Three horses died on a single farm in southern Utah before state agriculture officials began fielding reports of sick and dying horses in Nevada and Arizona as well, triggering a voluntary recall of alfalfa hay cubes sold by a local feed company. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food says the cause has not been confirmed, but it is urging horse owners who bought the product to stop using it immediately.
A Farm Outbreak That Spread Across State Lines
The investigation began after UDAF received reports of several horses on one farm becoming sick, three of which died, according to einpresswire.com. Starting Nov. 2, the agency says it was alerted to additional cases affecting horses across southern Utah and in neighboring parts of Nevada and Arizona, though officials have not tied every case to a single confirmed cause. KSL News reports that Laub's Feeding and Cubing operates three locations in St. George, Beryl and Paragonah.
UDAF spokesperson Amanda Price said officials simply do not yet have enough information to point to a definitive culprit. Without test results, the agency said, it is unable to officially confirm the cause and source of the recent horse deaths. Investigators have tested feed cubes sold at facilities in southern Utah as part of the inquiry, per the same report from einpresswire.com.
Recall Covers Cubes Sold Since Early October
Laub's Feeding and Cubing has issued a voluntary recall of its alfalfa hay cubes sold starting Oct. 3. Price recommended that any horse owner who purchased hay cubes from the company after that date avoid using the feed. UDAF inspectors have placed a hold order on sales of the cubes and are collecting samples from the facility to send to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory, the outlet reports, with final test results expected to return within the month.
Officials Urge Owners To Watch For Neurological Signs
UDAF is instructing horse owners to contact a local veterinarian right away if an animal exhibits neurological signs, which may include depression, colic or incoordination. Treatment is difficult, the agency notes, but may be effective if given quickly after symptoms first appear. For now, the cause of the horse deaths remains unconfirmed while laboratory work continues.
Feed-linked horse illnesses are not unheard of in the region's history. In 1989, California agriculture officials blamed hay cubes contaminated with botulism bacteria for the deaths of at least 15 horses, according to an archived report from the Los Angeles Times. In that case, lab tests found rabbit remains in hay cubes collected at a San Bernardino County stable where three horses died, and the cubes were traced back to a manufacturer called Paramount Cubing. There is no indication in current reporting that the Utah investigation has reached similar conclusions, and officials continue to caution that the present outbreak's cause is still unverified.
