Oak Poisoning - help?

[Hoppa]

Anyone had any experience of horse being poisoned by eating young green oak leaves?

Had various symptoms for a week or two, low grade colic (vet now says this is actually gastroenteritis), hives, swollen hind legs, weight loss, biting when girth done up, lethargy, increased urination.

We suspected he was eating something he shouldn't but couldn't work out what until he was spotted standing up to reach the oak branches!

Apparently there is no particular treatment, apart from removing him from the source of the oak leaves, make sure has plenty of water, if he gets dehydrated they will give him fluid and if the gastroenteritis doesn't go away, then anti-inflammatories etc.

Apparently the young green leaves are higher in toxins than ones eaten off the ground and like acorns they are pallatable and become addictive!?

Does anyone have any experience of this? treatment etc. Vets outlook is wait and see as every horse is different. No improvement they will blood test for livery/ kidney function. Just wondered if there is anything I can do for him in the meantime.

Thanks

 

[smellsofhorse]

Sorry i am of no help.

Its very interesting though, amazing at what our horses will get up to!

Hope he feels better soon and no lasting damage.

 

[posie_honey]

i've always been lead to belive it is just the acorns that are poisenous.... ???

 

[L&M]

Poor horse - I never knew that the young leaves were poisionous, just the acorns themselves. We have a large oak tree which the horses use for shade, and have seen them occasionally nibble the new leaves, but have never seen a reaction.
It sounds as if you are doing all the right things and hope the horse recovers soon.

 

[spottybotty]

i've always been lead to belive it is just the acorns that are poisenous.... ???

Sadley that is not the case. Green oak is also toxic as is the bark of the tree.

 

[Hoppa]

Yes, vet said young green leaves contain tannins, same as acorns. Not quite as toxic but it depends on the quantity eaten. Acorns and leaves are pallatable and can become addictive, so the horses will seek them out (hence his rearing up to grab the branches and pull them down!) They cause inflammation of the gut lining and are direuretic so strain the kidneys. Eating a few leaves which have fallen in the autumn or a couple of acorns are unlikely to do any damage though.
You live and learn eh? Hes always finding new ways to traumatize me

 

[spottybotty]

What about giving him a pre-biotic, pro-biotic, something like pink powders?

 

[Hoppa]

He was on pink powder for quite a while, I switched to brewers yeast in the hope it would help with sweet itch but still continue to support his digestion.

So far no sweet itch this year!

Don't know if anyone has any opinions on the two? He has a high fibre diet, with plenty of hay and good grazing and turn out. I'm wondering about putting him back on a supplement as this eating trees thing is a new development. Since he's been moved away from the trees.. i noticed some chew marks on the gate this morning!

 

[Dubsie]

One of our 2 started eating everything he'd previously ignored - hen house roof, wooden tree trunk jump, stable door etc, someone on here also recommended pink powder and he stopped his nibbling

 

[Irishlife]

My pony died many years ago through eating acorns. The PM showed three buckets of acorns in his stomach so do take very great care as they really are addictive. We had fenced off the trees but he still managed to eat enough to kill him. It happened very quickly with no real symptoms except colic.