Baton Rouge, Louisiana (AP) — At least 20 horses in Louisiana have died after ingesting bacteria found in some cubes of alfalfa hay from a Colorado grower, state agriculture officials said.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry began notifying livestock owners and others of potential problems with some packages of Rocky Mountain Alfalfa Horse Cubes in mid-December after horses in Louisiana and three other states began showing neurological symptoms consistent with for botulism. officials said.
The FDA said at least 98 horses in Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico were found to have symptoms, including muscle tremors, trouble swallowing or eating, difficulty standing or collapse. At least 45 of these animals died or were euthanized due to poor health after eating the cubes.
The department said it has confirmed with the US Food and Drug Administration and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory that Clostridium botulinum type C is found in cubes of alfalfa, which causes botulism in horses, according to The Advertiser.
State investigators received information that an unopened bag of cubes manufactured by Manzanola Feeds in Manzanola, Colorado, contained animal remains.
“This discovery indicates that material from an animal or animals may have been included in the cubes during the alfalfa harvest,” the LDAF said in a statement. “Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism, is commonly found in decomposing animal carcasses.”
Manzanola Feeds has recalled its “Top Of The Rockies Alfalfa Horse Cubes” with date codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522 and 111622. More information on how to safely dispose of the cubes can be found on the FDA website.
The LDAF said horse owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if a horse has ingested the product and is showing signs of neurological disease.
