Horses should avoid eating certain fruits, vegetables and plants which contain persin – an acid which has the potential to cause colic, respiratory distress or even cause death – such as avocado. This food may contain persin which has the ability to cause colic, respiratory distress and death in horses.
All parts of an avocado tree–fruit, leaves and bark–are toxic to horses. If your horse has eaten any avocado products, the veterinarian can reduce absorption of its toxins and return your horse back to optimum condition.
The Fruit
The avocado (Persea americana) is a large green fruit found on an avocado tree that is widely cultivated commercially across southern United States and Mexico for both edible and decorative use in homes and offices alike. Avocado fruit contains a poisonous chemical which is hazardous to horses and other animals when consumed even in small doses, including horses themselves. When eaten by horses, avocado fruit, leaves, stems and bark contain toxin that may cause serious health problems or even lead to their demise. Persin is a toxin that causes fluid build-up around the heart and lungs in exposed horses, leading to respiratory distress as well as other symptoms like swollen lips, tongue and face as well as blue skin tone cyanosis or blueing of skin tone. Unfortunately, many horses exposed to persin succumb even with supportive veterinary care.
Though avocado toxins do not pose any threat to humans, they are highly poisonous for horses and other grazing animals, including horses. As such, no avocado trees should ever be allowed within pasture boundaries, and owners should monitor any such plants to make sure that none enter them. All parts of an avocado plant – from fruit to pit and leaves/bark/leaves are poisonous to horses in any amount and could lead to their deaths if ingested in any quantity.
Horses who ingest avocado may experience symptoms including an edematous swelling of lips and mouth, respiratory distress and colic. Fever, loss of muscle coordination, tremors and convulsions may also develop within 24 hours after ingestion; lactating mares may experience sterile mastitis with firm mammary glands producing watery milk curdled into watery curdle milk production. Caged birds exposed to avocado may suffer acute respiratory distress leading to sudden death.
. If your horse has a habit of picking at avocado plants and eating some, remove them from his environment immediately. Should he consume any, call your vet immediately as well; depending on how much was eaten, he might recover on his own; however, sooner seen by a vet and any poisoning linked with avocado is recognized, the greater his chance for recovery is.
The Pit
Avocado is an immensely popular food choice among humans and known for its numerous health benefits. Unfortunately, its delicious fruit is toxic to horses. Therefore, it is imperative that owners keep them away from this plant’s pits, seeds, leaves, and bark to prevent accidental poisonings of your horse(s).
Avocado pits are extremely hard and covered in tough skin, making them difficult for horses to digest. Eating too many avocado pits may result in severe colic, irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal distress, respiratory distress, neurological dysfunction or even death in horses who consume the pits. Most severe reactions usually appear in their digestive system but can affect any part of their bodies.
Avocado is one of the few fruits and vegetables known to produce a toxic reaction in horses, specifically due to persin, a compound made from fatty acids which serves as the avocado tree’s defense mechanism against predatory animals like birds, rabbits, rats, and pigs. When this toxin comes into contact with other species it can have deadly results such as birds becoming poisonous when exposed directly, rabbits experiencing sickness after coming in contact with it, rats suffering severe damage as a result and possibly death when ingestion occurs when exposed.
Horses responding to avocado consumption is similar to how humans react when eating too many potatoes: initial symptoms include digestive upset and respiratory and cardiac distress that may eventually lead to respiratory and cardiac failure and even death. If an excessively large amount is ingested, fluid may accumulate around their heart and lungs leading to permanent heart damage as well as breathing difficulties.
In most instances, seeking immediate veterinary assistance after eating avocado will prevent its most serious symptoms from manifesting. A veterinarian can perform a physical exam on your horse to ascertain how much persin it has ingested, providing more precise guidance as to treatment methods.
As a general guideline, it is best to remove plants and trees that produce avocados from any grazing pasture or area where horses might access them. Even if these trees don’t bear any fruit yet, it would still be prudent for their removal so as to prevent horses from accidentally eating them.
The Leaves
Horses are extremely curious creatures that love exploring new foods. Because avocados contain fatty acids which produce persin toxins which are poisonous to horses, even small amounts can be fatal for your horse if consumed. Even small doses could result in colic, irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulty, neurological issues and edema; in extreme cases this toxin could even result in death!
Avocado fruit can be hazardous for horses, while its leaves and bark are also toxic to them. It is thought that avocado trees produce this fungicidal agent as a defense mechanism against insects and fungi; however, its production poses no harm to human beings and has even been used as treatment against cancer cells.
Equine animals have the capacity to consume large amounts of this toxic oily fungicidal compound even from eating fallen tree leaves, with rapid absorption into their system leading to severe symptoms that are difficult to overcome even with immediate veterinary assistance.
Avoid this from happening by making sure no part of an avocado tree is near grazing pastures where horses could potentially gain access to it, and mark any trees growing in paddocks as off limits to large animals such as your horse.
Good news – there are numerous fruits, vegetables and treats that are safe for horses to eat in moderation! Bananas make an especially delectable treat with lots of potassium; celery provides fiber while still remaining low-cal; peanut butter may also be enjoyed by your horse as long as it does not contain the sugary sweetener xylitol; just read its label carefully when selecting one!
The Bark
Avocado (Persea americana) is a tasty green and buttery fruit commonly enjoyed as a treat by humans. Cultivated commercially across southern US and Mexico, avocado trees produce fruit rich in potassium, B6, folate, and vitamin C for human consumption; their leaves and bark can contain persin – an animal poisonous to horses which may lead to serious adverse reactions in them.
Avocado fatty acids produce persin, a toxin that can lead to colic, irregular heartbeat, respiratory distress, neurological issues and edema in horses who consume it. Horse owners should remain extremely vigilant against their horse snacking on fruit from avocado trees as the symptoms can occur very rapidly and require vet intervention immediately if any signs appear that indicate poisoning.
When horses ingest any part of an avocado, it is crucial to notify a veterinarian as quickly as possible. Doing so increases their chances of recovery significantly. A vet may be able to reduce absorption by administering fluids and possibly liquid paraffin or activated charcoal. Once toxin absorption has decreased, rest is advised with quality food and clean water being provided – recovery usually happens over a number of days but many horses recover from avocado toxicity.
Avocado should be avoided as much as possible when feeding avocado to horses, while bananas make an ideal low-cal snack that provides potassium; however, as bananas contain carbohydrates they should only be fed occasionally due to being high in calories and rich in carbohydrates. Peanut butter also makes an enjoyable treat but make sure it does not contain xylitol, which can be toxic for horses; other safe options for horses to eat include celery and carrots.