Unusually wet weather favors the spread of buttercups in regions where they are not usually prevalent, and an overgrowth in pastures may lead to accidental ingestion because the plant can’t be avoided by grazing animals. Horses usually avoid ingesting the bitter leaves, but when turned out on overgrazed pasture, they may eat buttercups due to an absence of other forage. It is rarely encountered on light, well-drained soil. As well as pastures, buttercup inhabits woody areas, marshes, ditch banks, and swampy meadows. The plant grows best in wet soils and can thrive in heavy clay and damp sand or gravel. Cattle, goats, and pigs are also susceptible to the toxin.īuttercups are commonly found throughout North America. Affected horses can display hemorrhaging and congestion in the lungs on postmortem examination. In severe cases, buttercup ingestion can lead to skin twitching, paralysis, convulsions, and death. Decreased appetite and a slowed pulse may also be present. Owners may notice blisters on the horse’s lips, swelling of facial tissue, excessive salivation, mild colic, and diarrhea that might contain blood. This bitter-tasting oil irritates the lining of the horse’s mouth and digestive tract. The leaves and stems of many species of buttercup contain ranunculin, a glycoside that forms the toxic blistering agent protoanemonin when the plant is chewed or crushed. Buttercup ( Ranunculus spp.), a bright yellow annual, biennial, or perennial flower found in pastures, can cause serious problems in horses that eat it as they graze.
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