Bacterial infection

[sonjafoers]

My horse is very poorly today and the vet has taken some bloods and just phoned me to say she has a severe bacterial infection. Can anyone enlighten me as to what this is please and how she would have picked it up? I don't understand the difference between bacterial and viral and how they get these infections.
(Posted in new lounge originally but probably better here!)

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Many bacteria and viruses are as nasty as each other but the main difference is that bacteria respond to antibiotics, viruses don't. The vet will sometimes have to take a swab to culture to identify the best antibacteria for the particular one your horse has but most do respond eventually. With a virus, anti viral drugs can be given but they act very differently. Bacteria are separate little organisms that live and grow and make baby bacteria all on their own. Viruses need to hijack specific cells in the horse's body to use as a virus-producing factory. Some nasty horse diseases are viral, some are bacterial. A bacterial infection can be as simple as mud fever or very dangerous. So can viral diseases and infections. The flu/tet vaccine works by making the horse think it's got the disease so it makes antibodies which attack any of the REAL flu/tet bugs that try to invade the horse's body.

What you need to know from your vet is WHICH severe bacterial infection your horse has. Often the symptoms that the horse is showing will help identify the probable culprit eg coughing. chesty, weak, swollen legs, etc etc etc. I'd expect your vet to start your girl on a broad spectrum antibiotic pdq. Good luck hun x

 

[sonjafoers]

Thank you for your reply Box of Frogs, I was despairing a bit when no one had replied, and thanks for so much sensible info you explained it well as I didn't have a clue really. I did ask my vet how she got this infection and he said it was impossible to tell - she could have 'sniffed it in'!!

He gave her a few injections yesterday, an anti-inflammatory to bring her temperature down, a boost of vitamins or similar and an anti-biotic. He has left me with anti-biotic sachets and 2 days worth of Danilon to also help with her temp.

She isn't coughing and her nose is clear, I just thought she was a bit lethargic so took her temperature and it was 40.7 - hence the call to the vet! All he told me was that her breathing was a bit raspy, it wasn't strangles and she isn't contagious. When he had tested the bloods he rang to say it was a 'severe bacterial infection' and that was all really, although he did say this was better than having a viral infection.

She seems better in herself today so fingers crossed.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

It might be just one of those things hun. Your girl could have picked up a bacterial infection off another horse or from the ground or anywhere! The good thing about bacterial infections is that they respond to antibiotics. With viral infections pretty much all you can do is try to boost the horse's own immune system and support him (eg tlc, keep him warm, no work etc etc) while his body heals itself. If your girl is a bit chesty she probably has an upper respiratory tract infection (same as humans get, when your GP writes on your sick note URTI lol). Or she could have a chest infection like bronchitis. Either way, the antibiotics should make a BIG impression pretty quickly but don't be afraid to ring your vet if she doesn't improve in a few days, or if she is still not right after the course of antibiotics has finished. She may need a different type - I presume it was Noradine sachets your vet gave you? Hope your girl is better soon - she's lucky to have such a caring mum who takes the trouble to find out as much as possible to help her xxx

 

[sonjafoers]

She does seem a bit better today and has broken her feed bucket by kicking it around this morning so I took her temp and it is back to normal. As she is eating & drinking as well now I wrapped her up and turned her into a small paddock this morning where she went mad, squealing and bucking so she is happy to be out for a few hours. I bought her some ecinachea liquid yesterday to boost her immune system but she won't touch it even if I put a tiny amount in sugar beet so that was a waste of money!

Thank you for all your info, you've told me so much more than my vet did and hopefully when he comes back to re-test her in 2 weeks she will be back to normal.