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Member
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Location: Texas | I wanted to tell you all what recently happened to me, because it may safe another horses life. In October/November several of my horses got very sick. The first one is a horse that I have owned for 11 years. He is my baby. He started out with not wanting to eat grain, then within a day nothing. He pooped just fine, his gutsounds were a little on the fast side. He was lethargic and depressed looking, but not rolling or kicking. I took him to the Vet. They oiled him and told me to keep a eye on him. His bloodwork to see if he was dehydrated came back good. I took him home and turned him out in a little pad next to the house so I could see him. As long he was on Banamine he was grazing a little, but wouldn't eat much of nothing else. The next day I took him to another Vet and had him scoped. They found nothing but an old ulcer that had healed. This Vet told me that my horse was probably just spoiled and to give him a few days and to ride him. The horse started eating hay, but would not touch his alfalfa and very little grain. We went to a competition that Saturday and he did good. Not his 110% self, but ok. By Tuesday he was sick again. I took him back to my regular Vet and he told me to give him ulcer meds, I also called the second vet that scoped him and said yes, put him on ulcer meds regardless of finding nothing when he had scoped him. I put him on gastroguard and within a few days he was ok. Then the nightmare started and 5 of my other horses got sick. One after the other went to the Vet. No one could figure out what was going on. I was advised to have the ag -department come out to check my place. The only thing all these horses were getting fed the same was alfalfa and a pelleted feed made at a local feedmill. Then one morning I saw a black beetle and I took it to the Vet that scoped my horse. He blew me off and said blister beetles are striped and my horses just coliced, had ulcers and were impacted. If you know me you know that my horses are very well taken care off. A week later another horse, a young gelding had the same symptoms. I took him to my regular vet and they yet again treated him for colic so his symptoms were not eating, pooping watery poop a little at a time and peeing in squirts. Good gutsounds, good hydration. They treated him for ulcers and put him on fluids. We had a long talk and again told him that the only thing that was the same they were getting was the pelleted feed and the alfalfa. I had forgotten to mention the beetle I found. When I got home I was wrecking my brain, got on the internet and did more research. I finally found an article about blister beetles and their love of grasshoppers. There were lots of grasshoppers in that one bale of alfalfa I bought. (big bale) I went and started looking and sure enough there was another beetle. I looked it up and there are blister beetles that are black, striped, green or brown. I send my friend that works at the vets a text. The Vet made some phonecalls, tested the horse and sure enough he was positive for blister beetles. It takes 48 hours for the system to work thru the poison. All my horses made it. It took about 10 days for a full recovery. All of them received ulcer meds. Some of them fluids. I had bought alfalfa from this broker for two years, never had a problem. When I called him to tell him he just blew me off, but told me that the alfalfa came out of SD which has black blister beetles. Horses will not necessarily die if they ingest them. They can have symptoms like my horses do. I think the ulcermeds were ultimately what saved them and the fact that they probably just ate part of a beetle and one that was not very poisonous. Another barrel racer just lost her horse this past week to blister beetle poisoning. The hay came out of Colorado. We had a guy in Cass County claiming this spring that he found them in his coastal. I think these beetles are spreading to areas never seen before. So wherever there a grass hoppers, there is a chance there will be blister beetles.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 980
 
Location: Southwest Minnesota | Thanks for the info! I am very glad your horses are all ok. I live in SW Minnesota and have never had a problem with blister beetles. But, the fact that your hay came from South Dakota makes me a little nervous. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 723
Location: South TEXAS | blister beetle poisoning is VERY scary!! had one 6 yrs ago that we nearly loss. it was a morning I happen to be hanging out at barn most of the day and gave him the morning grain and alfalfa, he ate 4 or 5 bites alfalfa and then just started dipping his mouth in the water bucket but not drinking. I thought it was odd but at that time I didn't know about the beetles. within an hour he was shooting liquid poop and this happened for several hours. I had a vet book in my trailer and looked up diarrhea and one the things listed was blister beetle poisoning. got him to the vet and they did IV fluids and charcoal. a week later he came home.
