Feed potentially contaminated with botulism has been blamed for the death of 45 horses in the United States, as an alfalfa product is recalled.
Manzanola Feeds issued a statement via the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on 16 December recalling “certain lots” of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Manzanola Feeds is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes because it has the potential to be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, an organism that can cause severe and potentially fatal toxicity in animals eating the contaminated food or coming into contact with contact areas that have been exposed to the product,” read the statement.
“Common symptoms can include dizziness, blurred or double vision, trouble with vocalising or swallowing, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, abdominal distension, and constipation. Animals experiencing these symptoms should receive immediate medical attention.”
The statement said the recalled product was distributed directly to the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. But it added that further distribution “may be possible”, and it is important for owners to check whether they have the product.
The feed is approximately one-inch cubes, packaged in a 50lb bag, labelled with one of the following codes: 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522 or 111622.
“The code can be found on the front of the bag, towards the top of the bag. It is usually in the white portion of the bag, but can sometimes be found in the brown portion . The code represents the month, day and year the cubes were manufactured. These codes have been updated from our original post after our review of records,” the statement continued.
“If you have these date lots of alfalfa cubes, or you can’t be sure of the date lot code of the products you have, do not feed them to your horses or any other animals. Throw them away in a secure container and place them in a covered trash can or dumpster so that no other animals can access them.”
The company advised owners to avoid handling the cubes directly, and to wear disposable gloves and a face mask when throwing the cubes away or cleaning feed bins.
“Additionally, you should clean out all the empty bins or containers where the alfalfa cubes were kept by soaking them with a 1:10 dilution of household bleach for 15 to 20 minutes, followed by soap and water, then leave them to air-dry,” said a Manzanola Feeds spokesman.
“If you think your horse has become ill after eating this food, call your veterinarian.”
The company confirmed that as of 16 December there had been 45 horse deaths “associated with this issue”. A spokesman told H&H today (20 December) no test results had yet been received, and the company is working with the FDA.
Manzanola Feeds said anyone with any questions can contact the company on manzyfeeds@hotmail.com.
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