Horse Needs Scoping - Gutteral Pouch etc for Strangles

[rocketdog69]

I'm moving to a new yard shortly but my horses needed blood tests for strangles. Was devastated to learn that my youngster has a high antibody count which means at some point he has been exposed to strangles. I've had him since he was 5 months, my older horse who has been with him all this time has not been exposed. My youngster has been away for the month of May, other than that he's not been out of his paddock at all.

Now the poor bugger, a week after having his bollocks off has to be scoped and have his gutteral pouches "done" to see if he is a carrier.

Has anyone else had a similar experience, what happened. Whats the likely costs of the scoping etc etc

Thanks

 

[brighteyes]

Calm down!

Scoping is relatively straightforward and quite routine. Horsey will most likely be sedated, have an endoscope passed up the nose, expertly manoeuvred into each G P and hopefully the camera will find little or nothing of note. They may flush the pouches with a fluid or I guess take swabs but horsey WILL be fine and completely unaffected by the procedure.

You may get to watch on a massive telly and the cost shouldn't really be much above a couple of hundred quid. Maybe as much as four, allowing for inflation since 2006.

Good luck and let us know

 

[Harrie123]

As Brighteyes says I am sure your horse will be fine.

It is good to hear that a yard is being proactive in the defence against strangles. At least you know you should be going to a responsible yard, which should help prevent your horses getting any 'nasties' from any new arrivals in the future.

Good luck at your new yard!

 

[loobylu]

Friend recently had to get several scoped. Cost her £250 a head. They can flush them out if they do still have remnants hanging on in there. Keep smiling!

 

[rocketdog69]

What I cant quite figure out is, if my youngster at some point has been exposed to strangles, then surely he cant be a carrier because he's been with me since being a 5 month old foal and my other horse has been with him all the time and he hasnt been exposed????? Would he have passed "something" on to my older horse if he was a carrier?

I'm just worried cos so far I've spent around 500 quid getting their annual jabs done, and my poor boy castrated and blood tests and now I need to have my youngster scoped at a cost od between 2 and 300 quid! If he's a carrier I will have spent the best part of 1 grand which I dont have, all for nothing cos I wont be able to move yards.

Apart from that, the clutch has gone on my lorry, another 5-600 quid!

It never rains but it pours! lol

 

[loobylu]

Dont' know. It can all be very mysterious where it came from. Said friend bought a new pony. Following this the signs started in two of her other horses. Obviously the new pony was thought to be a carrier. Was he? Nope! Still none the wiser as to where it came from. They don't compete much and yard is fairly isolated. So I suppose what I'm saying is that there are obviously a few weird cases about.

Can the lorry clutch wait a month even if it means not going out? Beg a lift to new yard?

 

[brighteyes]

And it might not be strep equi - perhaps it was zooepidemicus, a cousin of strangles...

 

[rocketdog69]

Thanks guys for your advice.

Hopefully it will al be ok in the end