Botulism
Recently a Botulism outbreak was reported in Texas. This was traced to Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes with bags date coded # 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522, & 111622.
Botulism is a neuromuscular disease with flaccid paralysis caused by the toxins of the bacteria Clostridia botulinum. The bacteria spores are found in the soil of Kentucky, Midwest and Atlantic seaboard states. The spores are mainly in poorly preserved silage, haylage, round bales of hay, feedstuffs or in feed or water contaminated with an infected rodent carcass. When in the intestinal tract, the bacteria spores release toxins that enter the blood stream and effect nerve/muscle junction, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The severity and progression of the disease are dependent on the amount of toxins. Clinical signs are difficulty eating, excess salivation, weak eyelid tone, weak tail tone, and exercise intolerance. Infected horses can also have muscle weakness that cause tremors, knee buckling, imbalance and increased down time (resting time) from weak muscles.
In foals, 10 days to 2 months of age, signs include inability to swallow, milk running out nostrils, drooling, muscle tremors (hence the name Shaker Foal), collapsing and death.
Treatment is antibiotics and supportive care. Prognosis is dependent on the severity of the disease with recumbent, down horses having a poor prognosis. Prevention is by vaccination of the pregnant mare or horses in endemic areas.
I have never seen a case of botulism in horses in 45 years of practice. What I do see on a regular basis is choke when horses are fed alfalfa pellets or cubes dry. I know I have said it before but YOU MUST SOAK ALFALFA PELLETS/CUBES BEFORE FEEDING THEM TO AVOID CHOKE! Don’t even feed dry ones by hand as a treat! It does not state on the bag to soak them, but it can save you an emergency vet bill.
Alfalfa pellets and cubes are hard and many horses do not chew them slowly. When they are swallowed quickly, they get stuck in the horse’s esophagus and block it. Unlike human chokes, the trachea is not blocked, so the horse can still breathe. The signs of choke in horses are alfalfa green feedstuff and saliva coming out both nostrils and mouth, gurgling sounds, coughing, head being extended, distress, and laying down like with colic. Later, aspiration pneumonia or a permanent dilation of the esophagus are complications.
Treatment to resolve the choke is for the vet to pass a tube, pump water in the esophagus and drain it out trying to dissolve the alfalfa blockage in the esophagus. It is an ordeal that is preventable.
EIA Equine Infectious Anemia or Coggins free America
In 1975 there were 10,371 horses that tested positive for EIA. In comparison in 2022, only 96 horses of 1.4 million tested were positive. With stringent Coggins test rules over the last 50 years, the country is almost free from EIA. It is present in only .004% of the US equine population. The horses testing positive now are Quarter Horse match race horses that have been in Mexico. Mexican trainers that use the same needle and syringe on multiple horses spread the virus from horse to horse. The last 2 positive Coggins tests that I had were in Mexican QH match race horses 7 and 12 years ago at the same trainer’s race barn.
If purchasing a racing QH from a Mexican trainer, I recommend a new Coggins test be done. There is no cure for EIA. When the horse is Coggins positive, it is retested, then if still positive, it is euthanized or isolated from other horses forever. The test for EIA was named after Dr. Coggins who developed it. Dr. Coggins worked many years trying to create a vaccine against EIA, with no success. Most equine events require you to present your negative coggins results. Take a photo of your Coggins test & save it in your phone, then you will have it where ever you go.
Founder Alert
Pastures are now green and it is time to get those founder prone horses off of or limit their time on the grass. Buy your grazing muzzle now if you need one, before they get hard to find.
Castration Signs: March 18-23
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