Pharmacy Bungled Drug for Dead Horses

Selenium overdose likely claimed animals' lives

(AP) - Florida officials say a mineral overdose is the probable cause of death for 21 Venezuelan-owned polo horses that fell ill as they prepared for a championship match earlier this month. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said today the animals likely overdosed on selenium, a common mineral that can be toxic in high doses. More»

Tests not likely to reveal cause of deaths for weeks

(NEWSER) - Devastated polo team owner Victor Vargas cradled the heads of his fallen horses and sobbed as they died in his arms, colleagues said yesterday. The wealthy Venezuelan banker—whose business has thrived despite Hugo Chavez's socialist regime—rushed from animal to animal as 21 suddenly collapsed and died shortly before a Palm Beach polo tournament Sunday. It could be weeks before tests reveal the cause of their baffling deaths, according to the Palm Beach Post. More»

(NEWSER) - Exactly what killed 21 polo horses in Florida is not known, but details of their enigmatic owner are emerging in spades. Victor Vargas has succeeded at the tricky proposition of banking in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, and tried the US market—with less-than-stellar results. In 1993, he had to settle with the Fed for $1.5 million, and can’t invest here without government permission. Time takes a look at the secretive multimillionaire. More»

Common drug was tainted, he claims

(NEWSER) - A tainted vitamin supplement killed the 21 horses that collapsed before a polo match in Florida last weekend, the captain of the Venezuelan team claims. He notes that five horses not given the drug are fine. The French drug, called Biodyl, is commonly administered in Europe but not approved for use or sale in the US, the Miami Herald reports. More»