Atypical Myopathy - What is it? What are the signs? How can you prevent it?

There has been a lot in the news at the moment about Atypical Myopathy and I thought i'd do a post on what it actually is and what you and I can do to help stop or reduce the likelihood of your horse getting it.

Well first off it's caused by Sycamore tree's, namely the seeds and subsequent seedlings once they've gotten into the soil.

Atypical myopathy is often mistake for colic, as previously before studies were done, the symptoms were similar. Taken from the Newmarket Equine Hospital article here symptoms are described as -

 "destruction of skeletal muscle and often the muscle of the heart and diaphragm.  Clinical signs include weakness, muscle tremors, and dark urine with horses frequently laying down and reluctant to stand.  The disease progresses rapidly with many cases developing difficulties eating, breathing and heart problems."

Also Horse & Hound did a good article on what it is and what the signs out. It can be found here , they mention - 

"Signs include muscular weakness and stiffness, dark urine, fatigue, colic-like signs, shivering, sweating and trembling."

Basically it weakens and paralyses the muscles, which is obviously really not good when it comes to the lungs and heart. As mentioned above, it can easily be mistaken for colic as it also paralyses the gut so the horses kick their bellies and want to roll a lot.

Studies have been conducted by the University of Liege and also the University of Minnesota and both of those studies have shown that the toxin is found in both the Box Elder tree (Acer negundo), which is found in the United States and European Sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) in the EU and UK. The toxin seems to be hypoglycin A.

Cases of atypical myopathy usually happen in Autumn when the leaves and seed buds have fallen from the tree, and also in Spring as the seedlings are now budding and setting into the soil. Horses usually get the disease due to lack of grazing so I will encourage you to make sure your horse has lot's of grazing, and if they don't, then supplement it with extra hay or haylage. It stops the horses and ponies foraging and eating the seeds and seedlings which cause the disease.

Horses have sadly been found dead in the field as the onset of symptoms is very quick. So always regularly check your horse when turned out in the field and if you think your horses have the disease or colic, call the vet out immediately! 

I went out to our field yesterday and literally picked out 6 or 7 handfuls of the new shoots which had blown into the field. They look like this -

I'd bet now you've seen them, you won't be able to stop spotting them in fields, gardens, all over! This is due to the fact the seed pods are very well carried on the wind. I refer to them as helicopter leaves cause they spin in the air and get carried by the wind.

Please pull them up in your field if you see them. Not only will it reduce the risk of your horse getting the disease but it will also stop a new tree spouting in your field and increasing the likelihood of your horse getting sick.

More information can be found in this article by the British Horse Society  and if in doubt about anything to do with your horses health, or they're acting abnormally or strange, call your vets