Many species of cherry and peach are poisonous. Crushed twigs and leaves yield a strong cyanide odor. Two native species of cherry are common in Ohio. Poisonings occur most frequently when wilted leaves are eaten, but have also been reported when leaves are consumed directly from the tree, or sprouts, or in dried hay. The amount of hydrocyanic acid formed once the plant material is ingested is affected by the type of stomach juices and the kind of feed the animal had previously consumed.
Ruminant animals appear to be more susceptible to poisoning than horses.
The first symptoms appear within a few minutes following consumption of plant material. Affected animals exhibit excitement, incoordination, convulsions, rapid and labored breathing, bloating, and coma. Death can occur in less than an hour due to internal asphyxiation.