Sycamore seedlings can kill

H

hairycob

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 May 2005
Messages
3,967
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
I lost my boy Jason to atypical myopathy Friday night. He went from a bit off to no hope in just a few hours despite my Vets best efforts. The field they were in is about 100 yards from the nearest sycamore tree but in the last week or so seedlings started to appear. They were just the cotyledon leaves so we had no idea until Saturday that they were sycamore. Please check your field for anything that looks like these:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...ture%2Fgarden%2Fnature_100_gj_05b.htm;350;187

I would hate any other horse to suffer as Jason did on Friday night.
 
There are sycamore seedlings everywhere here - you are so right they travel a long way.

So sorry to hear about your boy though, I can't even think how dreadful it must have been, but thank you so much for the warning.
 
I am so sorry to hear about your boy Jason x
I know in the Autumn there were many threads about sycamore seeds and atypical myopathy but as you have highlighted the seeds are now germinating in their thousands.
RIP Jason xxx
 
hairycob said:
I lost my boy Jason to atypical myopathy Friday night. He went from a bit off to no hope in just a few hours despite my Vets best efforts. The field they were in is about 100 yards from the nearest sycamore tree but in the last week or so seedlings started to appear. They were just the cotyledon leaves so we had no idea until Saturday that they were sycamore. Please check your field for anything that looks like these:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...ture%2Fgarden%2Fnature_100_gj_05b.htm;350;187

I would hate any other horse to suffer as Jason did on Friday night.
Click to expand...
So so sorry for your loss, how truly heartbreaking for you. I had never heard of this condition until last year, and we have several of these trees surrounding our paddocks. Is it just a particularly bad year for them this year or are horses constantly at risk from this horrible affliction? Was your vet able to give you any clues as to why it was Jason that was affected and not others? It was very brave of you to warn us all about the dangers so soon after your ordeal. RIP Jason.cx
 
There is a lot they don't know. I was aware it was a risk in autumn but didn't realise there was a second peak when the seeds germinate & neither did any of my friends. He was in with my other horse & we have to keep a close eye on him for the next few days - naturally we have moved him to a different paddock which we are scouring twice a day for seedlings. He will have a blood test on Monday to check his muscles enzymes. If he is clear then we shall be able to relax a bit more.
 
Yes you are very brave to post. I am really sorry you lost your horse to this terrible condition, but thank you for making us all aware of the potential risk.
 
My horses have been in fields surrounded by sycamores for 12 years with no problem so I am reluctant to panic Just yet. However I have been spraing the seedlings where they are thick. I'm hoping the bunnies will eat most of them before the horses get back in the worst field.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, thinking of you. Rest in peace Jason.

Will keep a look out for sycamore seedlings, have only seen one sycamore leaf at my yard in the six years I've been there but will be extra vigilant and tell other liveries to do the same.

Lots of love, Txx
 
hairycob said:
I lost my boy Jason to atypical myopathy Friday night. He went from a bit off to no hope in just a few hours despite my Vets best efforts. The field they were in is about 100 yards from the nearest sycamore tree but in the last week or so seedlings started to appear. They were just the cotyledon leaves so we had no idea until Saturday that they were sycamore. Please check your field for anything that looks like these:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...ture%2Fgarden%2Fnature_100_gj_05b.htm;350;187

I would hate any other horse to suffer as Jason did on Friday night.
Click to expand...

Really sorry for your loss and thanks for the warning, how did it present if you don't find It too painful to say?
 
So sorry to hear of your loss. I was warned by the vet last week when I mentioned that we were going to turn ours out 24/7, that he had dealt with a death from sycamore the previous week (we are Hampshire/Wiltshire)
 
I know HC and she is out helping at a event all day but I spoke to here and saw jason Friday evening.

He was hiding in the field shelter when he is usually waiting for dinner at the gate, then presented with colic/tying up symptoms of not wanting to move. It took nearly 3 hrs to get him 500m then he collapsed. Thankfully he managed to stand but could not walk the 10m to his stable and when he tried he shook uncontrollably. He was also peeing dark orange urine.
 
