# Comfrey -- OH MY GOODNESS!!!



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I brought some comfrey in to dry for the rabbits, and as I was pulling leaves, the kitten (well, he's 3 years old, but he's the youngest cat) came sniffing along. He became VERY intent on what I was doing, and kept trying to streeeeeeetch his body up to the counter.

Thinking he'd reject it, I offered him a small leaf.

OH NO! He LOVES this stuff, and now he's meowing and begging and crying for more!!

Then Buster Dog gets into the act. (He hates to feel like he's missing out.) I thought, "Well, HE isn't going to like it" so I gave him a leaf.

He likes it.

Now I have two comfrey addicts in the house. 

Anyone know what the toxic level of this stuff is? I don't want the cat to OD or anything. I can see where it may be beneficial for the old dog's hips and such, though. 

Maybe I should go ask on the pet forum, but thought maybe y'all would know over here. 

Now I have to go get that cat off the counter!! He never does that!!!

I've created a monster!!!!!!!

Pony!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

LOL, Pony! I've never heard of a cat eating comfrey. Is he an indoor cat only? If so, the may be missing the greens so many cats like to nibble. I don't know if comfrey is good for cats or not, but I'd be careful until you get it checked out. Maybe run a Goodle search for *cats comfrey*. I wonder if my Marilla would eat it... she loves her grass and nibbles fresh herbs, especially basil, rosemary and thyme, but she hadn't encountered comfrey yet because it grows way down in the field and she is a house and garden cat only.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

MaggieJ said:


> LOL, Pony! I've never heard of a cat eating comfrey. Is he an indoor cat only? If so, the may be missing the greens so many cats like to nibble. I don't know if comfrey is good for cats or not, but I'd be careful until you get it checked out. Maybe run a Google search for *cats comfrey*. I wonder if my Marilla would eat it... she loves her grass and nibbles fresh herbs, especially basil, rosemary and thyme, but she hadn't encountered comfrey yet because it grows way down in the field and she is a house and garden cat only.


We're still in the 'burbs, so yeah, all the cats are indoors. I've been googling for the better part of an hour, and the only documented case of toxicity I have found is of a woman who was drinking more than 10 cups of comfrey tea daily and consuming comfrey pills by the handful for over a year, so I don't think I'm too worried about it.

I know there can be too much of a good thing, but I'll just limit him to an occasional snack -- if he doesn't find the dried stash for the rabbits!

BTW, is there such a thing as too much comfrey for the buns?

Pony!


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

I know that people feed comfrey to rabbits. However, mine won't
eat it.

Googling turned up numerous documents regarding the toxicity
(or lack) of comfrey and animals (humans included). I guess you 
would have to be the judge. 

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-ill.html



> Comfrey (Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), S. asperum (prickly comfrey), S. X uplandicum (Russian comfrey))
> 
> Preparations of comfrey, a fast-growing leafy plant, are widely sold in the United States as teas, tablets, capsules, tinctures, medicinal poultices, and lotions. Since 1985, at least seven cases of hepatic veno-occlusive disease--obstruction of blood flow from the liver with potential scarring (cirrhosis)--including one death, have been associated with the use of commercially available oral comfrey products.
> 
> ...


http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/comf.html

http://www.natural-medicinal-herbs.com/herbs/comfrey.htm



> Side Effects of Comfrey
> Evidence indicates that comfrey is unsafe in any form and potentially fatal.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I read what you're saying, but none of the articles I found have any documented cases of toxicity, with the exception of the one I found at http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetables_and_herbs/assets/comfrey.PDF

I would like to locate the "well-documented" cases of toxicity mentioned in the articles. 

So far, the anecdotal articles re: comfrey seem to extol its virtues as an animal feed. Perhaps the fact that rabbits are not so long-lived as other species precludes them developing hepatic disorders. Or maybe comfrey is not as toxic as is thought. :shrug: 

I'll continue to use caution. Each of my rabbits gets a few comfrey leaves a week, and even the lactating doe is doing well: great color, good weight, active and responsive. I think I will go check her mucus membranes, though, just to make sure the color is good.

