Tomato belongs to the nightshade family.
Dishes usually have the tomato fruit added to them.
However, this plant causes harm to some animals.
Thought about giving your horse some tomatoes?
Is it a harmless option for your pony?
Here, we talk about what you should know!
How do horses react to tomatoes?
The tomato plant is related to chili, potatoes, eggplants, tobacco, and bell peppers.
They are the other members of the nightshade or Solanaceae family.
These plants contain an alkaloid called solanine, which is poisonous to some animals, including horses.
Nightshade plants, including tomato, will affect your horse’s nervous and digestive system if ingested.
Solanine is mostly present in the green parts of the tomato plant.
The fruit does not contain as much of this substance.
However, it is still not advisable to feed your pet with it.
Atropine is another toxin that is present in the green leaves of tomato.
It can slow your pet’s gut motility.
It is a serious problem because most horses are already prone to being colic.
What are the symptoms of tomato poisoning?
The symptoms are often severe.
However, horses are more likely to recover when the cause of the problem is known quickly.
Depression is usually the first noticeable thing.
Your horse may appear weaker and develop colic.
Light sensitivity can also occur; your pet’s pupils may become dilated or lead to blindness.
Other symptoms include nervousness, twitching muscles, reduced heart, and respiration rate.
Another effect of tomato poisoning is a change in the bowel movement of your pet.
Your horse may become diarrheic or constipated.
Standing up can also become impossible for your pony, and it may salivate excessively.
What should you do, and how can you treat your horse?
Horses aren’t too picky about the foods they eat.
So, be cautious when you take your pet grazing.
Keep your horse away from areas where you might see nightshade plants.
This way, your horse has lower chances of being poisoned.
If you think that your pony has eaten tomato leaves, see the vet ASAP.
The vet will address cases like these as a matter of emergency.
Survey the area and check for any plant from the nightshade family.
Pulling the root of these plants disturbs their growth but makes them more likely to spread. So, they become tough to eliminate.
The best thing you can do is to keep checking the area. Identify these plants and keep your pet away from them.
There is no way to test if your horse’s symptoms are a result of nightshade poisoning.
You can only check the environment to see if your pet might have eaten some of these leaves.
Affected horses take in Neostigmine and activated charcoal for treatment purposes.
These drugs prevent the toxins from being absorbed into your horse’s digestive tract.
Ensure that you care for your pony during this period.
It is not advisable to feed your horse with tomato leaves.
Nightshade family plants are toxic to horses; avoid feeding them to your pet.
Do you have other pets? Would you want to know the right thing to feed?
Check our category section to learn about healthy food for your pet and discover so much more about horses!
