PLANT POISONING IN PYGMY GOATS, Tracey Cater *

As we all know, Pygmy Goats are very independent and curious creatures. As part of their curiosity they explore their world by tasting things, which has earned them the unfortunate reputation of eating everything and anything. However, as we also all know, goats are also fastidious eaters and often will not eat hay that has fallen out of their feeder or rack onto the ground. While this tendency does help them to avoid eating toxic plants, there are still times when they will find what they think is a tasty edible that can have serious consequences.

Gardens are full of potential killers. Often, you may not know until an animal gets very sick, very suddenly. That’s why it’s highly recommended you don’t feed any pruning of anything in your garden to goats, or any other livestock.

The most common symptoms include the gums turning bright red, diarrhoea, weakness, vomiting, staggering when walking, seizures, and difficulty breathing followed by respiratory failure and in some cases, death.

TREATMENT OF PLANT POISONING IN GOATS

Call the vet!

• Remove the plant from the goat - empty its mouth if possible.
• Keep the goat walking slowly so that it doesn’t settle and start cudding.
• Give large quantities of strong cold tea. The tannic acids will precipitate many of the alkaloids and salts of heavy metals. Strong coffee will have similar effects.
• Don’t dose a vomiting goat.
• Don’t give tea to a goat that has been poisoned with acorns that are full of tannic acid already.
• Give large doses of liquid paraffin (500ml) as a first aid remedy.
• Treat for shock - keep quiet and warm.
• Try to identify the source of poison to tell the vet.
• Make up a batch of goat electrolytes - offer it to them to keep them hydrated and to help move the toxins through their systems.
One thing to remember if your goat is vomiting: If their water source becomes contaminated while drinking it should be changed to prevent the goats from re-ingesting the toxins. Plant matter can get stuck around their mouth and beards, which comes off in the water as they drink.
Give a dose of milk of magnesia to help soothe the stomach lining. It can help calm the stomach and reduce spasms and vomiting.

SYMPTOMS

Plants causing diarrhoea
• Hemlock
• Oak (young leaves)
• Wild arum
• Castor seed (in foodstuffs)
• Foxglove
• Water dropwort
• Box
• Potato (green)
• Rhododendron
• Linseed

Plants causing nervous symptoms or signs
• Ragwort
• Hemlock
• Water dropwort
• Potato
• Black nightshade
• Male fern
• Rhododendron
• Laburnum
• Rape
• Rhubarb
• Common sorrel
• Prunus family

Plants causing sudden death
• Ragwort
• Hemlock
• Water dropwort
• Potato
• Black nightshade
• Male fern
• Rhododendron
• Laburnum
• Rape
• Rhubarb
• Common sorrel
• Prunus family

Plants that cause vomiting
• Rhododendron
• Azalea
• Pieris
• Black nightshade
• Gladiolus corms
• Daffodil bulbs

Plants that cause Goitre (swelling in the neck) or still birth
• Brassica
• Linseed
• Some clovers

Plants that may prove to be poisonous in some circumstances
Mayweed, Old man’s beard, Charlock, Bryony, Woody nightshade, Deadly nightshade, Honeysuckle, Fool’s parsley, Buttercup, Anemone, Less celandine, Bulbs and their leaves e.g. daffodil, tulip, conite, etc, Walnut and Oak.

SOURCES:

‘Diseases of the Goat’, 2016 by John G. Matthews
https://thefreerangelife.com/poisonous-plants-for-goats/ Sarah Toney

*This article was first published as 'Plant Poisoning in Pygmy Goats’, Tracey Cater, Pygmy Goat Notes Issue No 159 June 2022.