Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens) is native to tropical and southern America but is grown worldwide as garden ornamentals. They are perennial semi-woody shrubs or small trees, usually with a many-branched single trunk. Angel's trumpet produces beautiful, sweetly fragrant, distinctly trumpet-shaped flowers in the spring or summer. They can be a variety of colors, including white, cream, yellow, pale orange, red, or pale pink.
All parts of Angel's trumpet are poisonous to poultry. The plant contains multiple types of tropane alkaloids--specifically meteloidine, belladonnine, norhyoscyamine, and tigloidine (3-beta-Tigloyloxytropane). Tropane alkaloids are anticholinergenic, meaning that they reduce the metabolic effects of acetylcholine, which is a compound required for muscle contraction. It is also important for normal nerve function and brain activity.
Death often occurs as a result of respiratory paralysis, heart failure, or rupture of the stomach. In mild cases, if veterinary attention is sought soon enough, a full recovery is possible. Treatment usually involves administration of activated charcoal to stop further absorption of the toxins, alongside the administration of drugs and supportive therapy for other symptoms.
- loss of appetite
- rapid pulse and respiratory rate
- dilated pupils
- excessive thirst
- sudden death