Welcome to this week’s edition of the a-z of plants that hate your horse. Today’s plant is one many will know, it’s not just toxic to equines, it’s bad for everyone. They don’t call it deadly Nightshade for nothing.
A Little About Nightshade
Solanaceae atropa belladonna is also called Poison Berry, Climbing Nightshade, Deadly Nightshade & Bittersweet Nightshade. This is a a creeping perennial vine, with alternate leaves on a dark red to black colored woody stem. Flowers cluster off the main stem, have five petals & are purple with a yellow center. Oval berries start green & turn red as they ripen.
How Dangerous Is It?
Again we’ll reiterate with the deadly Nightshade title, everyone should stay away from this plant. While it’s probably not palatable to horses, who cares – it’s toxic enough to never take chances. Nightshade contains a glycoalkaloid called solanine, which irritate the digestive tract & affects the central nervous system.
The stems, leaves & unripe berries of this plant are toxic & can be fatal to equines.
What To Look For
You know your animal the best, so you should know when something is amiss. Nightshade toxicity symptoms include stomach pain, dilation of pupils, loss of appetite, diarrhea, loss of coordination, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, weakness, difficulty breathing, drooling & unconsciousness.
Learn More
Be sure to check out the Nightshade page to learn more about the plant & while you are at it why not check out more toxic plants?
*It should be noted that we’re not veterinarians. This information is written specifically for horses & should be used for reference purposes only. If you think your horse has eaten something toxic call your vet right away.