Heliotrope

This plant should be considered toxic as it contains the pyrrolizidine alkaloids; lycopsamine, intermedine, and echiumine. Ingestion can cause severe illness and possibly death in horses, swine, and cattle. The alkaloids are potent liver toxins that under some conditions can be carcinogenic. For horses that have ingested a potentially lethal amount of the plant and/or are suffering advanced symptoms the illness has been termed "walking disease" or "sleepy staggers". The name being a reference to the fact that affected horses may appear blind and wander aimlessly, walking in circles or bumping into objects. Other visible symptoms that are typically associated with severe intoxication include: muscle tremors, especially of the head and neck; frequent yawning, copper colored or red urine, difficulty or inability to swallow, horses may stop eating halfway through a mouthful of food; horses may stand with their heads held down, head pressing, dragging of the hind legs, causing the hooves to have worn tips, random attacks of frenzy and violent, uncontrollable galloping.

Once an animal begins to show signs of severe intoxication there is little that can be done to stop disease progression and inevitable liver damage. As a result prevention is the best treatment option. Luckily the plant is not very palatable and most animals will completely ignore it unless no other forage is available. Poisonings typically occur from ingestion of the green plant or when the plant becomes a contaminant in hay. Always check hay for signs of contaminants and ensure animals are provided plenty of quality hay and feed, if animals are left to graze ensure the pasture provides plenty of non hazardous plants to forage upon.