Positive strangles test

maza

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Our yard has had strangles we are at the end of it with the last infected horse holding us up, 3 pcr tests have come back positive but all cultures have been negative! Anyone had a problem getting one horse clear?
 

HorsesRule2009

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Are you blood testing?
Unfortunately anti bodies will remain high for quite so.e time after exposure so won't get clear results.
Have the guttural pouch washed? If that comes back clear should be OK.

They can still have high blood results upto a year after exposure, this doesn't mean they have strangles but have at some point been exposed to it
 

maza

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Are you blood testing?
Unfortunately anti bodies will remain high for quite so.e time after exposure so won't get clear results.
Have the guttural pouch washed? If that comes back clear should be OK.

They can still have high blood results upto a year after exposure, this doesn't mean they have strangles but have at some point been exposed to it
Guttural wash been done keeps coming back positive but first one side positive other side neg then vice versa been done 3 times
 

Ambers Echo

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The PCR test is much more sensitive than the basic nasal swab culture. So it's not unsusual for cultures to come back -ve even when the infection is still present and thererore picked up by PCR
 

Apizz2019

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Our yard has had strangles we are at the end of it with the last infected horse holding us up, 3 pcr tests have come back positive but all cultures have been negative! Anyone had a problem getting one horse clear?

What a nightmare ?

I know of someone whose horse caught strangles from a new arrival at the livery yard she was on, many moons ago. It spread like wildfire and one elderly horse was pts.

My friend ended up spending thousands on vet visits, pouch washes, antibiotics etc. I believe she had around 10 washes before hers was clear.
 

maza

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What a nightmare ?

I know of someone whose horse caught strangles from a new arrival at the livery yard she was on, many moons ago. It spread like wildfire and one elderly horse was pts.

My friend ended up spending thousands on vet visits, pouch washes, antibiotics etc. I believe she had around 10 washes before hers was clear.
Wow what a shame
 

Cinnamontoast

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As ycbm said, mine was snotting massively for 5 months. It took 2 washes and antibiotics into the guttural pouches to clear it. The vet wanted the positives out to graze but the yard said no. I got hay balls which I'm convinced really helped.

A key thing, imo, was the high gelatin to antibiotics ratio in the first wash. It won't stick unless it's a strong mix, it just drips out.

Mine is 19 and the older ones, especially cobs, seem to be worse affected. I thought it would never end!
 
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