i'm very particular about my alfalfa now and never feel that im completely safe feeding it no matter where it comes from. they just love it so much and I love what it does for the horses |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| I have heard that this is a midwest/Eastern USA thing? Here in CA you never hear of it. But dang, thats scary! |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I just saw on Facebook that an Iowa barrel racer lost a horse to blister beetle poisoning this week. Makes me kind of glad we don't have enough alfalfa to feed the horses. Dad saves it all for the sheep and goats. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| This is the prime reason I will not feed alfalfa. I don't think non-horse people realize how bad blister beetle poisoning is and how could you ever be sure they sprayed for them? |
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Member
Posts: 31
| This scares me - I have to ask - IF you were digging through your hay LOOKING for beetles/grasshoppers, do you think you would have noticed them? I am certainly not attempting to assign blame in any way, I am just trying to make myself feel better. , ![]()
src='/forum/images/emoticons/icon_praying.gif'> I feel alfalfa to my one good horse, however, I scan through each flake looking for bugs prior to feeding. I know this is a bit obsessive and would be impossible with multiple horses but I am currently only feeding 1.
My alfalfa is nice deep green leafy first or second cutting from Oklahoma. I am scared to death of alfalfa but my horse came home from the trainer's not wanting anything but alfalfa.
Thanks! |
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | Welcome girl!!!!
Thanks for telling your story.
Its about time you found BHW, now you can be an addict like the rest of us. LOL
Edited by Canchasr1 2013-12-05 11:18 AM
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 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | Griz - 2013-12-05 11:12 AM This is the prime reason I will not feed alfalfa. I don't think non-horse people realize how bad blister beetle poisoning is and how could you ever be sure they sprayed for them?
One of the big problems is there really is no spraying method that will 100% eradicate them, no matter what some alfalfa growers will tell you. It's just a risk that comes along with feeding alfalfa. You can lessen that risk by buying hay from places that dont have as big of a blister beetle problem (Northern KS, Colorado).. BUT, there still will ALWAYS be the risk.
I (along with many other people I know) wont feed alfalfa grown in Oklahoma or Texas (or really anywhere down in this area). You'll have farmers that will tell you if it's 1st cutting not to worry or if its after the first frost you are safe--- but you can never really be sure.
The scariest part about it is how little cantharidin (the toxic substance) it takes to kill a horse. They can literally eat a tiny PIECE of one blister beetle and have a toxic reaction. This is where it gets tricky because you may not even see whole beetles in your hay (alot of the time they get crushed up), especially with the crimping technology of baling these days.
Glad your horse made it through ok!
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 615
Location: Wyoming | Kimmi Byler posted this yesterday on FaceBook.
Kimmi Bartels-Byler
19 hours ago · Edited
After several calls I thought I would let yall know that during the weekend of Waco Elite barrel race we lost Shetland Fame due to Blister beetle poisoning - The Owner & I had elected to rest him before running him the next weekend at the American qualifier. He was at a farm in north TX where they had received in a new load of green two strand alfalfa hay reported to be from Colorado. Upon consuming it he became sick later that morning and was rushed to the vet clinic where he passed. After the stomach contents were examined a beetle was located. The hay was then examined but it took some hard searching and finally more were located. I hope this makes just a few more people aware of this very deadly bug. It has moved into areas that have never seen it before. So please ask if the grower sprays for the beetle & if they are licensed & bonded grower. If it is a hay broker ask also since they receive hay in from several states. May our loss make someone more knowledgeable.
May the grass be lush and the water cool, your hooves will never touch the ground, my dear Shetland.
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Member
Posts: 31
| Is this same risk present with bagged alfalfa such as Purina? Thank you |
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Member
Posts: 6
Location: Texas | I always look at any hay when I buy it. There were only a few bugs in a 900lbs bale. You can look as much as you want, but you will never find them all and it only takes a fraction of a beetle to make a horses sick. The broker bought the hay as clean and safe for horses. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. As soon I found one I took it to the local Vet and he told me it wasn't a blister beetle even so it was. The reason I found it was it fallen into the feedtrough below the hay rack. I have bought hay from the same guy for 2 years and never had a problem. Kimmie that lost her horse fed alfalfa that came out of Colorado, so I guess you never know.
Edited by Justme1968 2013-12-05 12:57 PM
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Member
Posts: 6
Location: Texas | Canchasr1 I have been on here for quite a while. Just never posting much.
