Mycotoxin testing for pasture

[Charglaz]

hello,
Can anyone recommend where I can go to get my soil and pasture tested for mycotoxins but also minerals, PH etc?
Thanks

 

[Tangaroo]

We have just had our soil and grass tested by Progreen. You will have to google it cos dont know the correct details. Sorry

 

[Charglaz]

Thanks Stilton.
I found them in Google.
Not sure if they test for Mycotoxins too? I've emailed them.
Any other suggestions welcome 😊

 

[Micky]

Forageplus?Theres one on thelaminitissite but cant remember what theyre called!!

 

[MiniMadness]

Hi Charglaz, did you manage to get your pasture tested for Mycotoxins? I need to do this also.

 

[orsceno1]

Hi guys, I work in the animal feed industry (Im a nutritionist) and do a lot with mycotoxins - it is extremely difficult to accurately test as they tend to occur in hotspots around a field, and also it can be very expensive. there are not many significant toxins that affect pasture anyway, so in my opinion the best thing you can do (given that if you detect toxins you cannot just fence a bit of the field off, they will likely be affecting the whole farm!) is to provide a correctly balanced good quality vitamin and mineral supplement with if required a good level of antioxidants which will give the horse the ability to cope with any challenge. feeding yeast can act as a toxin binder but toxins are very specific and so this is not a cure by any means. hope that makes sense!

 

[MiniMadness]

Thanks for your reply/advice Orsceno1, my ponies are already getting a good vit & min supplement but are all showing very high GGT & bile acids which my vet has no firm answer for (it is NOT ragwort related) He has mentioned Aflatoxin amongst other things and am wondering if a Mycotoxin binder would be beneficial. I've not been through anything like this before and don't know what to do when a vet can't give you a definitive answer!

 

[JillA]

I give mine mycosorb on a regular basis just in case, as well as yeasacc. It isn't that expensive and I don't think there are any contraindications or side effects.

 

[varkie]

Definitely feed mycosorb - they say that covers Aflatoxins. The company that make it, Altech, will do testing for mycotoxins, but it costs over £200 - and it's not necessarily an easy thing to track down. We have mycotoxins on one field (no longer in use for grazing), but have been put off testing, as we could test 100 patches, and not find it! You would have to be very lucky just to hit the right (wrong?) patch. So it's probably better to treat as if you have it, and then see what results you get.

Feeding ordinary yeast as I understand it, isn't that helpful. The mycotoxin binders that are yeast based are very specific, not just any old random yeast.

It is very hard to get information from vets on this - because there just isn't that much known about it in horses yet. It's more widely known about in farm animals and in grains, not so much on pastures. Altech seem to have done much of the research - I am talking with them about our case currently. Sadly, we've had losses in the past, and very serious illnesses. Thankfully it seems (touches wood frantically) to be confined to that one field, though we're no longer taking that chance, and dosing all horses on property. We suspect either aflatoxin or fumonisin with ours.

 

[MiniMadness]

Thank you Varkie for your reply. Yes the vets have told me that this kind of toxicity is very rare and they don't know a great deal about it although reading these forums it seem not! Sounds like you have had a terrible time of it.

Did you test your hay? My vet has sent a sample of mine for testing as they seem to suspect it even after I told them I have changed supplier three time. Can I ask how long before you saw any improvement using the Mycosorb?

 

[D66]

What problems can mycotoxins cause? We have fairly wet fields with lots of clover and buttercups and I've been advised to feed mycosorb but I don't really understand why.

 

[D66]

Shameless bump - because I'd really like to know.

 

[MiniMadness]

I can only tell you of my experience Digger66. I'm struggling to understand this all myself.

I think the damage that gets done to your equine depends on the toxin of which there are quite a lot For my ponies it has caused liver inflammation and liver necrosis in one. Symptoms have varied in the herd from loss of muscle, runny eyes and general lethargy to colic and extreme photosensitivity. As far as I know the mycotoxins can attack the liver an kidneys mostly and obviously that has enormous consequences.

I've been trying to read as much information as I can but not an awful lot out there. Has your vet advised a binder? If I recall there are toxins that can form on clover and having constantly wet ground could be a great habitat for the fungus that causes the mycotoxins. Buttercups I know can cause photosensitivity but I cant remember why!

I hope someone else more knowledgeable can tell you a little more soon - I shall be reading also

Have you read this:- http://www.knowmycotoxins.com/

 

[Charglaz]

Hi All,
Thanks for your replies.
I decided against Mycotoxin testing as its only specific to a couple of hundred toxins and there are thousands so didn't think it was worth it.
My horse has struggled with weight gain, lethargy, excessive sweating and poor immunity which lead to blood tests and two liver biopsies after raised liver enzymes were found. Biopsies showed general inflammation but nothing sinister.
Vet thought maybe toxins caused by spores in hay so switched to good quality haylage, an 8 wk course of steroids and Hepatosyl, liver aid and multivitamin supplement by feedmark, Mycosorb and a low protein diet.
He's loads better now, weight gaining, sprightly, enzymes back to normal but I'm keeping the current regime (weaning steroids and Hepatosyl) and re blood test in 6 months unless symptoms return.

Vets are quite clueless about Mycotoxins and I decided to feed Mycosorb by googling!! 99/100 horses will be fine on the same pasture/ hay and one would be intolerant, that's mine!!

It's a very fuzzy area