VETERINARY PRODUCT RECALL — ANIMAL HEALTH

Stop and quarantine recalled Neogen Vet HYCOAT. FDA links it to serious horse infections.

A new federal update says nearly 100 horses developed serious joint infections and at least 20 were euthanized after treatment failed. The product was recalled nationwide in January, but an unexpired vial may still be in a clinic, barn or animal-care supply.

The September update changes the known scale—not the recall scope

Neogen announced the nationwide recall January 28, and FDA posted it January 29. On September 29, FDA said its investigation linked HYCOAT to serious joint infections in nearly 100 horses and at least 20 euthanasia deaths after unsuccessful treatment. The agency says those are minimum counts: deaths include only reports received by FDA, and it does not know the final outcome for many affected horses.

FDA testing found five viable fungi in one product lot. One of them, Purpureocillium lilacinum, can be particularly difficult to treat because of antifungal resistance. The agency also issued warning letters to Neogen and contract manufacturer Sciarra Aeromed after its investigation and facility inspection.

Check both vial sizes

The recall covers all lots within expiration of Neogen Vet HYCOAT Hyaluronate Sodium Sterile Solution. The product was distributed nationwide to animal-health distributors and veterinarians.

• 2 mL / 20 mg vial: UPC 726087089386. Listed lots: 0236735, 0236736, 0336746, 0336747, 0536760, 0536761, 0636768, 0636769, 0836792, 0836785, 0836788, 0836789, 0936794, 0936795, 1036801, 1036802, 1036803, 1036804, 1136807, 1136808, 0246837, 0246838, 4L001B and 4L002.
• 10 mL / 50 mg vial: UPC 726087089393. Listed lots: 0136731, 0736777, 0346843 and 5A001.

Because the recall is written as all unexpired lots, the list is an identification aid—not permission to keep using an unexpired HYCOAT vial simply because a code is hard to read or seems absent.

The documented horse cases involved injection, but the topical product is also recalled

HYCOAT is labeled as a sterile topical wound-management solution for dogs, cats and horses. The serious horse cases FDA describes followed injection into joints, which is not the labeled use. FDA nevertheless says fungal contamination can also make topical use dangerous because organisms introduced into an open wound can cause infection, tissue damage or life-threatening illness.

That distinction matters: the federal record does not say nearly 100 dogs and cats were affected, and it does not establish that every treated horse became ill. It does say the product should no longer be used regardless of whether it was intended for labeled topical use or off-label injection.

No Rockland case or exposure is confirmed

Nationwide veterinary distribution makes this relevant to Rockland animal owners and clinicians, but the public federal record does not name a Rockland veterinarian, purchaser, treated animal, infection or death. Owners who do not possess a vial should use the treating clinic's record to verify exposure rather than matching symptoms to a headline.

What changes for a resident: if you or an animal-care provider still has unexpired Neogen Vet HYCOAT, stop using it, quarantine it and arrange a return; if an animal received it, ask the treating veterinarian to verify the product and appropriate follow-up.

Primary sources: FDA's September 29 investigation update ↗; the September 23 warning letter to Neogen ↗; and the FDA-posted January recall announcement ↗. Recall scope, vial sizes, UPCs, lots, nationwide distribution, return instructions, reported case and death counts, contamination findings, labeled use and FDA reporting route were checked September 29, 2026, at 1:49 p.m. EDT. Counts may rise as FDA receives additional outcomes. No Rockland sale, treatment, infection or death is confirmed.