Is the snowberry poisonous? Information for children, dogs and cats

The snowberry is one of the popular ornamental trees in this country because of its snow-white berries and is often planted in one's own garden or park. The honeysuckle (bot. Caprifoliaceae) is also known under the name "Knallerbse", which alludes to the sound of the berries when they are crushed between the fingers. Since the fruits remain on the bush until the cold season, many people ask themselves the question: are they poisonous for humans and animals?

ingredients

the Snowberries (bot. Symphoricarpos), in Europe especially the Common snowberry (bot. Symphoricarpos albus), are classified as slightly toxic to humans due to their ingredients. The reason for this are the ingredients of the plant, which are concentrated for the most part in the snow-white berries that ripen from July to October and are easily picked by hand can. In order to explain the toxicity of the plant in more detail, the ingredients must be considered.

Saponins

at Saponins it concerns sugar alcohols within the group of triterpenes. Characteristic of these substances are the foaming effect when combined with water and the slightly soapy odor. Their toxicity is particularly evident in other plants such as the European cyclamen (bot. Cyclamen purpurascens), which is one of the most poisonous European plants and is deadly. The snowberry's low saponin concentration does not cause death in humans, but it is the reason why the snowberry is slightly poisonous.

Alkaloids

Snowberries contain a wide variety of Alkaloids, including chelidonin. Chelidonine is an isoquinoline alkaloid that has a toxic effect on cell division, but is also not really dangerous for adults due to its low concentration. These alkaloids have a corrosive effect and intensify the effects on the human body.

Unknown substance

The snowberry is also poisonous due to a substance that has not yet been found by research. So far, researchers are only certain that this substance is responsible for the irritant effect on the stomach or increases it. Together with the saponins and alkaloids, this substance is responsible for the toxic effects on humans. The poison cocktail made from these ingredients causes a multitude of symptoms in humans.

These are as follows:

• Vomiting diarrhea
• irritated stomach lining
• irritated mucous membranes, for example on the eyes, when the fingers come into contact with the plant sap and rub

consumption

Although it is possible to consume the snowberries, the correct dose must be adhered to. You will not poison yourself if you eat a maximum of four berries. From an amount of ten berries, however, a detox should be carried out in order to protect the body from the effects of the poison.

Proceed as follows:

• water or tea should be given
• Milk should be avoided as an addition
• Charcoal tablets should be taken by the poisoned
• then contact a doctor or hospital

Tip: Snowberries were used extensively by the Native Americans in Washington and Oregon and have easily adapted their bodies to eat them. They not only ate these raw, dried or made a tea from the leaves, but also used the saponins in the berries as a natural shampoo.

Poisonous effect

To children

Compared to adults, children are more sensitive to the ingredients of the snowberry. Especially infants and young children should not come into contact with the Berry and leaves of the snowberry come. the leaves are also poisonous and can irritate the skin if rubbed between hands. The biggest problem, however, is when they "pop" the berries in their hands. As with the leaves, this allows Vegetable juices get on your skin and fingers and get in your eyes or mouth. Children should never eat the berries, because one fruit is enough to trigger symptoms of poisoning. Detoxification is therefore necessary immediately.

Tip: Snowberries have a similar effect on sensitive people as they do on children. Especially people with digestive problems can suffer from the berries and should be detoxified as soon as possible.

On animals

Effect on pets and farm animals

The ingredients described above are also slightly toxic to a large number of animals. However, the effect is strongly dependent on the type of animal, as the metabolisms differ greatly from each other. The following list provides information on how dogs, cats and other species react to the ingredients of the snowberry and whether they should be fed.

dogs

The fruits of the snowberry are considered poisonous for dogs. The symptoms are similar to those that occur in humans. One advantage, however, are the ingredients in Symphoricarpos albus. Due to the dogs' good sense of smell, the berries and leaves are avoided in most cases as they are very uncomfortable. Puppies or older dogs, on the other hand, whose sense of smell is no longer so good, tend to chew the berries or leaves more often due to boredom or play instinct or to consume them completely. In the case of smaller dogs such as dachshunds, attention should also be paid to the fact that even smaller amounts can be dangerous.

Cats

Compared to dogs, cats are more sensitive to the snowberry and more at risk because their sense of smell and taste are much less developed. Since all house tigers chew on plants they do not know, poisoning is possible. The greater danger comes from the leaves, not the fruits of the plant. Therefore, if your cat is outdoors, watch out for Symphoricarpos albus nearby.

Horses

If a bush of snowberries can be reached over the paddock fence, horses will definitely try the crackling peas. Even larger amounts are not dangerous to the ungulates, but they can suffer from stomach problems which result in discomfort and possible diarrhea. Due to their size and weight, however, they would have to consume a great deal of the berries before major problems set in.

Small animals

Rabbits and rodents such as hamsters are at great risk from the berries because their organism is much smaller and for this reason the saponins have a stronger effect on them. The berries and leaves must therefore not be consumed by the small animals. If you have noticed that your hamster, mouse or rabbit has eaten snowberries, you should go to the vet immediately.

In North America, on the other hand, there are numerous species of animals that have been fed the fruits and many wild animals eat them as a major part of their diet. This includes species that are unique to America.

• Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
• Collar grouse (Bonasa umbellus)
• Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Even wild rabbit species such as the cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) in America can feed on the berry without any problems, as they are indigenous there.

Tip: Compared to dogs, cats and other animals, birds are very happy to consume snowberries and do not suffer from the toxins they contain. If you want to attract birds, you should definitely bring the wood into the garden so that you can watch the birds foraging.

Sources:

• http://www.gizbonn.de/203.0.html
• https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponine