Protect Your Stable From Deadly Toxins in Forage and Hay

Your Stable From Deadly Toxins in Forage and Hay
Drought conditions in the plains and southern United States, and wetter than normal weather patterns on the East Coast, provided conditions favorable for the development of mycotoxins, which are byproducts of mold that favor ingredients commonly used in horse feeds.

When horses consume hay or feed with elevated levels of common mycotoxins such as aflatoxin and fumonisin, they exhibit symptoms that are easy to misdiagnose because they are similar or identical to other common equine ailments. Individual horses react differently to these toxins, depending on their age, general health and how much or what type of toxin they ingest. Senior horses have a lower tolerance for mycotoxins, but like most horses, they are primarily sensitive to aflatoxin and fumonisin, which are often found in corn, cotton seed, barley, peanuts and moldy hay.

The Effects Can Be Serious
Consumption of high levels of aflatoxin can cause severe gastrointestinal diseases, hemorrhages and even death. Ingesting high levels of fumonisin will seriously affect the neurological system and cardiac muscles. There are many causes for neurological issues in horses and a diagnostic process of elimination can determine if fumonisin is the cause.

“The level of toxins ingested determines how severely a horse will be affected and is calculated by dividing the amount consumed by the horse’s body weight,” explains Kathy Williamson, DVM, manager of Veterinary Services for Land O’Lakes Purina Feed. “A chronic low dose of mycotoxins can be as harmful to a horse as an acute high dose of the same toxin. The lower the overall dose, the more likely the horse will be able to reverse the damage and recover.”

Feed Manufactured With High Quality Standards Minimizes Risk
Because of the serious threat mycotoxins pose to horses, it’s more important than ever to buy feed from a trusted source such as Purina, which implements stringent quality control measures and laboratory tests to ensure each bag of feed you purchase is safe for your animals.

Testing ingredients prior to making feed is part of the Purina FeedGuard® quality control system—one of the most innovative and exacting quality assurance programs in the industry. Stringent quality standards ensure many of the industry’s highest quality ingredients available are used. Purina conducts numerous tests on every load of raw materials and will reject any shipment with traces of mycotoxins before it is even unloaded. Many grain suppliers will test for mycotoxins before sending a shipment as well, to ensure it is not rejected.

Molds can strip nutrients from feed. Mycotoxins can adversely affect the health of your horse and weaken its immune system. Help protect your entire stable by always providing your horses with feed from a trusted company that employs rigorous testing for mycotoxins.

If you are concerned about your horse’s health, contact your veterinarian. Early mycotoxin identification is essential to giving your horse the best chance for recovery.