Joined
·
17,439 Posts
Ok - we moved into new house and identified a BIG hazard to Luna in the form of fallen apples from 2 trees and zillions and zillions of WASPS. She ambled through said apples and wasps sticking nose just where you hoped she wouldn't so 2 trees were fenced off and low lying branches cut. So far so good!
The only other plant life in the garden besides grass is a rose hip bush/tree (nothing falling yet and Luna not interested) and blackberry, hawthorn and redcurrant poking through fence at the back (Luna's eaten some fallen blackberries but isn't interested in picking any!) AND 2 of what our family has always called 'snowball bushes' because the little white berries are great to have snowball fights with when the snow fails to fall in winter!!! The thought had crossed my mind that maybe I should check that the berries wouldn't be harmful to Luna but.....
So this morning I was trimming back bushes so that pathways were clearer and noticed that Luna was snaffling some of the white berries....
I get on phone to my gardening parents who identify bush as Symphoricarpos rivularis (Snowberry)....
I google it and get back a variety of responses with regards to the berries, everything from:
" Symphoricarpos rivularis (Snowberry)
It is not generally known that snowberries are perfectly edible. Open one up and they seem to have the testure of polystyrene foam. In truth, they have about as much flavour as polystyrene foam although their texture is rather better!
Probably their only sensible use is as extra edible decoration for a fruit salad." (http://www.torrens.org.uk/FFF/UKFruits.html#SymphoricarposRivularis)
to
"Snowberry Symphoricarpos rivularis
A tasteless white fruit can serious gastroenteritis even in small doses. Larger doses can produce delirium and coma. Native in north America is commonly planted in parks as hedging. " (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/Food-Foraging/Poisonous-Fruit.html)
So I decide to fence off the snowberry bushes and WATCH Luna like a hawk for the rest of the day so that if she gave any indication of not being herself, off to the vet we would go.
By the time I'd got off the phone and internet, however, Luna had sicked up the white berries and some of her breakfast!!!!! She's now curled up beside me on the sofa fast asleep. I am hoping that she got anything dangerous out of her system and will now be ok - I shall be watching her every second of the day today though!
So I still don't know if the snowberries are edible or harmful but I'm pretty confident that they are all no longer inside Luna. We meet our new vet tomorrow so will be asking him.
Has anyone else had any experiences of snowberry eating??? Am I doing the right thing???
The only other plant life in the garden besides grass is a rose hip bush/tree (nothing falling yet and Luna not interested) and blackberry, hawthorn and redcurrant poking through fence at the back (Luna's eaten some fallen blackberries but isn't interested in picking any!) AND 2 of what our family has always called 'snowball bushes' because the little white berries are great to have snowball fights with when the snow fails to fall in winter!!! The thought had crossed my mind that maybe I should check that the berries wouldn't be harmful to Luna but.....
So this morning I was trimming back bushes so that pathways were clearer and noticed that Luna was snaffling some of the white berries....
I get on phone to my gardening parents who identify bush as Symphoricarpos rivularis (Snowberry)....
I google it and get back a variety of responses with regards to the berries, everything from:
" Symphoricarpos rivularis (Snowberry)
It is not generally known that snowberries are perfectly edible. Open one up and they seem to have the testure of polystyrene foam. In truth, they have about as much flavour as polystyrene foam although their texture is rather better!
Probably their only sensible use is as extra edible decoration for a fruit salad." (http://www.torrens.org.uk/FFF/UKFruits.html#SymphoricarposRivularis)
to
"Snowberry Symphoricarpos rivularis
A tasteless white fruit can serious gastroenteritis even in small doses. Larger doses can produce delirium and coma. Native in north America is commonly planted in parks as hedging. " (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/Food-Foraging/Poisonous-Fruit.html)
So I decide to fence off the snowberry bushes and WATCH Luna like a hawk for the rest of the day so that if she gave any indication of not being herself, off to the vet we would go.
By the time I'd got off the phone and internet, however, Luna had sicked up the white berries and some of her breakfast!!!!! She's now curled up beside me on the sofa fast asleep. I am hoping that she got anything dangerous out of her system and will now be ok - I shall be watching her every second of the day today though!
So I still don't know if the snowberries are edible or harmful but I'm pretty confident that they are all no longer inside Luna. We meet our new vet tomorrow so will be asking him.
Has anyone else had any experiences of snowberry eating??? Am I doing the right thing???