Purpura hemorrhagica (Strangles complication)

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vicm2509

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Has anyone had experience with this? How did your vet deal with it and treat it?

My horse came down with it last night. His legs are all very swollen. He did have a swelling on his lip last week which vet thought was just his glands swelling a bit. He was given antibiotic and steroid injections last night, his legs are still just as swollen but no longer hot (they had steam coming off them last night) but his cheeks have gone down (which I didnt even realise were so big until I saw him this morning).

Please tell me your experiences, good or bad. I need to know what to prepare for as every website I have been on says its very serious and life threatening. I was that stressed last night I forgot to ask the vet all the questions, will be speaking to him soon as he is due to ring me back.
 
Damn! That is a real set-back, just as he was looking like he was recovering nicely aswell.

I haven't dealt with it personally, only heard of people/horses who have. It can be life threatening and it is very serious unfortunately. I don't know the stats of horses surviving it I'm afraid, but many horses do survive it.

Hopefully, with the vet treatment, Baron will recover - I have everything I can, crossed and send my very best wishes that he pulls through this.

Tia x
 
Thank you
grin.gif
 
My friends horse suffered from this a few years back. He did survive and celebrated his 24th birthday last week! Chin up, fingers crossed for you, I'm sure he'll be fine.
 
I am so sorry for you.
We lost a beloved Highland pony to this a few years ago. He was in his prime and it was devastating.
I really hope for a better outcome for your horse.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am so sorry for you.
We lost a beloved Highland pony to this a few years ago. He was in his prime and it was devastating.
I really hope for a better outcome for your horse.

[/ QUOTE ]

Im so sorry. How early did you get treatment? And what treatment was used? As it seems to be quite rare I really want to arm myself with loads of questions for the vet later and perhaps a few examples of how others have treated it.

Vet does seem to know what hes doing, but sometimes its hard to put your horses life in the hand of the vet as they dont get everything right all the time.
 
Our pony was also treated with steroids. He was on a yard which had strangles but he did not develop the disease properly. Instead he was depressed and unwell so obviously monitored by the vet.
It became obvious that my daughter, who was caring for him in another part of the country, only had one choice, as he did not respond to treatment, could not eat or drink, and he was PTS.
He had been a big strong boy in excellent health prior to this and it is very painful to remember that time as he was a real member of the family and it was all so unexpected. I could not believe it when she phoned me up and said what was happening, that there was no real treatment. She had to spell it out to me how serious the situation was.

I'm sorry to give this negative information for you and really hope yours pulls through. A few do I think.
 
Thank you very much. I realise how hard it must be for you to relay that information and it is very much appreciated.
 
I think it depends on how quickly you get treatment. It is definitely serious and treatment is steroids and antibiotics and dedicated palliative care.

For you, busy yourself with things you can do for him and have a positive input to the treatment. Don't let the vet try and fob you off and get a second opinion quickly if you think you need it, although it sounds as though they picked up on it fairly quickly.

As I said before, I have everything crossed for you both.
 
Has the skin broken at all. Ive seen a case some years ago which seems like it was a lot more full on that yours. The skin and underlying flesh literally broke down and the horse was raw over about 40% of the body. The horse DID survive and made a full recovery with intensive nursing from the owner and friends and antibiotic and steroid treatment from the vet.
 
Im going to drop you a Pm, when I have a minute free to write one; but have faith in your vets & pick their brains as much as possible to help you to understand what is going on.

Im now 2 months into a case of bastard strangles - why complications have severely prolonged my horses recovery - we have far from given up fighting!
 
We had apony with this secondary to a viral infection. We called the vet as soon as we noticed the swelling, he lost all definition around his face. She was there within half an hour of us calling and was given steroids/antibiotics. He was under the weather for a few days but made a full and rapid recovery. Best of luck.
 
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