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Sycamore Poisoning
It is that time of the year again?
The leaves are losing their colour, the days are getting shorter, and the national hunt racing season is just around the corner.
An unfortunate issue that rears its ugly head this time of year is sycamore poisoning.
Sycamore poisoning, also known as atypical myopathy, is an acute condition caused by the horse ingesting sycamore seeds (often referred to as helicopters). Sycamore seeds have a high concentration of a toxin called hypoglycin A which has detrimental effects on the muscular tissue of a horse including vital organs such as the heart and lungs.
In autumn and early winter, the concentration of Hypoglycin Is at its highest.
When you add the fact that trees lose their leaves (and seeds) in Autumn - you can see where the issue lies!
What are the symptoms of sycamore poisoning?
Horses with sycamore poisoning often present:
- dull, depressed & lethargic.
- very stiff - similar to a horse that has tied up.
- muscle tremors and weakness.
- high respiratory rate.
- high heart rate.
-dark brown/red urine
If you suspect sycamore poisoning you should call a vet as soon as possible! You should remove all other horses from the suspected pasture.
Diagnosis is made based on clinical signs and the following tests -
Blood muscle enzymes- horses with sycamore poisoning have CK and AST levels tens and often hundreds of times above normal levels in their blood.
Urine analysis - high levels of myoglobin in their urine, this is muscle pigment that is released from damaged muscle cells.
If the affected horse had field mates they should also be tested even if they do not show any outward clinical signs
What is the treatment?
If a swift diagnosis is made the chance of survival is roughly 50/50, therefore it is absolutely vital that treatment is started as fast as possible.
In order to successfully treat Sycamore poisoning, referral to a hospital is essential.
Treatment is based on supportive therapy such as large volumes of intravenous fluids, anti-inflammatories, and pain relief.
How can I avoid this happening?
If you know that there is a Sycamore tree (or also a maple tree) in an area that your horse is grazing you should avoid grazing there in autumn and winter if at all possible.
If this is not possible, you should regularly survey the field for sycamore seeds and leaves, pick them up if possible or even fence off the areas they fall in. Horses often do not want to eat sycamore seeds or leaves but if grazing is low, they may do. To avoid this, ensure that they have sufficient supplementary forage such as haylage if necessary. Try to avoid high stocking density where possible.
Case study: Steve owned by Isla and Karen Albutt
The Albutt’s of Postlip are my adoptive English family, having taken me under their roof when I first came to work at Guasco and Associates.
Ed and Karen’s daughter Isla has a lovely Connemara cross called Steve. Unfortunately, in November 2022, Karen rang me to say that Steve was not himself. He was dull, lethargic and not moving around his paddock much - unusual for an unruly 3-year-old!
Luckily Karen noticed these signs very quickly and she called me straight away.
When I arrived some 30 minutes later, Steve was very reluctant to move, weak and had significant muscle tremors in his triceps in particular. He had a heart rate of 80+. A blood sample was taken which confirmed he had Sycamore poisoning.
Steve was quickly referred to Vicky Savage at Three Counties equine Hospital where he was treated intensively for 7 days. At first it was looking pretty bleak but thankfully he pulled through!
Almost 2 years later and Steve is absolutely flying, having competed at Broadway Horse Trials this august! A very happy ending!
Dave O'Sullivan
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