Act Now – Horse Poisoned by Sycamore and Box Elder Trees

Both Sycamore trees and Box Elder trees poison horses and cause atypical myopathy. The prognosis is poor and over 50% of affected horses die.

The Symptoms of Atypical Myopathy

Atypical myopathy makes urine a dark red colour. There are other symptoms and these are:

• Weakness with muscular stiffness
• Muscle tremors
• Difficulty standing or walking
• Sweating and increased heart rate
• Breathing problems
• Colic like symptoms
• General depression.

Atypical Myopathy is an emergency needing prompt veterinary assistance.

The treatment for Atypical Myopathy

• A drip to combat dehydration with round-the-clock nursing
• Strong painkillers and anesthetic drugs to combat the pain
• Vitamins and minerals are also administered
• Assisted feeding through either oral or intravenous food supplementation
• Monitoring the functions of all vital organs

The Outlook

Horses that survive the first 5 days often recover and return to normal health. However, it takes time for these horses to regain their former strengths.