Beware of Botulism!

Botulism is a silent, deadly killer with several forms. While it is not a common disease across the United States, it can crop up anywhere. Botulism occurs when toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum get into the body of an animal or human. There they cause weakness because they block the connection between nerves and muscles. Paralysis often occurs.

Unfortunately, horses are perhaps the most sensitive of domesticated animals to botulism. They and other mammals can contract the disease in three basic ways:

• By ingesting toxins that are present in forage, also known as forage botulism. This is the form that normally strikes adult horses.
• By having growth of the agent in the gastrointestin