Pet care - The dangers of ragwort

With the lack of rain in many parts of England and Wales, the RSPCA wants to remind horse and livestock owners of the dangers of ragwort.

With the dry weather resulting in a shortage of grass, horses may feed on whatever weeds are in their fields such as ragwort, otherwise known as "yellow peril". There is also a greater risk of animals eating this highly toxic weed towards the end of summer as pastures die out or when it is mistakenly dried in hay.

This tall yellow-flowering weed causes irreversible damage to the liver, resulting in an extremely painful death for horses. Animals may lose weight and condition, suffer depression, loss of appetite, constipation, sunburn and jaundice. In many cases it can be fatal.

Ragwort is a perennial weed and it needs to be dealt with every year. The RSPCA is urging landowners to rid their fields and verges of this plant. Getting rid of this weed is the only effective way of preventing animals becoming ill and, in the worst cases, dying.

Ideally the plant should not be allowed to seed, as each plant can produce thousands of seeds. It is irresponsible of animal owners to allow it to grow in their fields due to the life-threatening dangers it poses.

Ragwort is registered as injurious under the Weeds Act of 1959, putting the responsibility onto landowners to control the weed, and making it an offence to fail to comply with clearance notices. It is also suspected to be harmful to humans so anyone handling it should wear gloves and wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.