Vets and horse owners are being warned about Equine Atypical Myopathy after a number of fatal case have been diagnosed in recent weeks, specifically in Athlone RVL.

Atypical myopathy is a frequently fatal muscle disease of horses, thought to be caused by the ingestion of hypoglycin A, a toxin contained in seeds from the Sycamore and related trees from the Maple family.

The Department of Agriculture is reminding horse owners to take preventative measures, as the risk becomes greater in the autumn and winter, when fresh seeds are on the ground.

The clinical signs of the disease include depression, sudden onset of muscle stiffness, colic-like clinical signs and dark-coloured urine. Young horses and those new to an affected pasture appear to be at greatest risk, especially where grass is short or scarce.

Horse owners are being advised by The Department to avoid over grazing of pastures; feed additional forage e.g. hay in overgrazed pasture; limit turnout to less than 12 hours per day during autumn and early spring; and, if feasible, remove the horses from pastures where Sycamore or other maple trees are growing during the risk period.