# Help! Goats Ate the Rubarb!!



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I just found that our goats have eaten the Rubarb plant. I see it is listed as poisonous! Now what?!!! They are acting fine right now. I'm not exactly sure when they ate it. I'm scared and freaked out. What should I do:help:


----------



## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I am not sure if giving them a baking soda ball will help them or not. I found this info below but it is not very helpful  Hopefully they did not eat much of it. 



http://goat-link.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=131

9. RHUBARB, PIE PLANT 

Rheum rhaponticum 

(dock family)


TOXICITY RATING: Low, unless animals are fed the leaves intentionally. 


ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals may be affected, those being fed garden trimmings are particularly at risk (cattle, swine, sheep and goats). 


CLASS OF SIGNS: Staggering, trembling, breathing difficulties, weakness, diarrhea, increased drinking and urinating, death.


PLANT DESCRIPTION: This herbaceous garden perennial (fig. 9) develops from a heavy rootstock. Its leaves grow from the base of the plant on stout, shiny, red stalks. Heart-shaped and 1 to 2 feet long by 1/2 to 11/2 feet wide, the leaf blades have a smooth and shiny surface, darker above, with five main veins and wavy margins. The hollow stems end in greenish-white flower clusters in late spring.


SIGNS: The leaves contain oxalic acid, soluble oxalates,and citric acid, although the stems are edible. Some oxalates are insoluble and cause local irritation but the oxalates in rhubarb (and other species, such as sorrel or dock, Rumex) are soluble, and cause systemic problems, especially in the kidneys, or they can affect the electrolytes in the body, such as the balance of calcium and magnesium. Poisoning can be acute, when large amounts of oxalates are consumed quickly, or may be chronic, where smaller amounts are eaten over a longer period of time. Low blood levels of calcium and kidney failure are commonly reported findings in soluble oxalate toxicity. 


Affected animals will appear depressed, and may stagger and tremble and be weak. Often, they will drink and urinate more as kidney function declines. Diarrhea may be noted, and affected animals may die if the electrolyte balance is extremely deranged or if the kidneys fail.


FIRST AID: There is no specific antidote for oxalate toxicity. If an animal is observed eating a large quantity of rhubarb or other oxalate plant, call a veterinarian immediately. If the plants were ingested a day or more previously, only supportive care can be given. A veterinarian will be able to provide assistance, although death may result from electrolyte imbalance or from kidney failure. 


SAFETY IN PREPARED FEEDS: Rhubarb is not safe in hay, nor is any other oxalate-containing plant.


PREVENTION: Ruminants have some ability to adapt to oxalate plants if they are introduced to them gradually, since the rumen bacteria will detoxify the oxalates to a certain degree, although feeding these plants is never recommended. Do not allow animals to ingest large amounts of oxalate plants quickly, and it is best to not allow the feeding of oxalate plants at all. Do not incorporate weeds or rhubarb leaves into feed for animals, especially ruminants and swine, since these animals are not finicky eaters. Always make sure that animals have sufficient water, since oxalate toxicity is worsened if animals go thirsty.


----------



## SherrieC (Aug 24, 2002)

wouldn't feed ing activated charcoal help?


----------



## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

If you can find it. The stuff they now put in fish filters is carbon and bbq charcoal is not the same. I had a heck of a time trying to find it and never did. Vets might carry it but of course it is Sunday. Would baking soda do anything for their rumen? Or would it react to the rhubarb? 
Lots of water with some electrolytes seems like it would be helpful. Hopefully they ate a small amount and nothing will come of it.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

SherrieC said:


> wouldn't feed ing activated charcoal help?



Yes, Its reccomended with poisoning or suspected poisoning. It works by binding toxins and helping the toxic substance pass through with less harm to the animal. Its very effective for people too.
Activated charcoal to bind the toxins and mineral oil to pass the substance through quicker.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I have activated charcoal. It says 1-3 ML per 2 lbs. the tube holds a little more that 80cc.
I have mama pygmy and 2 6 month twins that are half ND. Don't know the weight. They are happily eating hay in the barn right now without a care in the world. When would the symptoms show? Should I give them charcoal anyway without symptoms...how much? just split the tube between the 3 giving mama more?


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

My husband just informed me that he mowed a big chunk of the plant yesterday and that would be why it looked so small and caught my attention. I looked at the leaves and there are some that have been chewed. most have brown edges so must be older chews...some look fresh. UGH!!!! I KNOW I should have gotten rid of that thing. A friend wanted to transplant it to her house and it just got put on the back burner. I watched them when they went near it in the past and they would sniff it and move on so I thought they new instinctivley that it was no good for them. I feel just horrible


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

How long would it take for symptoms to show up...anybody know????


----------



## Bonnie L (May 11, 2002)

If deer & goats are anything alike, your goats should be fine. The deer ate all my rhubarb - several large plants - down to the ground & came back for 2nds & 3rds! I transplanted it all to the garden.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

I have to say that I wouldn't be too worried really......goats eat *supposedly* harmful plants all the time at my place and thrive. I think it has a lot to do with how much and what else they are eating. Unless they were starved for green stuff they will probably be fine.
But just in case, I would go ahead with the charcoal. I never use the paste so I don't know.....I would probably split it between them.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Well, they are still acting completely normal and it's been almost 4 hours. sigh. I feel so stupid.  When I told my hubby he said "well that's reason number 140 to keep them locked up in their pen!"


