Answers to the Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Horse Feeding and Management Practices to Reduce the Risk of Atypical Myopathy
Dominique-Marie Votion,
Anne-Christine François,
Caroline Kruse,
Benoit Renaud,
Arnaud Farinelle,
Marie-Catherine Bouquieaux,
Christel Marcillaud-Pitel,
Pascal Gustin
Affiliations
Dominique-Marie Votion
Equine Pole, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lieège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
Anne-Christine François
Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
Caroline Kruse
Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Physiology and Sport Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
Benoit Renaud
Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
Arnaud Farinelle
Fourrages Mieux asbl, 6900 Marloie, Belgium
Marie-Catherine Bouquieaux
Equine Pole, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lieège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
Christel Marcillaud-Pitel
Réseau d’Epidémio-Surveillance en Pathologie Équine (RESPE), 14280 Saint-Contest, France
Pascal Gustin
Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège 1 (Sart Tilman), Belgium
In 2014, atypical myopathy (AM) was linked to Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple) in Europe. The emergence of this seasonal intoxication caused by a native tree has raised many questions. This manuscript aims at answering the five most frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding (1) identification of toxic trees; reduction of risk at the level of (2) pastures and (3) equids; (4) the risk associated with pastures with sycamores that have always been used without horses being poisoned and (5) the length of the risk periods. Answers were found in a literature review and data gathered by AM surveillance networks. A guide is offered to differentiate common maple trees (FAQ1). In order to reduce the risk of AM at pasture level: Avoid humid pastures; permanent pasturing; spreading of manure for pasture with sycamores in the vicinity and avoid sycamore maple trees around pasture (FAQ2). To reduce the risk of AM at horse level: Reduce pasturing time according to weather conditions and to less than six hours a day during risk periods for horses on risk pasture; provide supplementary feeds including toxin-free forage; water from the distribution network; vitamins and a salt block (FAQ3). All pastures with a sycamore tree in the vicinity are at risk (FAQ4). Ninety-four percent of cases occur over two 3-month periods, starting in October and in March, for cases resulting from seeds and seedlings ingestion, respectively (FAQ5).
