# just got back from Trinity Alps-toxic plant eating ordeal



## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Three days into a 7 day 35 mile trip Jackie my black La Mancha and strongest packer ate four sprigs of an unknown-to-me shrub growing next to the tent. Eight hours later he was projectile vomiting green sludge that smelled worse than terrible. My sister the botanist who was there on the trip identified the plant as "black laurel" which I guess is similar to the dread mountain laurel I have read about in Carolyn's book on packgoats.
Having read the book, I grabbled the mineral oil and syringe and my hubby and I stripped down so as not to contaminate our only clothes and wrestled some mineral oil into poor Jackie. He continued to vomit, standing with his head hanging down and sides convulsing, for 48 hours. We thought we might lose him. But he finally laid down, drank a little water, and nibbled on a little willow bark we brought him. After that he started to slowly eat a little bit of browse, and drink a lot of water. My brave hubby gave him a cud transplant from two of the other goats, after I described the process. The next day, he chose to eat the charcoal out of a cold firepit and we figured we should let him to help absorb toxins. He never had diahrrea.
He made it through the rest of the trip, seeming better and better every day, and now we are home and he seems a little tired, but fine.
I am so glad I had read about this possibly happening, and had the mineral oil on hand. Next time I will be really careful bringing a new goat into an area where I've taken other goats with no problems. And in the future if I see any goat eat several sprigs of mountain laurel I would not hesitate to induce vomiting with salt as outlined in the Packgoat book. 
One last question: should I take him to the vet to have him checked out, or can I assume that he can take it from here and continue to get his strength back?


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## WGARDNER (Aug 20, 2011)

Take him to the vet. Carry Toxiban. It is a liquid charcoal. It work great from sheep that eat rhododendrons to dogs that drink anti freeze. I always have a bottle or more around the house/barn.


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks for responding. I will try to get some Toxiban. And I will call the vet tomorrow.


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## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Scary. I'm glad he made it! How is he now? I just got back from my first camping trip with my goats and I was terrified of them eating something bad. I really need to learn to identify the toxic plants. I had pepto and baking soda and salt with me, but next time toxiban is coming with me (we always used that when I worked at a vet clinic a long time ago) and mineral oil too. There were so many plants I didn't know it was a bit unnerving and stressful. They didn't like the lupine (luckily) but I did see the kid goat accidently take a bite because it was beside something else he was eating. And there were these plants all over, about a foot or so high in the meadows and near streams that appeared to be poison hemlock, but they were small plants and I wasn't sure. Nobody I asked knew either, but they were letting their horses graze without problems. Maybe it was queen anne's lace, I don't know, but I put their muzzles on (which they hate) any time we were near it. I need a good book for identifying plants, otherwise I feel like I'll become a nervous wreck on the trail!


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## ali pearson (Aug 12, 2009)

sounds like you have good instincts, at least you can identify and know to not trust lupine and hemlock-like plants. It is rather overwhelming considering the diversity of plants in our state. I haven't had any other problems though, and I hike the goats in lots of different places. I think the main problem plants we are likely to encounter are rhododendron, azalea, japonica (an ornamental yard plant) and black or mountain laurel. I was totally familliar with the first three. Didn't know exaclty what the laurel looked like if it didn't have flowers on it. Now I know. 
Jackie is doing fine after his laurel poisoning. My goat vet said he's lucky to be alive after how sick he was. I mentioned that he ate the cold charcoal out of a fire pit and he was really interested in that. He said he would recommend carrying powdered activated charcoal to counter plant poisoning. It would be light and you would mix it with water into a paste and give it to them with a big plastic syringe or drenching gun, even if you just saw them eat something you know to be toxic.


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

I'm so glad he's ok. It's scary when a critter you love gets that sick!


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## Saltlick (Jun 12, 2011)

Anyone know where to get powdered activated charcoal? I went to my vet to buy Toxiban, and it was SO expensive and according to ml per pounds needed for a 185 pound goat, I would have to carry a lot of it with me and I can't do that. Nor can I afford it.


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## WGARDNER (Aug 20, 2011)

Good deal. Glad everything is O.K.!
We use to hike the Trinity Alps. Sure do miss them.


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