As beautiful as the sycamore maple is, the plant can be dangerous to horses and donkeys. That's why some parts of the plant are poisonous to animals.
How poisonous is sycamore maple?
Sycamore mapleis poisonous to animalsThe wing fruit and the maple seed contain harmful amino acids. These are metabolized into a neurotoxin by animals such as horses and donkeys. The poison is the trigger forpasture myopathy The life-threatening poisoning disrupts the autonomic nervous system and brain stem functions.
Which parts of the sycamore maple plant are poisonous?
Especially thewing fruitand themaple seeds inside are poisonous. The leaves of the sycamore maple also contain harmful substances. The plant contains hypoglycin A. This substance is not poisonous in itself. However, when horses or donkeys eat the leaves or seeds of the sycamore maple, it is metabolized in their stomachs. This produces methylenecyclopropylacetic acid. This toxin suppresses an enzyme in the organism. The result is a so-called pasture myopathy.
Is sycamore maple poisonous to humans?
The amino acids contained in sycamore maple seeds are theoreticallyalso harmful for humans. However, for this to happen, a corresponding number of maple seeds would have to be consumed and metabolized. Since this usually doesn't happen, the sycamore maple doesn't pose a very big danger. Touching the leaves or seeds is absolutely harmless.
Which animals are sycamore seeds dangerous for?
Sycamore maple is particularly dangerous tohorsesanddonkeys. If the deciduous tree is in a pasture, the pasture can be toxic to horses in certain months of the year. If the tree bears poisonous maple seeds after flowering and the animals eat them, they absorb harmful amino acids. If you have horses, you should keep them away from the sycamore tree for the appropriate period of time. Alternatively, you can remove the maple seeds and collect fallen leaves from the sycamore maple.
What symptoms of poisoning does sycamore maple cause?
Myopathy is amuscle diseasewithfatal consequences. After consuming sycamore maple seeds, the toxic acids produced during metabolism can paralyze the animal's autonomic nervous system and the function of the brain stem. The toxin affects the entire body and has an effect that lasts for hours. These symptoms of poisoning indicate pasture myopathy:
- Muscle twitches
- heavy sweating
- increased breathing rate
- atypical, clumsy gait
- red-black color of urine
How to respond to pasture myopathy?
If you observe the typical symptoms of poisoning, it is important that you contact aveterinarian immediately. The veterinarian can take the following measures to help the horse:
- Administration of painkillers
- Liquid infusion to supply sugar and electrolytes
- Application of antioxidants and vitamins
Tip
Limit grazing time
If you limit horses' grazing to a maximum of six hours, the risk of atypical grazing myopathy can be significantly reduced. The horses usually limit themselves to eating hay, grass and plants that they know well. Horses only nibble on the shoots of trees such as the sycamore maple when they are on long pastures.
