Strangles (sorry long rambling one)

berry

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I did post this in Vetenery but did'nt get much help.
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Ok Ill start at the begining.
One of the part timers at the yard where I work brought his horse there approx 10 weeks ago, went through the usual quantine(sp) procedure etc, everything was fine been in fields with others said hello to nearly everyone on the yard all seemed well.
About 2 weeks ago hurt his leg and had to have restricted turnout so YO put pen up in between his usual field and the mares, well last Thursday he got himself in a right state over one of the mares who had just come in to season, he was trying to mount her over the fence etc getting really worked up and stressed so eventually caught him and brought him in, carried on working.
Came in to work Friday morning gave breakfast feeds out caught ponies in that were in fields turned others out, went to get him ready to go out and he had only eaten a little of his brekkie.
I thought nothing of it as I thought his owner must of put his bute in there (he never eats his food if theres any medication in there). He was really quiet in field but was grazing and calling to others and looked well in himself. Owner finished him off.
Anyway I had 3 days off, came in on Tuesday to see a note that the mentioned horse had a temp of 40.1 on Sat, had vet out who said was a virus and left some bute to bring his temp down. Temp on Sun and Mon was 39.7.
Looked in his stable and he was not a happy bunny he had'nt eated anything all night he was dehydrated, really pale gums, coughing, snot/mucas flying out of nose, done his temp back up to 39.9, rang his owner and told him he needed a vet he told me to wait till 9am and phone for him which I did.
Vet came out thinking it was just a upper respiritory(sp) infection after speaking to emergancy vet cover peson, straight away he went back and got a nasal swab told us to quaratine him and left some penicilin which needs to be injected, asked if any others are showing any signs of being ill which none are, then said he will hopefully have some results back by Friday and that hopefully it is not strangles but the bug that imitates it.
My YO is insisting that its not as he has been here to long and has'nt been anywhere to contract it but am I wrong in thinking that some horse's can carry the bug but not get it and if he was carrying it, it could be brought on by stress.
Sorry to ramble on but could someone tell me if I am right on this matter, or totally off the mark
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Well either way theyre doing the right thing in quarantining the horse. It could be strangles or it could be a different type of bacterial or viral infection.
Vets have to be cautious when it's poss strangles.
Hope the poor horsey feels better soon
 
Thanks KJFIT, his owner is the only person allowed to deal with him and he is now well away from the others.
This would be the second time we have had it on the yard in 18 months if he has got it, last time it was a pony who we got from a dealer luckily he was all ready in isolation being the new boy and all.
We were just starting up then (its a riding school), but thid time we have got a full client base so can we stay open or do we have to close????
 
as far as i was aware, some horses can be carriers and not actually 'have' the disease, it just lays dormant. It can then be passed on to other horses, even if the carrier is not showing signs. That was my understanding on the disease, if anyone knows better, please let me know. I would assume that any thing that is dormant in the body can be triggered off at times of stress cos the immune system is lowered, allowing any little buggies to make their attack. Im not sure if this is the case with strangles, but certainly for other diseases it is the case. Have you tried reading up on it on the web (careful what you read as not all reliable sources)?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks KJFIT, his owner is the only person allowed to deal with him and he is now well away from the others.

[/ QUOTE ]Excellent - best way to be if it is strangles.
[ QUOTE ]
This would be the second time we have had it on the yard in 18 months if he has got it, last time it was a pony who we got from a dealer luckily he was all ready in isolation being the new boy and all.

[/ QUOTE ]With regards to having it before - again a horse that didn't present signs of the virus could have been the cause.. and they don't necessarily have had to mixed to pass it on!!

I would urge you to have EVERY horse at the yard swabbed... this is the only way to eliminate the carrier - then once found they will need a gutteral pouch wash out and further swabbing to confirm the virus has been removed.

We had the same at our yard - 12months after the first 'lot' it re-occured.
[ QUOTE ]
We were just starting up then (its a riding school), but thid time we have got a full client base so can we stay open or do we have to close????

[/ QUOTE ]I would speak to the vet and go with what he suggests, as really at present you don't know who is the carrier so you don't want people taking the virus out on their hands/clothes/feet etc.

Good Luck. xx
 
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