The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is investigating after receiving recent reports of illness and death in horses in southern Utah and surrounding areas.
UDAF officials received initial reports of several horses on one farm becoming sick, three of which had died. Additional reports were then received starting on Nov. 2 of other horses also being impacted in southern Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The cause of the deaths is currently unconfirmed, but testing of feed cubes sold at facilities in southern Utah is underway to identify an exact cause.
Laub’s Feeding and Cubing has issued a voluntary recall for their alfalfa hay cubes that were sold starting Oct. 3. UDAF inspectors also placed a hold order on the sale of the alfalfa hay cubes and are collecting samples from the facility to submit to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory for analysis and testing. Final test results are expected to return within the month.
“We are actively investigating, but without test results, we are unable to officially confirm the cause and source of these recent horse deaths,” said UDAF State Veterinarian Amanda Price. “Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that horse owners who have purchased hay cubes from Laub’s Feeding and Cubing after Oct. 3 not use the feed.”
Horse owners should immediately contact their local veterinarian if their horse exhibits neurologic signs, which can include depression, colic, or incoordination. Treatment is difficult but might be effective if administered quickly after clinical signs begin.
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