IT appears that Monensin Toxicosis is the main cause of the illness which has afflicted approximately 25 horses, and resulted in more than 10 deaths over the past two weeks at Caymanas Park.

That’s the verdict from the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in a statement to the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

The ministry noted that the events are reported to have started on May 1, 2013, and a team of veterinarians from the Veterinary Services Division has visited the affected stables and has been conducting investigations into the matter. It added that the vets are also in dialogue with private veterinarians on the matter.

“Based on history and clinical signs, a preliminary diagnosis of Monensin Toxicosis is being made,” the statement noted.

“Evidence at this time does not support any occurrence of disease of an infectious nature. (Monensin is an ionophore, a substance, which has the ability to alter the transport of ions across cell membranes. It is therefore used in the control of parasites such as coccidia in poultry and some other animals. Monensin, however, can cause poisoning in horses.

“The toxic dose for Monensin in horses is approximately 2.0 mg per kg, body weight. The symptoms of toxicity vary with the amount of Monensin ingested by a horse. Trace amounts may result in loss of appetite and the horse showing signs of colic and ill-health. Greater amounts may cause a horse to show more severe symptoms within a few hours including colic, stiffness, incoordination, inability to stand and subsequent death.”

It said “further investigations and diagnostic tests are currently being conducted”.

The Observer has learnt trainers such as Gary Griffiths, Patrick Lynch, Dwight Chen, Paul Hilton, Conrad Tulloch, Chris Pearson and Borris McIntosh have had horses affected with the illness after ingesting pellets with oats.

Our sources said that out of an abundance of caution, a representative from Hi-Pro Feeds ordered the recall of two batches of feeds milled on April 24 and May 6, pending an internal quality control probe. Autopsies have also been done and tissue samples sent to the lab for testing.

Jamaica Racehorse Owners’ Association (JROA) President Laurence Heffes told the Observer Monday that his body was very “concerned”.

“My understanding is that about 25 horses have gone ill. The number I have been told so far is about seven or eight horses have actually died, and it is real heartwrenching for the owners and their relationship with the horses,” he said.

“It is something that is very troubling and we hope to get to the bottom of it.”

Heffes added: “There is a lot of discussion and thoughts that it is possibly feed-related and we have been in discussion with a number of trainers, more specifically Gary Griffiths and Patrick Lynch, who are the first two trainers to have been affected, and the provider of their feed, we are also in discussion with them.”

The JROA head said he was happy with the co-operation of the feed provider in the matter, and he hoped that at the end of the investigations any one person or entity found liable would stand up to their responsibility to compensate the owners.

“I have been told that the provider has withdrawn all the feeds from the batch that the stables of Griffiths and Lynch were feeding their horses on. I have been told that that batch of feed was withdrawn from a position of caution, but we don’t know exactly what it is and I wouldn’t want to say positively, this or that, but what I do know is that we need to get to the bottom of it, and if there is someone to bear some level of responsibility for it, that an amicable solution can be found.

“We are extremely concerned and that’s why when we heard of the deaths on Friday we immediately contacted the ministry to look into the matter,” he concluded.