Castor Bean Plants and Ricin Poisoning in Horses

From WikiMedia user Rickjpelleg

The castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) or palma christi is a common ornamental houseplant with large, palmated, lobed leaves that may be found in almost any location in the United States. The plant is also grown for the manufacturing of castor oil. This same plant has a more sinister side and may be used to produce a potent phytotoxin called ricin. Although all parts of the castor bean plant are toxic, ricin is concentrated in the seed of the plant. The seeds are very large and mottled, typically with a light brown color. Read more...

Vesicular Stomatitis in Horses, Cows, and Pigs

Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a viral disease of horses, cattle and swine that produces characteristic lesions known as vesicles and erosions. After a short incubation period of anywhere from 3 to 15 days, affected animals will have an elevated temperature, appear lethargic (depressed) and anorexic, and often exhibit drooling of saliva (ptyalism) and lameness.

Oleander Toxicosis

Oleander is an ornamental shrub that flowers in various colors including white, red, pink and violet. This plant is an evergreen perennial that flowers throughout the summer months.

Equine Colic: Abdominal Pain in Horses

The term colic, literally translated refers to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic in horses is responsible for more deaths than any other disease process other than old age.

Equine Sarcoids: Skin Tumors in Horses, Mules, and Donkeys

The most frequently occurring neoplasm in the horse is the sarcoid. In fact, sarcoids may account for up to 30% of all tumors in horses.

Avocado Toxicity in Horses

Raising avocados may be detrimental to the health of your horse. Avocado leaves, fruit, bark, and seeds all contain persin and an unidentified cardiac toxin.

Fescue Toxicosis in Horses

Is your mare having trouble with foaling? Think your foaling dates are almost a month off? Is your mare producing enough milk to care for her foal? Did you get what looks like a full term foal only to find it stillborn? This unfortunate situation may be a result of your pasture. Tall fescue (Festuca elatior or F.

Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Arthritis in Dogs, Cats, Horses, Birds, and Other Pets

Is your pet having more difficulty getting up in the morning? Does he or she walk around still legged for the first 10 to 15 minutes in the morning to get warmed up? Is your pet limping especially on those cold, wet, rainy mornings? Does your pet limp around following that Frisbee session? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then your pet is probably suffering from osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease (DJD) that is characterized by the wearing out of the articular cartilage (the cartilage located at joint surfaces), hypertrophy of the bone at the margins (enlargements of the end of the bones due to periostitis), and changes in the synovial membrane (the lining of the joints).

Laminitis, or Founder: Lameness in Horses

Laminitis, also known as Founder, is defined as inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the hoof. Laminitis is now thought to be a transient ischemia (loss of blood supply and therefore oxygen) associated with blood coagulation (clotting) and inflammation.

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