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radfan
Bronze Member
96 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jun 2009 : 6:05:59 PM
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Hi, a friend of mine. Own yard - 4 horses in total, fabulous paddocks, stables, fencing, pasture maintenance, 24 hr supervision has just been told by her vet that her mare has mild buttercup poisoning. The mare (Bridie) even has ulcers in her mouth associated with buttercup poisoning. I know very little about buttercup poisoning so when I found out I got my book out and read. Apparently when the flowers are dead they loose all bitter taste etc, like Ragwort and are easily eaten. Now, in all honesty her paddocks are so beautifully maintained and cared with nothing other than the selected desired grasses present it just doesn't sit well with me. She says there have been lots more buttercups this year than normal in her paddocks but must be honest not noticed it myself. Mare is 15.2, 22 yr old, great doer, good all rounder, not ridden for past 6 months as arthiritus in both front knees, carrying bit porkiness at moment, never suffers from anything at all. She was off colour a week or so ago and found laying on stable floor in the morning at 6am when we had that really hot snap. Vet said thought heat exhaustion (granted the paddocks have no natural shade at all). Had colic for first time ever the following day but passed with vets instuctions of administering Danillon, but since then up and down with general depressed and listless signs. Not herself at all! ...... and the latest is that apparently could be buttercup poisoning. I thought a HUGE amount of buttercups had to be eaten before any damage could be done but as I said I have not experienced this before. Just all seems a bit odd to me.
Has anyone any experience in this at all, any advice of thought appreciated. Thanks
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Dark Angel
Silver Member
England
285 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jun 2009 : 8:36:26 PM
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Hi
the poison in buttercups is called protoanemonin and the plants are most poisonous when they are young - the young leaves and flowers carry the poison. There is no real antidote to this kind of poisoning but it is thought that an intestinal flush can help to rid the system of the poison quickly. This might be a bit drastic for the old mare but a few really sloppy feeds may do the same trick. It is really important to add electrolytes to her drinking water until she is feeling better as this will help to replace salts and sugars lost in the loose droppings that the slopppy feeds will cause. Your friend sounds like a really caring owner who keeps her horses well. It may just be a case of getting out there and zapping those pesky buttercups with something and keeping the horses off it for a while until they have died. I hope she is feeling better very soon  |
Hereford |
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spyros
Bronze Member
England
210 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 09:45:37 AM
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| Buttercups, horrible my field was covered with them, Spryos had a horrible allergic reaction, his legs all flared up, muzzle became irritated, I contact Professor Knottenbelt Liverpool University, who said the problem was buttercups which can cause the problems I have, if a horse digests too many it can cause liver damage and the problems I had. We have treated the field for two years now almost clear of the horrible weed, the grass has grown through beautifully and Spyros has never had another attach. I will try to post pictures. |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 09:58:46 AM
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How awful - it just goes to show that no matter how hard we try to do everything right, something will always come and bite us in the bum  
We had ours sprayed off just over 2 weeks ago and they've died back very well. However, they're still on the field - will the horses eat them when they go back in, and if they did, would they do any harm? |
Kelly
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Dark Angel
Silver Member
England
285 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 10:21:42 AM
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Hi
They are 80%+ less toxic in a dried out state so they shouldn't cause any problems. If it were me (and because I am a born worrier!) I would remove them especially if they have been sprayed with a herbicide.
