Rush To Save Horses And Other Livestock From Poisoned Vocanic Ash.

[psmitty]

On Sunday, farmers banded together to drive around searching for hundreds of shaggy Icelandic horses, who panicked and got lost in a downpour of ash that turned day into night.

Icelandic President Olaf Ragnar Grimsson: "It's an important lesson for all of us"

"The risk is of fluoride poisoning if they breathe or eat too much," Berglind Hilmarsdottir, a dairy farmer from Nupur, told the AP news agency through a protective white dust mask.

The fluoride in the ash creates acid in the animals' stomachs, corroding the intestines and causing haemorrhages.

It also binds with calcium in the blood stream and after heavy exposure over a period of days makes bones frail, even causing teeth to crumble.

"The best we can do is put them in the barn, block all the windows, and bring them clean food and water as long as the earth is contaminated," Ms Hilmarsdottir said.

Full Story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8629241.stm

[hansonmkusa]

I could just imagine all animals that are affected by this vocanic ash. Hope they can all come out of this ok. With all the earthquakes and now vocanic eruptions are taking a toll on just about every country in the world. Be praying all turns out well for everyone in Iceland.

[Zeusyboy]

Everytime I hear something like this, I keep thinking of Skjotta's horses.

[Huggy] [Angel]