Utah Feeding Cubes Under Investigation as Three Horses Die and Others Fall Sick
Officials investigate horse deaths
Utah agriculture officials are examining a possible feed source following the deaths of three horses and illness among several others. The cause of the deaths remains unconfirmed.
Company recalls alfalfa cubes
Laub’s Feeding and Cubing, a supplier of alfalfa hay cubes and bales, announced a voluntary recall of its alfalfa hay cubes sold beginning October 3. The department advised owners who bought cubes from the company after that date not to use them. It also urged owners to watch their horses for neurologic signs, including depression, colic or incoordination.
Prompt treatment may matter
The department said treatment can be difficult, but may be effective when given soon after symptoms first appear. The article does not identify a confirmed cause for the Utah deaths.
In 2023, the FDA said at least 20 horse deaths in Louisiana had been linked to Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. The bacterium releases a neurotoxin and was found in alfalfa hay cubes; similar horse deaths were also connected to it in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado.
Horses susceptible to botulism
That background does not confirm botulism as the cause of the Utah horses’ deaths. Officials are still testing the feed.
Key points
- Three horses died in Utah, and several others became ill; the cause remains unconfirmed.
- Officials are testing alfalfa hay cubes sold at facilities in southern Utah.
- Laub’s Feeding and Cubing voluntarily recalled cubes sold from October 3 onward.
- Owners are advised not to use the feed and to monitor horses for neurologic symptoms.