Also in NL, Moving a horse onto a yard after strangles outbreak...

[Samantha008]

Ive just found out that the yard im moving to in two months has had an outbreak of strangles, they think potentially from one of the new horses there.
Im now worried, as obviously dont want my much loved steed to get the virus.

Im not moving for 2 months, and wont move whilst there is still any sign of the virus and not for at least a month afterwards.

I will have my stable heavily disinfected and have her on individual turn out until there is no known risk- however if the new horse is a carrier will there ever be no risk???? They are supposed to be a mied herd there- thats one of the greatest draws for me moving there!

My horse is vaccinated against flu and tet, but not strangles.

What would you do? There are no other yards near me that i can even half afford so that isnt an option. What steps would you take? What if the new horse is a carrier? My mare is a healthy 7 year old. Is it worth getting her vaccinated against it? What does that entail?

HELP!

Thanks

 

[Nocturnal]

If the new horse brought strangles then it needs to be scoped. Do not move to the yard until the vets treating the outbreak confirm that the yard is clear. I moved to a yard that had had strangles months previously - I was assured by the yo that it was gone and that the horses had all scoped clear, but a month later both my horses had strangles; there was a carrier on the yard that had not been scoped. Do be careful.

 

[Miss L Toe]

Not a scientist [well not this kind] but I suspect that there are a lot less carriers than once thought, I think that there is often a low grade infection that is not eradicated, and burbles away in the background, I base this on recent outbreak where my horse was really badly affected, [he had never been exposed] but half the horses and ponies had the disease [blood tests], but were not affected by symptoms.
The Gutteral Pouch treatment, is a wash which is injected via an endoscope in to the [two] pouches, and then the resultant "dirty" wash is tested for active disease organisms.
The vet leaves a long term antibiotic gel inside the GP, and this will kill off any remaining bacteria. THIS is to eradicate carriers!
The opthalmascope allows the vet to look for abnormalities and chronoids [hard dried pus], but it can be difficult to examine all animals as the entry aperture is so small and the opthalmoscope [relatively] large.
So, you asked, what can you do. ask for a letter from the yard's vet or ask to speak to them for assurance that all practical steps have been taken to ensure eradication and subsequent control.
By subsequent control, it may be that you are asked to provide a blood sample result before you move on site, and when you do you go in to isolation for two weeks minimum.

 

[smellsofhorse]

A yard near us had strangles, thought it had gone then it cam back, after lots if tests and isolationist they had the carrier horses pts.

Sad but it now seems sorted and everyone can get on with life again.