia is severe enough to be life threatening I believe.
Garlic is of the same family; once or twice we have tried garlic supplements for a couple of horses. We didn't see any beneficial results at all & discontinued it. After seeing the article on this anemia, we wouldn't use garlic again for horses.
Garlic is of the same family; once or twice we have tried garlic supplements for a couple of horses. We didn't see any beneficial results at all & discontinued it. After seeing the article on this anemia, we wouldn't use garlic again for horses.
Yes, I've seen wild onions on a list of toxic plants for horses. Don't know how much it would take to have a detrimental effect. Peaches are on those lists as well, and my mares used to stand under a neighboring peach tree waiting for the peaches to fall! I gathered them several times a day but I know they beat me to a fair share and were none the worse for it.
Jan
Jan
Well I hope not because I have them coming up too. They come up every year here and I pull them out when I see them, but none of the horses have bothered them in the past, but since I"m paranoid I still pull them.
zacharyfarms
Well-Known Member
We spent one whole spring going around with a dandelion picker digging green onion bulbs out. Minis don't have to eat very many to cause them to colic. Our vet knew immediately what was causing the colic when she came out and smelled their breath (actually stomach fluids through the tube)
: It causes them to gas colic.
Margaret
Well-Known Member
Yes, they are toxic to horses. Horses should not be allowed to graze where onions are present..Early spring is a time when they are "mostly" present. Symptoms of poisoning may not be evident until 1 to 6 days after ingestion. (gastroinintestional distress, anemia, and depression of the red blood cell count, as well as possible death.)
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Minimor
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I guess I didn't keep the link to that article, or if I did....I can't find it.
Bess Kelly
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Here's some info from the website listed. Technical but, informative.
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/common.htm
Description. Herbaceous plants with narrow, linear leaves. Plants have a simple, erect stem with a terminal umbel. Flowers are white, pink, purple, or green. When crushed, all parts of the plant smell of onion.
Geographic range. Found throughout North America in meadows and sandy bottomlands.
Toxic principle. The alkaloid N-propyl disulphide is present in cultivated and wild onions.
Toxicity. Cattle are most susceptible to onion poisoning. Horses, cats, and dogs are less susceptible. Goats and sheep are fairly resistant to poisoning. Diets containing greater than 25% dry matter of onion can cause clinical signs of anemia. Most poisoning is due to cultivated, not wild, onions. In cats, a dose of 5 g/kg body weight can cause clinical signs.
Mechanism of toxicologic damage. N-propyl disulphide affects the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in RBCs and interferes with the hexose monophosphate pathway. This leads to insufficient phosphate dehydrogenase or glutathione to protect RBCs from oxidative damage. Oxidation of hemoglobin occurs and Heinz bodies are formed by precipitation of oxidized Hb in RBCs. Anemia is proportional to the number of Heinz bodies formed and the ability of the spleen to remove the damaged RBCs.
Diagnosis
Clinical signs. Hemoglobinuria, dark red-brown urine, is often the first clinical sign observed. Pale mucous membranes and fast, weak pulses are seen.
Laboratory Diagnosis. Consistent with hemolysis. Hematocrit may be as low as 10-15%. The regenerative response is seen within several days. Decreased blood urea nitrogen is also seen.
Lesions. Grossly, a strong odor of onions will emanate from the body and plant material may be found in the ingesta. Tissues will have a yellowish discoloration. The liver will be pale to golden-brown and mottled. The affected kidney is brown to mottled black. Microscopically, hemosiderin will be seen in the kupffer cells of the liver, macrophages of the spleen, and in renal tubular cells. Hepatic necrosis and renal tubular necrosis may also be seen.
Treatment. Minimize stress and stop feeding onions. Severely anemic animals may require whole blood transfusions.
Prevention. Balanced food rations containing up to 25% dry matter of onion are safe when fed to cattle. Onions should be well-chopped and mixed in cattle rations. Do not feed baby food containing onion powder to cats.
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/common.htm
Description. Herbaceous plants with narrow, linear leaves. Plants have a simple, erect stem with a terminal umbel. Flowers are white, pink, purple, or green. When crushed, all parts of the plant smell of onion.
Geographic range. Found throughout North America in meadows and sandy bottomlands.
Toxic principle. The alkaloid N-propyl disulphide is present in cultivated and wild onions.
Toxicity. Cattle are most susceptible to onion poisoning. Horses, cats, and dogs are less susceptible. Goats and sheep are fairly resistant to poisoning. Diets containing greater than 25% dry matter of onion can cause clinical signs of anemia. Most poisoning is due to cultivated, not wild, onions. In cats, a dose of 5 g/kg body weight can cause clinical signs.
Mechanism of toxicologic damage. N-propyl disulphide affects the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in RBCs and interferes with the hexose monophosphate pathway. This leads to insufficient phosphate dehydrogenase or glutathione to protect RBCs from oxidative damage. Oxidation of hemoglobin occurs and Heinz bodies are formed by precipitation of oxidized Hb in RBCs. Anemia is proportional to the number of Heinz bodies formed and the ability of the spleen to remove the damaged RBCs.
Diagnosis
Clinical signs. Hemoglobinuria, dark red-brown urine, is often the first clinical sign observed. Pale mucous membranes and fast, weak pulses are seen.
Laboratory Diagnosis. Consistent with hemolysis. Hematocrit may be as low as 10-15%. The regenerative response is seen within several days. Decreased blood urea nitrogen is also seen.
Lesions. Grossly, a strong odor of onions will emanate from the body and plant material may be found in the ingesta. Tissues will have a yellowish discoloration. The liver will be pale to golden-brown and mottled. The affected kidney is brown to mottled black. Microscopically, hemosiderin will be seen in the kupffer cells of the liver, macrophages of the spleen, and in renal tubular cells. Hepatic necrosis and renal tubular necrosis may also be seen.
Treatment. Minimize stress and stop feeding onions. Severely anemic animals may require whole blood transfusions.
Prevention. Balanced food rations containing up to 25% dry matter of onion are safe when fed to cattle. Onions should be well-chopped and mixed in cattle rations. Do not feed baby food containing onion powder to cats.
