The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has placed a hold on sales of alfalfa hay cubes from Laub's Feeding and Cubing while it investigates reports of horses becoming sick and dying in southern Utah, Nevada and Arizona.
The company has issued a voluntary recall for alfalfa hay cubes sold starting Oct. 3, UDAF said Nov. 6. State inspectors are collecting samples from the facility for analysis at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laboratory, with final results expected within the month.
The case began with initial reports from one farm where several horses became sick, three of which died. UDAF began receiving more reports Nov. 2 of affected horses in southern Utah and neighboring states. The cause of the deaths has not been confirmed, and testing of feed cubes sold at facilities in southern Utah is underway.
UDAF State Veterinarian Amanda Price said the agency cannot yet name a cause.
"We are actively investigating, but without test results, we are unable to officially confirm the cause and source of these recent horse deaths," Price said. "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."
The state is asking horse owners to call a veterinarian right away if an animal shows neurologic signs, which may include depression, colic or incoordination. Treatment is difficult but may work if given quickly after signs first appear, according to UDAF.
For forage processors and feed dealers, the hold order keeps the cubes off the market until testing is complete. Because the product moved across state lines, the investigation reaches beyond a single farm or county.
Several questions remain open. UDAF has not said how many horses have died in total, how much product was sold or where it was distributed beyond the three states named. Officials have not said whether the cases share a single contamination source.
The FDA laboratory results, expected this month, will determine whether the cubes caused the illnesses and what further action follows.
