ANEMIA INDUCING PLANTS
Anemia due either to red blood cell destruction or blood loss may occur in animals ingesting certain plants. Anemia due to red blood cell destruction is accompanied by a bloody-appearing urine and icterus and may be caused by the ingestion of onions (Allium spp.) or red maple (Acer rubrum) leaves, or phenothiazine poisoning. Anemia due to blood loss may be caused by the ingestion of spoiled or moldy sweet clover hay or haylage. Horses infected with the protozoan parasite Babesia caballi or B. equi may exhibit similar signs. Since the drug phenothiazine is rarely used in horses today, and Babesia are rare blood parasites in North America, poisoning by these plants should be of prime consideration when horses develop signs of anemia and bloody urine. Other causes of similar clinical signs that should be considered in differential diagnoses include autoimmune hemolytic anemia, equine infectious anemia (swamp fever), and Potomac horse fever (ehrlichiosis).
Onions
Red Maple
Spoiled Sweet Clover
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