- Is the autumn crocus poisonous?
- death by hay
- Follow
- Symptoms of poisoning in animals
- frequently asked Questions
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Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale)'s pretty pink or purple autumn blooms make it easy to forget just how deadly poisonous this plant is - especially to foragers, children, pets and horses.
In a nutshell
- Autumn crocus poisonous to humans and animals
- Poisoning often fatal
- in animals often cause contaminated hay
- confused with wild garlic leaves in humans
- Horses and pigs particularly sensitive
Is the autumn crocus poisonous?
A mixture of more than 20 different alkaloids makes the autumn crocus so poisonous. However, what really stands out from this mix is colchicine, which is fatally toxic to both humans and animals, even in extremely small amounts. For adult humans, a dose of around five milligrams is sufficient, which corresponds to around 60 grams of fresh leaves. Lethal doses for animals are an average of 80 grams of fresh plant material per 100 kilograms of body weight, which is why approx. 400 grams of dried autumn crocus would be fatal for a horse - the poisonous effect fatally persists in the hay.
- Horses and pigs are particularly at risk
- react even with the smallest amounts
- Goats and sheep less sensitive
- often show no symptoms of poisoning
Notice: Another problem with milk-producing grazing animals, such as cows, goats and sheep, is that the toxins pass into the milk and can cause potentially fatal poisoning from the autumn crocus poison even in people who consume it.
death by hay
Grazing animals such as horses or cattle very rarely eat fresh autumn crocus because they instinctively avoid the plant. Exceptions are inexperienced young animals or animals inexperienced in grazing, which is why animal owners should always keep the grazing areas free of the poisonous plant. More problematic, however, is hay or silage that contains autumn crocus components. Once these are dried, they lose their bitter taste and the animals can no longer sort out the plant parts - they simply eat them with them. That is why most of the symptoms of poisoning and the resulting deaths in pets and farm animals are also caused by contaminated hay. Incidentally, this applies not only to horses and cattle, but also to hay-eating pets such as
- rabbits and hares
- Guinea pig
- hamster
But curious dogs and cats are also endangered, as they like to nibble on autumn crocuses cultivated as ornamental plants in the garden.
Notice: The poisonous autumn crocus has to be consistently removed from pastures and other agricultural areas in the spring after the leaves have sprout be combated, for example by mowing. In autumn during flowering by digging up the tubers.
Follow
The highly toxic colchicine contained in the autumn crocus is a capillary and mitotic toxin, i. H. it interferes with cell formation and has numerous other dramatic effects. In humans and animals occur as a result of poisoning about
- colic
- severe metabolic disorders
- heavy salivation
- to cough
- neurological disorders (eg, stumbling, blurred vision, hallucinations)
- muscular dystrophy
- Muscle paralysis through to respiratory paralysis
- organ failure
on, whereby the severity of the phenomena is measured according to the amount of poison ingested. Dangerously, the first symptoms often only appear two to 12 hours after ingesting poisonous plant material at the earliest. By this time, however, the poison has often already developed its deadly effect and countermeasures such as pumping out the stomach are ineffective. If small amounts are ingested, the symptoms appear over a longer period of time as the toxins accumulate in the body, especially in the liver.
Notice: Regular consumption of milk contaminated with colchicine can lead to tumor formation in humans and thus cause cancer.
Symptoms of poisoning in animals
In animals such as horses or cattle, poisoning manifests itself in three phases.
- Phase: colic, frequent flatulence, exhaustion or noticeable nervousness
- Phase: cardiac arrhythmias, neuromuscular disorders (i.e. impairment of muscle functions), hepatic insufficiency,
-> The second phase lasts for several days - Phase: leukocytosis (white blood cells multiply pathologically), hair loss
Laminitis is a symptom of poisoning by autumn crocus and occurs mostly in horses.
Laminitis is also common in horses. Death can occur after a few days to weeks, usually due to circulatory failure and respiratory paralysis. A quick reaction after consuming the poisonous autumn crocus is vital for the animals as soon as the first symptoms appear (e.g. when bloating occurs). Stop feeding hay and call the vet immediately, who you must inform of your suspicion.
frequently asked Questions
How does autumn crocus poisoning manifest itself in humans?In humans, the first symptoms of poisoning also appear quite late, after two to six hours. These are first expressed by a burning sensation in the mouth, which is followed by difficulty swallowing, vomiting and nausea. Bloody diarrhea is also typical. Death also occurs from respiratory paralysis and/or circulatory failure, with the sufferer remaining conscious to the end. The mortality rate after poisoning with the autumn crocus is extremely high at around 90 percent.
What first aid measures should you carry out?Even the slightest suspicion of poisoning by autumn crocus should be consulted with a doctor. Fast action is immensely important to avoid serious damage or even death. Give the affected person plenty of water to drink. Milk is taboo as it increases the toxic effect. Water, on the other hand, helps flush out the toxins. Also, you should not make the patient vomit.
How can I tell the difference between autumn crocus and wild garlic?In contrast to the autumn crocus, the popular wild herb wild garlic is not poisonous and is often collected in spring. Dangerously, the leaves of the autumn crocus look very similar to wild garlic leaves and also grow in the same locations. A distinction is difficult, which is why collectors have to take a very close look: Wild garlic leaves, for example, have a stalk that autumn crocus leaves do not have. In addition, the leaves of the wild garlic smell of garlic or leeks, while those of the autumn crocus do not