Isabel Hurley

THERE has been a worrying spike in the numbers of horses dying nationwide from atypical myopathy (ATM) or sycamore seed poisoning.

Alerts have been issued by the Irish Equine Centre, the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association as a wave of cases claimed the lives of at least 20 horses in the last two weeks.

The Irish Field’s Veterinary Ireland panel highlighted this deadly disease in Hands On in April and again in last Saturday’s issue.

ATM is a severe muscular condition that affects grazing horses, usually in the autumn. American researchers discovered that the seeds of both sycamore trees and box elder trees contain a substance called hypoglycin, a very specific metabolic block in the muscle’s ability to burn fat for fuel.

This substance is present in sycamore seeds (commonly known as helicopters). The presence of the seeds in large numbers, combined with the mild, dry autumn this year, is thought to be responsible for the large cluster of recent cases.

Symptoms include horses lying down, muscle stiffness, weakness, rapid heartbeat, laboured breathing, sweating and a tell-tale black-red colour in the urine.

Initial signs can be mistaken for colic and the disease has a rapid progression, killing up to 90% of affected horses within 48 hours.

Dr Ursula Fogarty of the Irish Equine Centre advised that a blood test will confirm whether a horse is suffering from ATM.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine yesterday formally alerted vets and horse owners of the rising number of fatal cases in recent weeks.

“Young horses and those new to an affected pasture appear to be at greatest risk,’’ warned the Department of Agriculture statement, which also included the following preventative guidelines:

• Avoid over grazing of pastures

• Feed additional forage

• Limit turnout to less than 12 hours per day during autumn and early spring.

• If feasible, remove horses from pastures where sycamore or other maple trees are growing during the risk period.

Well-known RTÉ presenter Tom McGurk, a keen sport horse breeder and owner, told of his devastation at losing his homebred two-year-old Cardento filly to atypical myopathy this week.

“I’m devastated to lose her, a beautiful filly out of my good Foxy Cleopatra mare. It presented much like a colic at first. I had noticed her lying down a bit previously but when I went out to feed her the other morning, I thought her eye had a glassy look.

“I got the vet in. Her muscles started to stiffen and we took her straight to Somerton veterinary hospital where this was diagnosed. Her urine had a black and then red colour to it. There was nothing we could do for her, my heart is broken,”said Tom.

He advised horse owners, particularly those with young horses, to watch out for their horses lying down from time to time.

“Looking back, I think that was the signal that it was starting, she would lie stretched out. It could have been building up in her. The older horses grazing along with her were not affected. Possibly the only way to avoid this is to fodder them,” said McGurk.

INFORMATION

MEETING

The ITBA is to host an information meeting on strangles and atypical myopathy next Wednesday, November 5th at Palmerstown House estate, Johnstown, Co Kildare, at 7pm, featuring Dr Ursula Fogarty, UCD expert Dr Vivienne Duggan and Dr Andrew Waller.

Entry costs €10 for ITBA members and €20 for non-members, including a fork supper.Please register by calling Regina/Kerry at ITBA on 045-877543 or email rbyrne@itba.ie