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 Veteran
Posts: 224
Location: Southern OK aka God's Country | We had an absolute plague of grasshoppers this year in Oklahoma. To the point I thought Jesus might be coming back. Following that, we also had a lot of the black blister beetles--I saw some with orange/red on them, but mostly black. Apparently the beetle larvae eat the grasshopper larvae or something--anywho, they go together. I have always been told not to buy alfalfa in Oklahoma, especially if it's 2nd or 3rd cutting. Not sure why exactly other than the timing of the bugs and the hay being cut. I just bought 2 big bales of alfalfa that is supposed to be from northern Kansas, so I hope it's okay, but this thread is making me really nervous. . . .The one comforting thing is that most of the horses survived, because I was under the impression that a blister bug was a death sentence. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | I have heard that even bagged Alfalfa has the possibility of blister bugs
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1033
Location: Iowa | rodeowithjoker - 2013-12-05 11:01 AM I just saw on Facebook that an Iowa barrel racer lost a horse to blister beetle poisoning this week. Makes me kind of glad we don't have enough alfalfa to feed the horses. Dad saves it all for the sheep and goats.
That horse had been sold several years ago and was in TX when he died!! We have no trouble here in Iowa as far as blister beetles are concerned. We make and market our own hay (alfalfa) and have never heard of a case here in Iowa. Thats how incorrect rumors get started...... just thought I needed to clarify! |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | Last year are barn lost 4 horses to blister beetle poisoning, and almost lost mine. We do not feed alfalfa do to all the damage that was caused by them. It was very scary. |
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 Sparky
Posts: 13038
Location: I call the back seat on the short bus!! | I've seen a horse go thru blister beetle poisoning. NOT PRETTY.
That being said, I have a hard time trusting ANY alfalfa hay I don't KNOW where it comes from. 1st cutting only if you HAVE to get it from anywhere in OK/KS/TX...even NE is questionable. That used to be "SAFE" train of thought. Not so sure the blister beetles aren't "traveling".
Used to be you could buy hay from Colorado "safely". But, what happens, truckers/brokers/whomever buys a load from "Colorado" but the hay comes from New Mexico or wherever and goes INTO Colorado and gets sold as "out of Colorado" to somewhere.
As I understand it, when the alfalfa is heated to the temperature required to make into a pellet, it renders the catharidin (or however you spell that is what is so toxic) ineffective meaning it gets it hot enough to kill the toxin so then it's ok to feed. I tried to do some research on that when I had a horse who needed to be fed that type of diet. |
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| What about feeding alfalfa pellets? Do you think there is any type of risk? |
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 The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | I don’t think it matters where the hay “comes from” ..have you been to a hay auction? Hay coming from all over gets sold and dispersed all over.
I’ve seen lots of hay that came from SD, sell at auction in CO and then it’s marketed “out of Colorado” 
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | I was consulting in a Louisiana barn years ago where 11 horses were lost in one night to blister beetle poisoning. They had fed a pelleted feed that had an alfalfa base that was manufactured in Texas. I talked to a rep for the company and was told that the pelleting process neutralized any cantharidin. I told him that if that were true they had managed to do something that no one else had ever figured out. They settled out of court. All of the horses were customers cutting horses and the bill was staggering. I still have nightmares from hearing those horses going down. When hay is short and expensive, you need to know your hay broker pretty well. It can be hard to get the true origin of the hay you are buying. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 907
Location: a secret | Whats your thoughts on Standlee they acknowledge blister beetle and state they have field survillence??? Its still scary... |
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 Water Weight Barbie
Posts: 6829
Location: Oz, Kansas | This is my constant fear. My daughters horse gets a flake of alfalfa a day to help with his colic issues. My vet said to try & get the first cutting because the grasshoppers haven't started laying their eggs yet so the beetles won't be there to eat the larva. We had a wet spring & my hay guy put his 1st & 2nd cutting up in round bales so I had to get the 3rd cutting. He did spray inbetween the cuttings & my vet bought hay from him so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that there's no beetles. We also picked it up out of the field & I didn't see any signs of any beetles. I've heard it's not a pretty thing to watch & if it's anything like colic I don't ever want to witness it. |
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 Cyber World Challenged
Posts: 2526
Location: My Own Little World | Well, now I have some questions. Living out in Southern Nevada, we haven't had that problem. We either have hay from California, Nevada, or Utah. BUT, from what I'm reading here, if you have grasshoppers, you can have these beetles. We get grasshoppers, although not like some other places. And why does this bug only live in alfalfa? Grasshoppers are also in grass. Pardon my lack of knowledge on this. |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | Can't express how awful it is to watch a horse go down with this. As to Standlee, I have heard nothing but good things about their products. Don't sell or use them, so I don't have a dog in that fight. I Thought is was all made in Idaho, but I may be wrong. If that is the case I would assume no issues with Blister Beetle. Haven't heard of Blister Beetle from Nevada either. A friend once said you don't need to be able to tell the difference between a diamond and a CZ, but you better know your Jeweler. It is the same with hay. The best insurance is knowing that you have an honest hay broker. |
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  Extreme Veteran
Posts: 459
Location: La Vernia, TX | Blister beetles come in many colors and patterns, but they all have the same basic shape. The toxicity level varies from variety to variety. I've fed alfalfa exclusively since 2006, and I also buy hay for resale, so I had to get myself a solid education on the potential threat.
