# Privet leaves and goat milk: when is it safe to drink?



## hennyredhouse (Mar 11, 2010)

Hello- Anyone with experience in goats and privet, I'd appreciate your help. I am new to goats and discovered that my milker recently ate from a privet bush. She is fine 2 days later even though many places list privet as poisonous (although other people say their goats eat it no problem. She ate leaves, no berries) 

Here is my question: Some sources say that the milk will be poisonous to humans after a goat eats privet. Does anyone have info on this - such as how long it stays in the goats system and when the milk is drinkable? Thanks! (I've since cut out all the privet by the way!)


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

This might be a good question to ask the poison control people. Here is a web page, and this is the phone number too. http://www.1-800-222-1222.info/stats/home.asp. I called a place like this once when my dog ate a lot of fertilizer tablets and they were really helpful, even though they were for people. I think there is more than one place like this, but this is one of them.

Jan


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## hennyredhouse (Mar 11, 2010)

Thanks very much for the info. I wonder if anyone has had a dairy goat eat privet before. Assuming your goat didn't get sick (mine didn't have any symptoms at all) what did you do about the milk?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-co ... rivet.html

I wouldn't think it would be in the milk, goats metabolize food pretty fast...the main thing it will cause is digestive upset but in excess and extreme cases can cause neurologic and cardiac issues. Not sure of the withdrawal in milk but since it's been 2 days already and she's fine, I can't say when the milk would be safe for you. Maybe contact a vet, even a cattle vet would be able to give you an answer, I hope.


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Mine eat wild privet all the time. It's one of their favorite brush to eat. They will knock you down if you bring it into the pen. (did it once, lesson learned, dump it over the fence to them now)  

Gina


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## hennyredhouse (Mar 11, 2010)

Follow up re: the privet question. 
I called the poison control number (thanks for that!) and spoke with a friendly woman who did not have information specific to goats or goat milk but who gave good general information. She also directed me to the ASPCA/Univ. of Illinois Veterinary Poison Center hotline (1-888-426-4435) which is staffed by veterinarians 24 hours a day. Sounds like an excellent resource- which I didn't use because they don't answer your call until you pay $65.00. I decided to wait two days before drinking the goat's milk and had no problems. 
Seems there is alot of conflicting information about privet out there. I imagine the kind of privet, the growth stage it is in as well as what part and how much the goat eats (and maybe there are some privet-proff goats out there!) all play a factor.
Thanks everyone for your help.


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