Livestock and poultry feed recalled after horse deaths

Rockville, Md.

— Two lots of livestock and poultry feed that were distributed in Nebraska and Wyoming have been recalled after an unspecified number of horses died from exposure to high monensin sodium levels.

Kountry Buffet 14 percent feed (lots M718430 and M720280) may contain monensin sodium, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA). The feed was packaged in 50-pound bags with the Payback logo and distributed between Dec. 2, 2011, and Dec. 15, 2011 to retailers. The lot numbers (M718430 and M720280) can be found toward the bottom of the tag, below the feeding directions.

No other Western Feed products and no other lots of Kountry Buffet 14% are involved in the recall at this time.

Monensin sodium is a medication approved for use in some livestock and poultry species, says FDA but can be fatal to horses if fed at sufficiently high levels. Western Feed had received a report of some horses that had died as a result of consuming the feed, FDA reports, and initial testing by a private laboratory has indicated the presence of a potentially harmful level of monensin sodium in these two lots. Additional testing is now underway.



The symptoms of toxicity vary with the amount of monensin ingested by a horse, FDA notes. Trace amounts may cause a horse to go off his regular feed, show signs of colic and appear unwell for a few days. Larger amounts will cause a horse to show more serious symptoms within a few hours including colic, stiffness, sweating, a lack of coordination and the inability to stand, the agency says.



Customers who purchased the affected feed should stop feeding the product immediately and call Western Feed at (308) 247-2601.