Flax (Raw Seeds) (Linum usitatissimum)
Linum usitatissimum
Horse
Severe
Any suspected ingestion is an immediate veterinary emergency. Depends on preparation. A few hundred grams of cold-soaked or raw ground seeds can be fatal. (Flaxseed oil, however, is safe).
Equio informs, it does not diagnose. When in doubt, call your vet.
What to do now
- Antidote
- Intravenous antidote (sodium thiosulfate) administered by a veterinarian.
- Time to signs
- A few minutes to 1 hour
- Prognosis
- Very poor if respiratory symptoms have begun. Death is sudden.
- Absolute life-threatening emergency.
- Call the veterinarian immediately.
- Do not administer any other food or liquids.
- Prepare antidote if available and administrable by the veterinarian.
Its ID card
- Height
- 30 cm – 1.2 m
- Flowering
- June to September
- Toxic parts
- Whole raw seeds, ground or soaked in cold water.
- Toxin
- Cyanogenic glycosides (Linamarin, lotaustralin)
- Habitat
- Cultivated fields (blue flowers), feed bags in the tack room.
- Soil indicator
- Deep, well-drained agricultural soils.
- Regions
- Entire Europe (Crops and dietary supplements)
- In hay
- Not reported
- Palatability
- Very good; horses love the mucilage of flax seeds, which explains the frequency of this dramatic preparation error.
When the risk rises
All year round (via ration).
Spotting it in the field
None in its commercial seed form. — smell : odorless
- In the feed bin: small, flat, smooth, shiny, brown or blonde seeds.
- Slender plant with very fine, small leaves.
- Beautiful small sky-blue flowers with 5 petals.
- Flowers open in the morning and fall in the evening.
Signs to watch for
Acute toxicity
Dose : A few hundred grams of raw, ground, and moistened seeds for a 500 kg horse.
- Fulminant respiratory distress (horse is suffocating)
- Bright red mucous membranes
- Muscle tremors and convulsions
- Dilated pupils
- Very rapid death (sometimes in less than an hour)
Who is affected
Other species : Same deadly danger for cattle, sheep, and chickens receiving wet, raw ground flax.
In pregnant mares : abortion / Maternal death.
Getting rid of it
Method : Pull the plant before flowering if found in pastures. Avoid contamination of crops.
- Never feed raw, ground, or cold-soaked flax seeds.
- Always cook flax seeds (boil for 10 min) or purchase industrially processed flax (extruded, flaked).
- Use only pure flaxseed oil for omega-3 supplementation.
Frequently asked questions
Can Equio identify Flax (Raw Seeds) (Linum usitatissimum) from a photo?
It can help organize visual clues, but plant identification must remain cautious when horse health is at stake.
Is Flax (Raw Seeds) (Linum usitatissimum) dangerous in hay?
Hay risk is not always reported for this entry, but suspicious forage should still be isolated until checked.
This page is informational. If ingestion is likely, if signs appear, or if the horse is fragile, contact a veterinarian immediately.