Pony!


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

Dr. Mark Grobner, my co-host for the Rabbit Production Chat, 
has researched (along with Dr. Cheeke) and published a paper 
regarding the feeding of comfrey to rabbits. Unfortunately, nothing 
seems to be available on line. We have discussed the problems
associated with this but I can't find it in our posted chat logs.

You would have to attend our Thursday night chats to discuss
this with him!

Good luck with your feeding!

Linda Welch


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

dlwelch said:


> Dr. Mark Grobner, my co-host for the Rabbit Production Chat,
> has researched (along with Dr. Cheeke) and published a paper
> regarding the feeding of comfrey to rabbits. Unfortunately, nothing
> seems to be available on line. We have discussed the problems
> ...



Argh. Oh, well.

Any way to tune in to those Thursday night chats? (or can you give me the Reader's Digest version?)

And is anyone on here feeding comfrey with good/bad/indifferent results?

Thanks so much for your input! 

Pony!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I only feed comfrey very occasionally, bacause I have a limited supply of it. Rabbits who will not eat it fresh will often eat it dried. Some do not like the hairy texture of the leaves when fresh. 

There have been a lot of concerns about comfrey, but it has been used as rabbit fodder for centuries. A well-respected company in Ontario, Richter's Herbs, has some information both on concerns and uses of comfrey. http://www.richters.com/ I have been dealing with Richter's since the early 1970's and it is a family company grown bigger that is worthy of my respect. 

I look at comfrey as a very useful plant for raising fryers for butchering because of its high protein and nutrient content. I would, however, be a bit cautious about how much I fed to my breeding stock. It can be very useful as a supplement for newly kindled does or to bring an out-of-condition rabbit back to the top of its form. 

Pony, if you have not already done this, I suggest planting a handful of grain in a large pot (preferably clay because it is harder to knock over) for the benefit of your indoor cats. I do this for Marilla in winter when she can't graze out of doors. She loves it and a morning grass nibble is an important part of her routine. Rye, wheat and oats all work fine. If you don't have any, the rye berries or wheat berries from a health food store work great. When the grain grass starts to look worse for wear, start a second pot. Two pots in rotation should keep your moggies purr-fectly happy.

Edited to add: Marilla loves to go outside but we do not let her run. She has a harness and 20 foot leash and she is out only when one of us can be with her. The leash keeps her safe from the road, but makes her vulnerable to predators... so we don't take any chances.


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

Pony said:


> Any way to tune in to those Thursday night chats? (or can you give me the Reader's Digest version?)
> 
> Pony!


The instructions to "tune in"  can be found at:

http://www.texasrabbitconnection.com/forums/

Go to the *News Corner * forum to the thread "Rabbit 
Production Chat".

That thread is updated to announce special guests and/or topics.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I haven't got time to read this at the moment, but it looks fairly authoritative....

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/comf.html


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## Bernadette (Jan 17, 2004)

I think the negative effects of comfrey are cumulative - meaning that some comfrey in the diet is not going to have ill effects, but a lot of it, fed over time, could be a problem.

Now, you want to see your cat get interested in something? Try growing some Valerian. To explain the effects, marajuanna is to cat nip and cocaine is to Valerian. The roots are the potent part. NO, this is not referring to humans - to cats!! Valerian tea (although is smells like dirty socks) is a sleep aid.

Pony, you didn't accidentally find a patch of Valerian rather than Comfrey, did you? :shrug:


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I've heard that cats go crazy for valerian... but I've never seen the effects first hand. Do they get "high", Bernadette? Is it harmful to them? I've always felt that catnip, in moderation, is good for cats... as a "recreational drug" and as a general tonic. But valerian... not so sure about it.


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