Snotty nose, temp, swollen glands (sometimes looking like spider bites), lethargic. TBH strangles is not just something that comes out of now where and bites you like colic does - most cases I know about people were on heightened alert because another horse at the barn had it.
Bastard Strangles is fairly uncommon, thankfully. The symptoms are similar to regular Strangles however it become Bastard Strangles when the bacteria moves from the lymph nodes in the throat to other parts of the horse's body where it can create abscesses. Depending on where these abscesses occur dictate whether it will be fatal or not.
Regular Strangles is generally not a huge deal - a bit worrying for the owner for a month or two and unpleasant for the horse, however he generally makes a fully recovery and in about 75% of cases, once the Strangles has gone, the horse becomes immune to the condition.
Bastard Strangles should not be taken lightly - it is very dangerous and often fatal!
Bastard Strangles often (but not exclusively) comes about because some people whose horse gets Strangles may have misread symptoms and timing and then go ahead and give the horse Penicillin G at an inappropriate time. Personally where regular Strangles is concerned I would always steer well clear of using Penicillin at any stage of Strangles for this precise reason.
Strangles has a very high recovery rate - Bastard Strangles has a very high fatality rate.
Sorry I thought my posts were pretty clear; Bastard Strangles is a complication of regular Strangles. It is when the bacteria from the lymph nodes in the throat moves to other areas of the body.
Why do you want to know all this? Do you think your horse has it?
What! Not heard of 'Bastard Strangles'? I knew all about the sneaky secondary abscesses which occasionally form in various locations of the horse's body a considerable time after you think you are in the clear (from primary strangles). On the other hand I hadn't the faintest clue about infections of the guttural pouches! Except I do now.
bastard strangles can be fatel as they can get abcesses inside the body and thats anywhere not easy to treat -sometimes they can appear out side on the face -- normally strangles is around the thoart area and if an abcess is about to come out is normally under the thoart along with snotty nose-- bastards strangles can be both inside and out the body-- on the face- neck and body out side-- in side can attack the lungs and other vital organs such as the heart - kidneys and liver--and when that happens can be fatel
with strangles of any kind you should call a vet
be clean and disinfect all equipment rugs , brushes , and tack
you should have a foot bath of jeyes on exit /entry
and horse to be seperated and you should wear gloves
yard has to be closed and quarantined
no commings of other horses and no goings of horses on the yard, no competetions and no riding out until quarantine lifted by a vet .as its highly contagiuos