As the winter months continue, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) wants to make farmers aware of the risk of plant poisoning in sheep, particularly due to ornamental garden plants.
Whilst plant poisoning is diagnosed throughout the year, the majority of outbreaks of poisoning by plants in sheep occur over the winter months when grass is scarce.
By far the most common plants seen in poison cases are those of the Ericaceaea family which include azaleas, rhododendron and pieris species such as “Forest flame”.
Pieris spp in particular account for a large proportion of cases submitted for post mortem. These plants contain the toxin acetylandromedol which is very poisonous to sheep.
What are the signs to look for?
Poisoning due to Ivy can also occur in sheep, whilst it is used in livestock as a traditional folk tonic, ingestion of large quantities can cause death in sheep.
The animal may develop obvious abdominal pain and may develop nervous signs if it lives long enough. Frequently, the animal will become recumbent and die.
There are no specific antidotes but supportive therapy may be beneficial. In particularly valuable animals, surgery to remove the toxic leaves from the rumen may be indicated.
Often more than one animal in the flock is affected and a number may have died before a diagnosis by post mortem is confirmed.
If you are concerned your sheep may have eaten something poisonous, remove them from the potential source and contact your local veterinary practice for advice.