Plants that are toxic to your horses

As we head into fall and our grasses become less appealing to our horses, many horses will nibble on forages that they would otherwise ignore.  One such plant is the YEW.  There are many varieties of the Yew, all are toxic.  Used as decorative plants around houses and sometimes barns, these bushes are a wreck waiting to happen.

The Yew contains the toxic alkaloid, taxine, which affects the heart and respiratory system.  All parts of the plant are toxic except for the berry.  The leaves are toxic even when dried.  Horses are often poised from ingesting discarded yew cutting found in their pasture or from eating yew-made barn decorations such as wreaths and swags.  Ingestion of even a small amount will result in clinical signs.  Depending of the individual horse, it takes anywhere from a few mouthfuls to 1# of leaves per 1,000# of a horse's body weight to cause death.

Signs of toxicosis:  Sudden death is the most common sign.  Other signs occur within an hour after ingestion and include slowed heart rate, difficulty breathing, trembling, lack of coordination, impaired movement and inability to rise.  Death generally follows 15 to 30 minutes after the onset of signs.

The rapid development of toxic illness make treatment impossible.  Veterinarians may use activated charcoal to decontaminate, if it is early in the progression of the illness.  Other medications are used to treat the specific clinical signs and may be helpful in horses that didn't ingest a lethal dose.  Prognosis is generally poor to fatal.

Most important here is to be aware and deny your horse access to Yew plants.  Better yet, if you have any in your yard...dig them up and burn them!

Gary: 1 in 3000

Meet Gary.  Gary is a male calico cat.  Calico refers to a color pattern of the fur and not to a breed.  Calico cats are almost always female.  How or why does this occur?

First a little lesson in genetics.  Mammals have two sex chromosomes: the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. A normal female has two X chromosomes and no Y chromosomes and normal males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. It is the chromosome that comes from the father which determines the sex of the mammal. The father will either contribute his X chromosome whereby the offspring will be female or his Y chromosome and the offspring will be male.


Calico cats are almost always female because the X chromosome determines the color of the cat and a female cat has two X chromosomes. A common male cat has one X and one Y chromosome. Since the Y chromosome does not have any color genes, there is no chance he could have both orange and non-orange together. One main exception to this is when, in rare cases, a male has XXY chromosomes, in which case the male could have tortoiseshell or calico markings. Most male calico or tortoiseshell cats are sterile due to the abnormality of carrying two X chromosomes.  In the case of a calico cat, the feline’s parents passed on different versions of X chromosomes genes related to coat color. The color of calico or tortoiseshell cats is determined by the X chromosome(s). Tortoiseshell and calico cats are almost always female because of X chromosome inactivation.

Wow!  That was scientific!  Now time for some nonsense.  Old wives tales:  Calico cats are believed to bring good luck.  Myth--Male calico cats are worth a lot of money.  Calico males are rare, but calico is a color and not a breed and are usually sterile, so cannot reproduce and pass on the color.  So they are not worth much monetarily.

Veterinary Technicians: the unsung heros

The Nothingtogoodforourpet (NTGFOP) Family just took their dog, TooSpoiledforwords (TSFW), home from the ACC veterinary hospital after a sudden bout of garbage intoxication (ate the kitchen sink) and several days in the hospital on I.V. fluids and anti-vomiting and antidiarrheal medications.  The NTGFOP family thinks Dr. Gray is amazing for having saved their precious Spoiler, aka TSFW, from the brink of death and put Dr. Gray in Spoiler's will and made her Spoiler's estate executer, as a special thanks.  The NTGFOP family didn't have a clue that Dr. Gray was only one piece in a large picture puzzle that tended to Spoiler and aided in his recovery.

October 9-15th is National Veterinary Technician's Week is set aside in recognition of the role that veterinary technicians in the veterinary community play in the care and promotion of animal health. Working everyday with sick, injured and healthy animals takes a special sort of person to care for them.  These technicians (veterinary nurses) go to the workplace every day dedicated to the purpose of helping you, your animal, their doctor and other veterinary staff members with good veterinary skills and education.

A vet. tech's job is a multi-tasking one. Technicians help educated pet owners about the care of their pet, aide in the proper care of the pet and encourage a full recovery following illnesses. They aide the Doctor with examinations, treatments, surgery and a variety of veterinary procedures.  The perform  laboratory diagnostics, take radiographs, perform dentistry, oversee the general workings of a veterinary hospital and it's staff.  My technician has unplugged drains, fixed toilets, worked as our receptionist, fielded veterinary questions from clients and on her own time, has help pet owners bury their precious family friend when the owner was not physically able.  In my books, my tech is my right hand and brain! These professional, compassionate and caring people are the unsung heros of the veterinary world.

During Spoiler's stay, my registered veterinary technician (RSVT), Linda Haimerl, started his I.V. fluids, monitored his care, performed his lab work and kept him warm and clean---all in a day's work.

If you visit our office, or any veterinary facility, take the time to give them a special thanks.  While you are at it...thank all the staff for giving your pet that special part of themselves that only they can contribute.

P.S.  Linda loves biscuits and gravy for breakfast!