I am so sorry to read of your loss. I did hear about warnings re sycamore in the autumn but had no idea the seedlings could cause such a serious reaction. Thankfully we took a sycamore out that was alongside our paddock a couple of years ago, but I will be alert for any remaining seedlings.
 
The early symptoms were quite vague - I got to the yard about 6.15 Friday evening & he was not interested in his food (a huge red flag with Jason), sweating on his flanks & slightly raised respiration rate, temp normal, no other obvious symptoms. I spoke to the vet & they suggested was it was probably gassy colic & to try walking him. I managed to walk him a few yards along the track & his gait was very strange. I can only describe it as like a toddler with a full nappy. After a few yards he stopped & refused to move at all & looked like he had tied up. Just before the vet arrived he did a wee that was reddish brown. Vet initially thought azoturia & talked about the possibility of epsm. He had injections of acp, painkiller & a calcium chelator & a bucket of water pumped into his stomach. We then managed to get him close to his stable but he collapsed a little short of it. Decision was taken to try & get him to hospital & more pain killers given but we couldn't get him up despite him really trying. Vet took bloods back & returned with 10 litres of hartmans that he was given iv to try & get him up to get to hospital. While vet was away he rallied slightly & managed to get up but was very shakey & depressed. Bloods showed extremely high CK(?) levels showing his muscles were breaking down. Temp by this time was low, resp & heart rate were fast & he was very sweaty. Wee was now dark brown - like gravy. Vet left us about 1.15 with instructions to call back about 6 for hospital/pts decision. I checked at 2.30 & he had gone down & breathing was very laboured. Vet came back, there was nothing left to try & he was pts at 3.30.
 
So sorry for your loss. We lost three to it at my old yard. I hope you don't mind me asking but was Jason out 24/7?

Did you have plenty if grass or was it a bit sparse?

Also how old was he?

Sorry for all the questions but since it happened to ours I am trying to get as much info as possible to try and prevent it happening again. X
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's such a horrible way to go for them and hope you can look back at memories with a smile soon.

I lost a horse to EAM a few years ago, little was known about it then and I started a fb page to try and spread the word about it. If you search atypical myopathy on there you may find it, the picture is of a spottie boy.

Always here if you need to chat.
 
That's so sad poor you and poor Jason .

People if you have sycamores around control the 'waste ' as best you can .
Don't use the field or provide hay when the grass is sparse .
Feed some 'hard ' food daily and stable part of each day .
Autumn and spring are the worse times but my friends horse suffered in August she was lucky the horse made it but the vets bill was huge .
 
Jason was 7. Being cobs I was restricting the grass but I wouldn't describe it as sparse, I would have given another 2 or 3 days until I moved the electric fence up a bit. In the last 7-10 days a lot of seedlings sprouted - I really do mean hundreds. The winter storms must have blown the seeds further than usual.
Kokopelli - I think your loss was the first time I heard of this terrible condition. It sounded awful reading your story but even then I didn't get the full dreadfulness of it. To see your horse fading before your eyes so fast is unbelievable.
Brighteyes - until Friday I thought it was just the winged seeds that were the problem but I have learned more than I would have wanted to in the last couple of days. Apparently there is a spring spike that is associated with the seeds germinating.
 
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your wonderful horse.

I have Sycamore trees on our field, and Oak too. I always knew to clear any Acorns, but still sometimes various horses have suffered swollen legs in Autumn. I had worked out it was something on the field, and this time as soon as Jay's legs swelled up I removed him from the pasture, even though I did not know what was the cause. I guess I was lucky that he swelled up, as the Sycamore seeds were prolific this year, and I think we had a lucky escape.

I had not thought about the seedlings. We have now cut the overhanging branches back, and will withhold grazing until we have swept everything up.

Thank you so much for sharing, I can assure you that Jay is loved as much as Jason, and I will be eternally grateful for you helping me to keep him safe. I wish there was something I could do in return for you, know that I am sending love. xx.
 
Oh my gosh I am so, so sorry hairycob. What an awful thing to happen and for you to witness too (though lucky you were there to save Jason more suffering). A very frightening thought for many of us too but thank you so much for being brave enough to post and warn us. Run free, Jason and hugs hairycob. x x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top