| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1819.1 | I'll check | DECWET::JDADDAMIO | Seattle Rain Festival: 1/1-12/31 | Tue Oct 26 1993 19:48 | 5 |
| I don't know off-hand whether or not acorns are toxic but acorns and
oak leaves are mentioned in 254.22(leaves = colic) & 1811.2(horses
eating oak tree bark and acorns).
I'll check some of my reference books about acorns.
|
| 1819.2 | too close for comfort | SAC::WALTHER_E | Ellen, ELIM documentation @UCG | Wed Oct 27 1993 05:44 | 20 |
| I'm not sure if they are poisonous but I'll have a look through my books
at home. In September, some of the oak trees in our fields started dropping
lots of acorns, and immediately Rocky started showing strange and alarming
signs (trouble breathing, coughs to alleviate some kind of throat irritation,
swelling about the throat, etc.). We were fairly alarmed!!!
A few of the other horses showed lesser signs of the same symptoms,
and because we could discover no other change in their diets or lifestyle,
we could only attribute this to the acorns. And because Rocky tends to gobble
much more than any of the other horses in the field, we had to conclude that
he must have eaten a greater number of acorns, hence the more intense
discomfort on his part.
The symptoms disappeared within a day or two, and they were all fine. But
I would not turn out my horse again into a field with a large number of acorns.
Ellen
p.s. I'm not entirely sure the acorns here (UK) are the same as those in the
USA, though!
|
| 1819.3 | A bit risky | CHEFS::ELKINL | | Wed Oct 27 1993 08:35 | 16 |
| As far as I know, acorns in large quantities can be toxic. As with a
couple of notes back (salt), I was advised to feed salt to increase my
horses thirst, therefore, if she did (by acident) eat the few acorns in
our field, the toxins would be flushed through her more quickly.
A horse down the lane from mine had access to acorns a couple of years
back and ended up with SEVERE colic - he almost died.
One suggestion that was put to me was to put a couple of pigs in the
field to graze with the horses - apparently they love acorns and will
clear them for you (and everything else probably!). The Vietnamese pot
bellied pigs are supposed to be ideal and are great pets.
Hope this is of help to you.
Liz (I'm getting there!)
|
| 1819.4 | No answers here! | DECWET::JDADDAMIO | Seattle Rain Festival: 1/1-12/31 | Wed Oct 27 1993 17:17 | 9 |
| I checked some horse books and some forestry books and couldn't find
a specific mention wbout whether or not acorns are toxic...but for some
reason I have this nagging feeling that I've read somewhere that they
were toxic or caused colic...don't be mislead by the fact that
squirrels and many other mammals(including pigs) eat acorns...there are
lots of things that cows eat that will harm horses....
Any chance of raking up the acorns? Or are there too many for that?
|
| 1819.5 | | MPGS::MENARD | | Thu Oct 28 1993 09:58 | 10 |
| Acorns are poisonous. I have a book on plants poisonous to horses and
I know it's in there. I'll look up tonight to see if it states how
much they have to eat in order to get sick.
The reason cows can eat things that are poisonous to horses is because
of the way their stomach is "designed". It breaks down toxins before
it is absorbed by their system. I believe, but don't remember exactly
so this may be incorrect, that a cow absorbs nutrients, etc from their
intestines but a horse absorbs directly from their stomach.
|
| 1819.6 | "pre-processing" | DECWET::JDADDAMIO | Seattle Rain Festival: 1/1-12/31 | Thu Oct 28 1993 16:17 | 7 |
| I think you may have it backwards. Horses have simple stomachs and most
digestion takes place in the intestines. Cows have 4 organs which perform
stomach/stomach-like functions before the food matter gets to their
intestines. Actually, both animals absorb nutrients from their
intestines. That's the primary function of intestines. It's just a
matter of how much "pre-processing" goes on before the food gets to
the gut.
|
| 1819.7 | I will give my vet a call and post the results here | SMAUG::MORENZ | JoAnne Morenz NIPG-IPEG US DTN 226-5870 | Thu Oct 28 1993 18:07 | 4 |
| Thanks everyone for the input - I will be working on de-acorning the front
field this weekend. I wish the squirrels would pick up the pace!!!
JoAnne
|
| 1819.8 | Not a good thing to eat | SUBURB::HARWOODJ | A sunken souffl� is a risen omelette | Mon Nov 01 1993 09:20 | 10 |
| According to my books Oak leaves are toxic, but would require very large
numbers to be eaten before proving fatal.
Whilst Acorns are more so. Acorns in small doses aren't usually too
much of a problem as its thought the horses own system will cope.
It is strongly recommended not to let horses or ponies eat acrons at
all as they may develope a taste for them. And if ingested in any
quantity they can be dangerous. Tannin is thought to be the component
that causes the trouble.
Judy
|