Any news on how the mare is doing? Hope she is okay. |
Hereford |
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NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:52:51 PM
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This year my paddocks are FULL OF 'EM
I shall weed kill them next April! Deffo |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 2:40:44 PM
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| I have a load to this year, but apart from having slight swollen glands ( I think caused by the pollen) they dont bother with them, horses dont like to eat them and will eat around them, but like you Nat, its too late to do anything this year , so it will have to be next year. |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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radfan
Bronze Member
96 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 6:49:24 PM
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| Thank you for all your posts. I saw the mare, Bridie today and she is looking quite bright. My friend has been out and purchased lost of vitamins, supplements to try and flush system through and get her back on a level. Paddocks have all been cut and horses strip grazed on buttercup free pasture now. Buttercups seem to be the forgotten evil eh? Clare x |
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 10:16:04 PM
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| I also have a lot this year and do most years, got to say never had any problems but you have got me thinking now! |
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Di Ellis
Silver Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 12:11:59 PM
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| That is interesting. One of my mares has been coming in with swollen glands which go down overnight; however, I didn't realise that the buttercups could cause problems and there have been more this year than before. I will consider having the fields sprayed next year if that is the case. So far the other horses all appear to be ok. |
D.S. Ellis
Somerset
marbonarabians@yahoo.co.uk |
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karitaz
Gold Member
England
622 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 1:03:16 PM
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| With the latest flush of rain last week we've suddenly had a sprouting of small patches of buttercups and then this week two of the horses have had glands up and one with also filled hind legs (no lameness) - more than coincidence I feel?! Has anyone else had this reaction? Have never seemed to have had buttercups in that field before though! |
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Debbie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1138 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 2:00:51 PM
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| Having just walked through my fields I mentioned the enormous amount of buttercups in two of the fields to my husband. I now think I must remove the horses to another field. |
Debbie
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 3:30:12 PM
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I have loads in my fields as well... I asked our local farmer to come and spray them in the spring (End of March) just as they were sprouting, but due to weather (too wet or too windy) and the breakdown of his tractor he didn't come.
He then phoned me a last week to say he could do it. I told him not to bother now as everything was in full bloom, and i thought they needed to be sprayed before they flowered in order to kill them. Is this correct?
I was thinking of taking my lawn mower up and just topping them (and disposing of all trimmings) Will this work? If i just top them are the leaves still poisonous?
Any advise gratefully received.  |
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radfan
Bronze Member
96 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 5:10:48 PM
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Debbie, if you have loads of buttercups in your paddock I would definately air on the side of caution and if poss move to a buttercup free paddock. I know buttercups are more poisonous when flowering as when dried, or found in hay lose 80% of toxicity as dark angel said. Seems that everyone is having more probs with them this yr due to our incredibly odd climate. One of those things to keep an eye on. Prevention is better than cure eh! Mare is on pain killer every day at mo and vit and minerals, seems ok but still not herself.
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Rozy Rider
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4545 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 9:01:47 PM
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Therer are always more buttercups after the rain, lot of rain, lot of Buttercups.
Sue |
Sue
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Peterina
New Member
Belgium
16 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 11:12:35 PM
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| Bit worried after reading this post! Don't have many but I have seen one of my foals eating buttercups!! I am DEFINITELY going to check the paddocks tomorrow. |
Palomino's are dancing sunbeams. |
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Kora
Silver Member
England
459 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 12:14:27 PM
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I also have had soo many more buttercups than last year and have topped my fields last week after seeking advice.I must admit my fields don't look half as bad now that they have been topped. None of my horses or Alpacas have shown any signs of ill health and yet they have been grazing in my paddocks which I would call more like fields of buttercups. However, I shall defo spray them next Spring.
Kora
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loosefur
Gold Member
584 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 1:15:03 PM
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| I sprayed one of my fields last week to get rid of the buttercups. Like Nichole I'd planned to get it done sooner but weather intervened. Yes it's better to spray them before they flower but it's still worth doing. All the buttercups in the field that was sprayed are dying off and allowing the grass to grow through. To be effective though I will have to spray again next year and possibly the year after that depending on regrowth and the weather. My other fields I just topped as I didn't want all my grazing out of action. |
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maromito
Bronze Member
Wales
94 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 9:24:30 PM
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| Buttercups like acid soil and if you are plagued with them you need to lime the fields because they grow where the soil is deficent |
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suyents
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1651 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 11:11:12 PM
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| in the meantime, put your horses on milk thistle seed as this will help fortify the liver functions. |
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Topic |
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Buttercup Poisoning???? advice
