I live in DE. One of my horses was recently diagnosed with listeria. He has been on tetracycline for several weeks and has been improving. The owner of the farm wants to spray the fields with Pasture Pro to kill weeds. She said the horses can go back on it as soon as it dries. I’m concerned that since Dusty is sick he may react to it differently that a healthy horse. He has soft stools from the antibiotics so I’m also giving him Probiotics for that. He had been diagnosed with White Line Disease a month ago and was on penicillin IM 2x a day, got over that then contracted listeria and was on tetracycline IV for a week, and has been on the powdered form for the last 2 weeks. Anyone have experience with herbicides and sick horses?
First, talk to your vet.
Second, call your County Extension Agent.
Those would be your best bets for information.
G.
1 Like
I did talk to my vet, she’s unsure but since he has diarrhea from the antibiotics she thinks it’s better to err on the side of caution. I’m sure the stuff is safe for horses, the owner’s used it before, I’m just concerned about putting a sick horse on the pasture. He contracted listeria from eating rotting vegetation. There is a pond that comes into his field. We had rain almost continuously for 3 weeks, then it got really hot. The pond receded quickly and he ate the pond vegetation. So I’m leery that he’ll eat the dry weeds and then contract something else. Spanish Mustangs will eat roots and tree bark if they don’t have enough food. He has plenty of grass, lots of hay and is extremely fat, yet he eats just about everything. He’s my problem pony. But I love him! I will try to contact my CEA. Thanks.
This is something to talk with your vet because of his preexisting condition. CEA generally know little to nothing about horses let alone horse farm management in general. What ever they know comes from a book or classroom not usually from hands on experience. Lots of it.
I can say based on lots of experience of using 24D from time to time it has had no effect what so ever on my horses. TBs of all ages, genders and sizes. Mares with foals at side, etc. It does not have a graze restriction and though I generally spray a paddock that is not is not being used at the time, turn out the next day. I have sprayed with horses in them.
Just because it does not kill grass doesn’t mean its not absorbed by the grass. So a sprayed paddock’s grass has 24D “in it” a day, or a week after spraying. And will continue to until it grows long enough that the sprayed leaf has grown out and cut. Might even have some residual amounts for a long time coming from what the entire plant absorbed.
I don’t use Pasture Pro because it is basically 24D with a lot of expensive water in it. I use 80% strength 24D and mix several oz per gallon. Much better bang for the buck.
