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Petplan Equine, a leading UK specialist equine insurance provider, is reporting a meteoric rise in the number of calls it is receiving from policy holders with horses suffering from Ayptical Myopathy, or more commonly Sycamore poisoning.

Atypical Myopathy, is a potentially fatal illness caused by horses ingesting Sycamore seeds. Vets across the UK are reporting alarming increases in the number of cases they are seeing and are warning owners that they must be particularly vigilant in protecting their horses especially at this time of year. Petplan Equine veterinary expert, Gil Riley explains the condition, how it is caused, symptoms to look out for and action to take to help horse owners protect their horses and sport early signs of the illness.

What is Atypical Myopathy and what causes it?

Atypical myopathy is a much feared disease that until very recently was of unknown cause. It is an often fatal illness affecting all ages of horses at pasture. It is most common during the autumn but can occur at other times of the year as well.

Research in the USA has revealed the culprit to be a toxin called hypoglycin-A, which in the UK is found in the large ‘helicopter’-shaped seeds of the sycamore tree (please see photos). Horses diagnosed with atypical myopathy are often kept on fairly bare pasture surrounded by trees, including sycamores, and often not given any supplementary forage or feed, making the ingestion of the seeds more likely. The concentration of the hypoglycin-A toxin varies between sycamore seeds, and even between seeds from the same tree! Therefore a horse that eats a large volume of seeds might get lucky and eat some with low levels of the toxin, whereas another might only eat a few seeds that contain sufficient toxin to cause a problem. Mild weather conditions are also linked to outbreaks of atypical myopathy, which is thought to affect the concentration of toxin in the seeds and the mild spring, summer and autumn we have had this year may go a long way to explaining the large increase in cases seen in practically all areas of the UK. Windy weather will lead to spread of the seeds over a wider area from the tree and therefore may threaten the safety of horses grazing some distance from a tree.

Signs and Symptoms

A horse suffering from atypical myopathy will be in considerable pain and may be found lying flat out.

The disease is characterized by acute damage to the horse’s respiratory, cardiac and skeletal (or postural) muscles. Affected horses show muscle weakness, breathing difficulties and heart problems which progress quickly in the absence of urgent and aggressive treatment.

The most common misdiagnosis in cases of atypical myopathy is colic, as the first stages can appear very similar. Some cases are only discovered when the horse is found dead in the field, but thankfully this is rare.

How to avoid it

Fortunately we now know exactly what causes this dangerous and distressing condition and the good news is that with a little care we can ensure our horses are not at risk!

It’s possible to guard against it by keeping our horses a safe distance away from sycamore trees. The simplest way to do this is to fence off any sycamores in or around your fields, but you also have to be vigilant with the surrounding grazing as the shape of the seeds means they can fly quite a distance from the tree.

If you have sycamore trees near your grazing, regularly inspect it carefully and pick up any seeds, or if you’re lucky enough to have a poo hoover you can use this to remove them.

Supplying extra forage such as hay or haylage will also help prevent atypical myopathy, as this should make it less likely that your horse will be interested in eating the seeds. Having fewer horses in each field also reduces pressure on the grazing, and reducing the amount of time a horse is out can also lessen the risk.

What to do

As always, prevention is better than cure, but if you notice your horse showing any of the signs or symptoms described here call your vet without delay. The sooner your horse receives treatment, the stronger his chances of making a full recovery.

A comprehensive guide to safe and unsafe foraged foods can be found at www.petplanequine.co.uk/foraging

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For more information please contact:

Name	Telephone	Email
Charlotte Collyer	0208 707 8335	charlotte.collyer@allianz.co.uk

Petplan Equine is the UK's leading horse insurance provider offering a wide variety of flexible horse insurance and rider insurance policies which cater for all levels of experience.

Established more than 20 years ago, Petplan Equine is part of Allianz Insurance, one of the largest general insurers in the world.

For more information about a Petplan Equine horse insurance policy, please visit:
petplanequine.co.uk/insurance/quote.asp

Note to editors:

• Petplan Equine was founded in 1988.
• It is part of Allianz Animal Health, the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world and part of Allianz – one of the largest general insurers in the UK.
• In addition to horse and pony insurance options, Petplan Equine provides dedicated products for veteran horses and rider only insurance cover.
• It is the sister brand of Petplan, the largest provider of small animal insurance in the UK.
• Petplan Equine believes in supporting the equine community and provides more financial support to equestrian sports and activities than any equine insurance provider in the UK.
• The Pet Plan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 to raise much needed funds for animal welfare and veterinary projects. Money is raised by Petplan and Petplan Equine customers giving an optional £1.50 to the Trust when they take out or renew their policy. To date, almost £5 million has been awarded by the Trust.
• Petplan and Petplan Equine are specialist insurers. As such, the company employs more horse riders and owners than any other and more former veterinary practice staff than any other to ensure the provision of specialist knowledge.
• Redwings Horse Sanctuary is the UK’s largest horse sanctuary, caring for over 1200 rescued horses at its nine sites around the country, with 500 more living in happy Guardian homes across East Anglia. The charity is entirely funded by public donation. Find out more at www.redwings.co.uk.