Contaminated Horse Medication Recall: What FDA's HYCOAT Alert Means

Contaminated horse medication recall: what happened

This contaminated horse medication recall involves Neogen Vet HYCOAT (hyaluronate sodium sterile solution), which Neogen pulled from the market in late January 2026. The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine issued warning letters, dated Sept. 23, 2026, to Neogen Corporation and to contract manufacturer Sciarra Aeromed, Inc., and made them public in an update on Sept. 29, 2026.

The FDA says the product was linked to serious joint infections in nearly 100 horses, and at least 20 were euthanized after treatment failed. It calls this the largest number of horse deaths it has tied to a quality defect in an FDA-regulated veterinary product.

This article reports the FDA's findings. Warning letters are a regulator's statement, not a final legal outcome, and the situation may continue to develop.

The timeline

• Late 2025: the FDA began receiving reports from veterinarians about infections after use.
• Late January 2026: Neogen started a voluntary nationwide recall.
• Sept. 23, 2026: the date on the FDA's warning letters.
• Sept. 29, 2026: the FDA published its warning letters and a public update.

Testing found several fungi in product samples. One of them, Purpureocillium lilacinum, is described by the FDA as particularly resistant to antifungal drugs, which can make these infections hard to clear.

Labeled use vs. injected use

HYCOAT was labeled as a sterile topical product for wound management, such as surgical wounds and burns. It came in glass vials with septum tops, the kind a needle can pierce.

The FDA says that, beginning in late 2025, it received reports from veterinarians who had used the product as an injection, which is not what the label described. Neogen's recall notice also referred to adverse events after injections into joints that were inconsistent with the label.

Why does this matter? Injectable products are made and tested to a standard for going inside the body, especially into a joint. A product made for the surface of a wound is held to a different standard. A joint is a closed, low-defense space, so contamination there can do serious damage.

This is not about blaming anyone. Vets sometimes use products in ways a label does not describe when they judge it appropriate for a patient, but it is a good reason to ask questions about what is going into your horse.

Barn checklist: what to do this week

1. Look in the medicine cabinet and trailer kit. Find any Neogen Vet HYCOAT, in the 2 mL/20 mg or 10 mL/50 mg vials.
2. Compare lot numbers with the list in Neogen's recall notice (linked in the sources below). Do not use the product.
3. Follow the recall instructions: Neogen asks customers to stop using it, set it aside and arrange a return. Its recall contact is 859-254-1221 (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET) or AnimalHealth@neogen.com.
4. Ask your vet. If your horse had a joint injection or wound product in the last year, ask what it was and, if possible, the product name and lot number.
5. Check the barn records for any horse that had swelling, lameness or an unexpected reaction after treatment.
6. Tell your barn manager and boarders so everyone checks their own supplies.

If you are unsure whether a vial in your cabinet is affected, ask your veterinarian before using it on anything.

Signs to watch after any injection

Most horses have no trouble after an injection. Still, call your vet promptly, the same day, if you notice:

• Swelling around the joint or injection site
• Heat in the area
• New or worsening lameness
• Drainage or discharge
• Fever, or a horse that is off feed or seems dull

Don't wait to see whether it passes, and don't treat it yourself. Joint problems can progress quickly, and your vet decides what testing and care your horse needs. If you don't know your horse's normal temperature and pulse, our first aid kit checklist shows how to take vital signs.

Keep good records

A simple log makes every medication question easier to answer, now and later. For each treatment, note:

Snap a photo of the label and lot number before the vial is thrown away. Keep it with the horse's health records.

How to report an adverse event

The FDA urges owners and vets to report adverse events and product quality concerns for any veterinary product, not just this one. Reports are how patterns like this get noticed.

• Online: the FDA page "How to Report Animal Drug and Device Side Effects and Product Problems."
• Phone or email: the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine at 1-888-FDA-VETS (1-888-332-8387) or AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov, for questions or to request Form FDA 1932a.
• Have ready: the product name, lot number, date, what happened and your vet's contact.

Your veterinarian can also file a report, and you can ask them to. Contact your vet first if your horse is unwell; reporting comes after the horse is cared for.

What to watch next

• Any further FDA or Neogen updates on the investigation and corrective actions.
• Guidance from veterinary groups such as the AVMA and the AAEP.
• Your own barn: make "check the lot number" a habit for every recall notice. Our health basics guide and safety section cover more everyday routines.

The calm takeaway: check, ask, record, report. For another recent barn-wide alert, see New World screwworm in horses.