Common Cold, Virus or Strangles! Help!

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Baldybear

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Can anyone help with this dilema!

I'll start from the beginning, our shetland Brandy started off a week ago looking depressed and had a bit of a runny nose and a slight cough. Saturday Baldrick (pony) started getting a cough and a runny nose (just cold type discharge not green or yellow or smelly), Tara (pony) gets cough saturday afternoon. Sunday Brandy is much better in himself very bright and happy no swelling etc, Baldrick still has slight cough and so does Tara, Tizer (horse) seems fine! All 4 of them

Yesterday was in field for about an hour and they were all happily grazing apart from Baldrick who was just looking depressed and standing on his own.

Tried to give him some bute at vets recommendation but he wouldnt eat it!

Went down there last night, took all 4 of their temperatures and they are all normal. Brandy and Tizer are all happy in themselves. Tara is fine in herself but has a sight swelling under her jaw but it isnt painful to touch. Baldrick isnt 100%, has a slight swelling under his jaw too but again not painful to touch. Tried again to give Baldrick some bute (handful Hi-Fi, garlic, sugar, grated carrot and polos!) all mixed in but he would only have a mouthful, which is very unusual for him as he usually licks the bowl clean! And in the past doesnt seem to mind medicines, will eat antibiotic powders with just garlic mixed in fine!! We then put him back in the field and he was eating grass, just not at the usual rate, but not looking as depressed as he was!!

Sorry for the length hope you can understand! Am just very confused as to what they all might have, if anything!!

Thanks!
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Well it could just be a virus that is going through them, or it could be nothing.

However, if you remotely suspect strangles then you need the vet out PDQ.
 
with the swellings under jaw - I'd think strangles and get the vet out and isolate your horses and change clothes as it can be carried on clothes

assume it is strangles until the vet confirms that it isn't and act accordingly.
 
Temperatures are all normal over last few days on all horses! When I have spoken to vet over weekend he wasnt too concerned as temperatures were normal and there isnt much he could do if it was strangles as dont use antibiotics till it starts to clear up!

Is just so frustrating not really knowing what it is!
 
Surely your vet should have been a bit more cautious than just to suggest bute? its a nasty disease and needs to caught early... i would get the vet out a.s.a.p. Good luck.
 
If their temperatures are normal - then it is highly unlikely it is strangles, however if I were you I would be taking all necessary precautions just in case.
 
vet seems very casual and temps can spike and then go down - i.e. your horse when it was stationary in the field could have been running a temp then and it could have dropped by the time you took it later


also irresponsible of the vet not to swab the worst of the horses to rule out strangles as you could carry on riding and spread the disease to others
 
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your horse when it was stationary in the field could have been running a temp then and it could have dropped by the time you took it later


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Not if the horse has strangles it wouldn't. The temperature remains constantly high with strangles.

To be frank; there is nothing the vet can do - if it is strangles then the condition just needs time to run it's course.
 
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your horse when it was stationary in the field could have been running a temp then and it could have dropped by the time you took it later


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Not if the horse has strangles it wouldn't. The temperature remains constantly high with strangles.

To be frank; there is nothing the vet can do - if it is strangles then the condition just needs time to run it's course.

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My boy had strangles when he was a baby - he was on medication for a few weeks and in permanent isolation for about 6 weeks.
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the whole point is that if it is undiagnosed strangles and the vet is being so casual then the horses are not isolated and the infection could spread to other peoples horses

the vet should take a swab from one horse to ascertain properly if this is or is not strangles and until that swab result is in the horses should be kept isolated from all other equines.

to say 'give it bute' may be fine for the actual horses concerned who, if it is strangles, appear not to have it badly. It is however unforgiveable to not officially diagnose that it isn't strangles and not guide the OP into quarantine until a formal diagnosis is made

THAT is what I'm annoyed about as under the guidance given by this vet the OP would be free to hack, compete, etc and potentially spread the disease to other horses that may not have such an immunity - i.e. youngstock in in-hand showing classes.

yes - it could easily be something else BUT it might well be strangles. If the OPs horses are older or came via dealing yards they may well have been exposed to strangles before and show few signs and not be badly affected - and in those cases the temp can spike and go down.

tbh - even if it isn't strangles the symptoms described indicate a temp at teh point the horse was stationary in the field - and yet the OP stated that when she took the temp there wasn't one and temps - even in sick humans - do go up and down according to the time of day as well.
 
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