Here is what you need to know about blister beetles:
1) There are blister beetles in almost every state. Unless your hay comes from a state bordering Canada, or from Canada itself- chances are it's grown where there are blister beetles. There are over 200 species in the United States.
2) Not all blister beetles are created equal. A few varieties are especially potent, and they occupy states such as Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico (alfalfa capital of the world, right?)
3) Beetles "swarm" on alfalfa in mid-late summer and are attracted to blossoms. Never buy alfalfa that was baled after bloom. It's higher quality if you get it before the field is 10% bloomed, anyways!
4) Alfalfa that is cut with a mower/conditioner is more likely to crush beetles in the hay. Even if you don't see beetles, the cantharadin can be crushed INTO the hay and remains toxic. If you're buying 2-3-4 cutting alfalfa from an area known to contain a virulent strain of beetle, only buy from farmers who use the appropriate equipment.
5) Typically speaking, first cutting hay and late season hay will be OK- this is because early in the year, the beetles have not emerged and later in the year, breeding is over and they have dispersed. |
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Water Weight Barbie
Posts: 6829
Location: Oz, Kansas | Phoenix98 - 2013-12-09 9:50 PM Blister beetles come in many colors and patterns, but they all have the same basic shape. The toxicity level varies from variety to variety. I've fed alfalfa exclusively since 2006, and I also buy hay for resale, so I had to get myself a solid education on the potential threat. Here is what you need to know about blister beetles: 1) There are blister beetles in almost every state. Unless your hay comes from a state bordering Canada, or from Canada itself- chances are it's grown where there are blister beetles. There are over 200 species in the United States. 2) Not all blister beetles are created equal. A few varieties are especially potent, and they occupy states such as Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico (alfalfa capital of the world, right?) 3) Beetles "swarm" on alfalfa in mid-late summer and are attracted to blossoms. Never buy alfalfa that was baled after bloom. It's higher quality if you get it before the field is 10% bloomed, anyways! 4) Alfalfa that is cut with a mower/conditioner is more likely to crush beetles in the hay. Even if you don't see beetles, the cantharadin can be crushed INTO the hay and remains toxic. If you're buying 2-3-4 cutting alfalfa from an area known to contain a virulent strain of beetle, only buy from farmers who use the appropriate equipment. 5) Typically speaking, first cutting hay and late season hay will be OK- this is because early in the year, the beetles have not emerged and later in the year, breeding is over and they have dispersed.
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 Sweet Tea
Posts: 3496
Location: Home of the World Famous "Silver Bullet" | equinelawprof - 2013-12-05 1:26 PM Is this same risk present with bagged alfalfa such as Purina? Thank you
how about the pellets and cubes ?? is the same risk there too ?? |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | The event that I was witness to was from feed pellets that had an alfalfa base. I never understood why you would feed something like that to begin with. It is the most expensive alfalfa in the world. If you want alfalfa in your feeding program, just feed it as long hay or cubes, not as a filler for your concentrated feed. |
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 I Google Everything
Posts: 1910
Location: Not sure yet | Griz - 2013-12-05 11:12 AM This is the prime reason I will not feed alfalfa. I don't think non-horse people realize how bad blister beetle poisoning is and how could you ever be sure they sprayed for them?
Exactly my reason as well.....Last alafha I bought was compressed from the feed store. Wrapped in plastice. I thought no way this could have blister bugs. Wrong! it did and then some. took it back they were as shocked to see them as I was. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| katt - 2013-12-10 12:50 PM Griz - 2013-12-05 11:12 AM This is the prime reason I will not feed alfalfa. I don't think non-horse people realize how bad blister beetle poisoning is and how could you ever be sure they sprayed for them? Exactly my reason as well.....Last alafha I bought was compressed from the feed store. Wrapped in plastice. I thought no way this could have blister bugs. Wrong! it did and then some. took it back they were as shocked to see them as I was.
WOW - I would have thought the exact same thing with it compressed and all wrapped up like that - scary! |
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Alfalfa- Blister beetle poisoning!