Dwarf Elder
Sambucus ebulus
Horse
Moderate
Any suspected ingestion is an immediate veterinary emergency. Significant consumption of leaves or berries (a few handfuls are enough to trigger colic).
Equio informs, it does not diagnose. When in doubt, call your vet.
What to do now
- Antidote
- No specific antidote. Symptomatic and supportive treatment (fluid therapy, antispasmodics, gastric protectants).
- Time to signs
- 1 to 4 hours
- Prognosis
- Generally good, death is very rare in adult equids, but colic can be intense.
- Immediate veterinary call.
- Administer gastric protectants.
- Administer activated charcoal.
- Use mild laxatives to evacuate toxins.
- Rehydrate if severe diarrhea occurs.
Its ID card
- Height
- 1 to 2 m
- Flowering
- June to August
- Toxic parts
- Entire plant (fresh leaves, roots, and particularly immature black berries).
- Toxin
- Alkaloids, irritant lectins, and cyanogenic glycosides.
- Habitat
- Embankments, wastelands, woodland edges, calcareous spoil heaps, abandoned meadows.
- Soil indicator
- Calcareous, rich, deep, often stony soils.
- Regions
- Europe, Mediterranean Basin
- In hay
- Yes — stays toxic once dried
- Palatability
- Very low (nauseating smell of bitter almond/stink bug). Ingested only by mistake in freshly cut green fodder or during severe feed shortages.
When the risk rises
August to October (berries).
Spotting it in the field
Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), which is a woody shrub and whose cooked flowers/berries are edible for humans. — smell : fetid and unpleasant smell when crushed, reminiscent of bitter almonds or stink bugs.
- Herbaceous plant (does not form woody stems) that disappears in winter.
- Erect, grooved stem (1 to 2m).
- Compound leaves with elongated leaflets, fetid odor when crushed.
- White flowers with reddish stamens.
- Clusters of black berries pointing upwards (unlike Black Elder, whose clusters hang down).
Signs to watch for
Acute toxicity.
Dose : Difficult to quantify precisely, but consumption of a few hundred grams of fresh leaves or immature berries can be sufficient to cause severe symptoms in a 500 kg horse.
- Violent colic and spasms
- Profuse diarrhea and sometimes gagging/vomiting efforts
- Muscle weakness and dizziness
- Accelerated breathing
- Cold sweats
Who is affected
Other species : Toxic to dogs and children (berries are attractive).
In pregnant mares : abortion possible due to violent intestinal spasms.
Getting rid of it
Method : Systematic mowing before berry formation, ideally by hand with gloves to avoid skin contact. Uprooting is also effective. Burn waste to prevent dissemination.
- Identify and remove Dwarf Elder from pastures and paddock perimeters.
- Monitor horses closely, especially in late summer and early autumn when berries mature.
- Avoid mowing the plant and leaving it in fodder distributed to horses.
Frequently asked questions
Can Equio identify Dwarf Elder from a photo?
It can help organize visual clues, but plant identification must remain cautious when horse health is at stake.
Is Dwarf Elder dangerous in hay?
This entry flags hay vigilance. Isolate suspicious forage and ask for professional advice if exposure is possible.
This page is informational. If ingestion is likely, if signs appear, or if the horse is fragile, contact a veterinarian immediately.