----------



## rileyjo (Feb 14, 2005)

The lambs eat the rhubarb patch to the ground every spring. It doesn't seem to bother them at all.

Maybe its just poisonous to people, not sheep.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

It's listed on every poisonous plants for goats list. They start shaking, get weak, foam and puke green and die from what I have found on the net. I just checked again. All is normal. I held out a handful of baking soda and Gretta ate quite a bit of it. All three have pretty large bellies going tonight. They ate a lot of browse and grass hay today.


----------



## SherrieC (Aug 24, 2002)

Um, Emily doesn't your Mom sell that ? won't help here but maybe people would like to buy some to be prepared. : )


----------



## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

Minelson said:


> Well, they are still acting completely normal and it's been almost 4 hours. sigh. I feel so stupid.  When I told my hubby he said "well that's reason number 140 to keep them locked up in their pen!"


Oh, Minelson, you arer not stupid!! All learning. But the worst of it is that your hubby can say "I told you so...." and he knows hes right. But even if you kept them cooped up all day, they would do something to keep your blood flowing!


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks crazygoatgal. These critters can be so frustrating at times and I'm just trying to have my cake and eat it too. I would just die if something happened to my babies from being "lax". My husband already thinks I'm a nut case with my over protectedness with safety. He said he wouldn't be surprised to come home and see helmets on all the critters  But even with everything I do, there is always more that can happen and I just can't get everything. The rhubarb was a pretty obvious one though. Just shows how denial and wishful thinking can take over my brain. 

All is well with the little family this morning. They are staying in until I can get that plant cut down. It's raining right now.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

It says toxicity is low. That tells me that they would have to eat a lot to be poisoned and the way goats browse it's unlikely to hurt them if they have lots of other stuff to sample.


----------



## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

I have a doe that I can not keep out of mine. DH said we are not getting rid of the plant, if anything goes it is the goat. She has never been sick.


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

It sounds like they will be fine. Maybe it's rust or bugs that have gotten to the leaves, besides your DH I mean & not the goats at all. I would think if they were going to get sick the symptoms would already be showing up. Are they still OK today?


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Yes they are doing just fine  Although angry that they are still in their pen. I'm still keeping a watchful eye on them just in case.


----------



## Naturaldane (Apr 24, 2008)

glad to hear they are ok


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

SherrieC said:


> Um, Emily doesn't your Mom sell that ? won't help here but maybe people would like to buy some to be prepared. : )



Used to sell it, yes. She has since closed Terraherbs due to other demands on her time. She hated to do it, but she hasn't regretted the decision in the long run. She still has supplies of many things, but is no longer stocking the store.
Thanks for thinking of her.

You can get the activated charcoal powder from just about any bulk herb company and most health food stores. I buy the powder and mix it with enough oil or water to make it drenchable. Its something I would not be without.


----------



## pokyone42 (Mar 1, 2006)

lol @ helmets on the goats! My husband, also thought I was overly cautious and protective of the goats... But, he has learned. lol... IF there is some trouble that they can get into... they WILL! It is Murphy's Law, and we even have a GOAT named Murphy just for that reason! Glad your little goat family is okay!


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

LOL, they are leaf eaters. They will relish good meal of poison ivy. Or bark on wild cherry. Rhubarb is nothing. There is a reason people herd goats in desolate arid countries where little edible grows. Goats are way to convert something no human could eat into food.

Now old guy I used to work for raised horses. One stallion got into his yard and ate a holly bush. Died. If you have ever seen a holly bush up close, have to wonder about intellegence of any animal that would get near one of those things let alone try to eat it. But stupid is as stupid does.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It’s the dose. Don’t feed rhubarb leaves in significant amounts to goats. Don’t eat rhubarb leaves. 









Why Shouldn’t You Eat Rhubarb Leaves? – The Chemistry of Rhubarb


Field-grown rhubarb will shortly be coming into season and appearing in supermarkets in the UK, so it seems like a good time to take a look at the chemistry behind this odd-looking vegetable. It&#8…




www.compoundchem.com


----------



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

pkolasa said:


> I bet nothing happened. I would like the answer as I want to do hobby farming based on my ideas. This means that in nature, goats would NOT be exposed to poisonous plant as common as Rhubarb. If it was poisonous to them, they would drop dead and what about Other animals? Just poisonous to goats? But it lists others, so we wouldn't notice it yet on farms? And why would it be poisonous to SWINE but not to HUMANS? bhahahahahha!!! hahaha! wake up! Now say it aloud: NOTHING AT ALL HAPPENED RIGHT???


If you are such a caprine expert, why are you ridiculing people - especially a post from 13 years ago?

This is your second post since you logged on today, and both have been quite condescending and annoying.

I'm sure there are other fora more to your liking. HT folk are obviously not of your caliber. :rolling eyes:


----------

