Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diagnosis of Taxus (yew) poisoning in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2005
- Authors:
- Tiwary, Asheesh K et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of California-Davis · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old bay Thoroughbred colt was found dead in its stall without any signs of illness or known exposure to toxins. A thorough examination after death showed bleeding in the heart and damage to the heart muscles. Tests revealed that the colt had ingested a toxic substance from yew plants, which is known to be harmful to horses. This case is significant because it highlights that heart damage can occur from yew poisoning, even if no visible plant parts are found in the stomach. The findings suggest that yew exposure should be considered when a horse dies suddenly or shows heart problems.
Abstract
A 2-year-old bay Thoroughbred colt was found dead overnight in its stall without a known history of any illness, existing disease, or toxicant exposure. No information on the clinical signs before this animal's death was reported. A full necropsy was performed the next morning and revealed a mild to moderate degree of endocardial hemorrhages in both ventricles. Microscopic examination of the heart showed an acute mild multifocal necrosis of papillary muscles and ventricles. The stomach content contained approximately 2% Taxus alkaloids as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In the past, diagnosis of Taxus poisoning has been mainly based on history of exposure and the presence of plant parts in the gastrointestinal tract. Pathological lesions associated with Taxus poisoning have not been published for horses. Therefore, this is the first report of cardiac lesions in a horse after lethal exposure to Taxus. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that Taxus exposure needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of horses that die suddenly or have cardiac lesions suggestive of Taxus exposure, even if intact plant parts are not identified in the stomach by the naked eye.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15945382/