# Does Pine cause Renal Disease?



## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

There was a thread on the yahoo group with poor Zoro who was sick and finally passed away. Here is a copy of the post:

I took him into the vet this morning and they got him all hooked up to IV and drew blood for tests. He was very very tired. I came home thinking everything was going to be ok. He pooped more during the night. But not long after I got home the vet called to tell me he had gone into cardiac arrest and died.

The blood test showed renal failure. He believes it was from the pine needles which can cause kidney disease. I just don't know...

Can anyone comment on the Pine? I am trying to get a clarification if it is actually pine because I thought he said he feed xmas trees which are usually fir. And my boys are eating the heck out of the xmas trees right now...should I be concerned?


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

We have fed Spruce, Fir and Pine christmas trees for 15 years and have never had a problem. They really love them and always look forward to the next one.


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## nrspence (Dec 10, 2008)

I dont think the vet new what was going on. 
Nate


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

I haven't followed the last updates on Zorro but from what I can remember they didn't make sure he got liquids (drenched or via i.V) for several days. That plus any toxins from bacteria from the upset rumen, transported to the kidneys via the bloodstream, could have caused the renal failure as well.

A renal failure that strong to have caused the kind of symptomes Zorro had would have shown already in earlier bloodwork (if done before, that is).


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

OK...I'm not going to worry about the fir trees they are eating...I know they were not sprayed so OK there. 

Plus, I think it would be a mutiny if I took them away!


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

I searched and found the answer to my newbie question in this thread.

There will be many Christmas trees available this year and they love them so much. 

But what about the tinsel ;-)

Just kidding. A local goat herder (he keeps commercial weed eaters) told me that evergreens will cause abortions so they should never be allowed near them. 

I suggested I would worry more about one of my wethers getting pregnant than about him eating evergreens. He just shrugged.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

I have fed fir trees for years to the goats, also the pregnant ones and never one aborted.

It's - as always - about dosage. Horses are much more likely (pregnant mares) to abort from eating fir trees than goats (goats having a higher tolerance) but even when we had horses and bred then we never had an abortion from giving fir trees for them to chew on (again, dosage).

If you would go and offer them the trees as sole diet, it's possible. But, again, goats being selective eaters, ours would stop and DEMAND another food source. The trees should be an addition to hay, not the other way around.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Fir and pine and hemlock and spruce should not cause any problems. Do be careful and not feed trees that have had tinsel on them. One little overlooked piece can wreak havock.


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

sweetgoatmama said:


> Fir and pine and hemlock and spruce should not cause any problems. Do be careful and not feed trees that have had tinsel on them. One little overlooked piece can wreak havock.


Ditto what Sanhestar and Caroline said....

We fed all species of evergreens to pregnant does for over 10 years and never had a single abort.


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