Strangles test for new pony?

[I don’t like mondays]

I’m in the process of buying a pony for my daughter and it will be sharing a field with my horse. This is a new yard so I’m planning to keep my horse at his current yard for the 1st week, then move him to the new yard with the new pony once she’s had a week there (but keep them separated until 2 weeks have passed).

The new yard doesn’t have any quarantine requirements but I want to keep everyone safe (would hate to bring strangles or something to a new yard...I wouldn’t be very popular). This pony is coming from a big busy yard, has been living in a mixed herd, the yard has a high turn over of horses it seems so potentially at risk of picking something up. Apart from being sensible (not sharing the arena, not touching noses, washing hands etc) is there anything I should be doing? Is a strangles blood test a good idea? I’ve looked at gutteral pouch but think that could be quite traumatic for a new pony. Pony isn’t vaccinated but I’ll get her done (might ask at the vetting if she passes). Thanks in advance

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Yes you should get a strangles test. The blood test picks up antibodies so can tell of the horse has had strangles recently (ie within the last 6 months). If that is negative then you are good to go. If that comes back positive then it just means the horse has had strangles and chances are has cleared it. But about 10% of horses with strangles go on to develop pockets of hardened pus in their guttural pouches (known as chondroids). These don't make the horse ill but DO make the horse infectious. So a positive strangles test means you need to then move to a guttural pouch scope to see if there are any chondroids in there. It is a PITA having to deal with that. But the alternative is bringing an asymptomatic but infectious horse into the yard which is far, far worse. I have just had Lottie tested even though it is not a requirement of my yard either. (I wish it was!)

Normally I test as part of the vetting and make the sale conditional on passing the vet and a negative strangles test. So you don't end up with a horse with strangles that no-one will take responsibility for. I make it clear that the horse cannot move off the yard I am buying from until it is negative for strangles. Plenty of yards insist on a negative strangles test before allowing a horse to move on (which is best practice) so sellers should be aware of that and willing to agree to that. When I sold one once it came back positive on the blood test and myself and the buyer shared the cost of the scope. But with Lottie I wanted to test after transport as she could have picked it up in the journey so I tested about 10 days after the arrived. Thankfully she was clear.

Good luck

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Yes you should get a strangles test. The blood test picks up antibodies so can tell of the horse has had strangles recently (ie within the last 6 months). If that is negative then you are good to go. If that comes back positive then it just means the horse has had strangles and chances are has cleared it. But about 10% of horses with strangles go on to develop pockets of hardened pus in their guttural pouches (known as chondroids). These don't make the horse ill but DO make the horse infectious. So a positive strangles test means you need to then move to a guttural pouch scope to see if there are any chondroids in there. It is a PITA having to deal with that. But the alternative is bringing an asymptomatic but infectious horse into the yard which is far, far worse. I have just had Lottie tested even though it is not a requirement of my yard either. (I wish it was!)

Normally I test as part of the vetting and make the sale conditional on passing the vet and a negative strangles test. So you don't end up with a horse with strangles that no-one will take responsibility for. I make it clear that the horse cannot move off the yard I am buying from until it is negative for strangles. Plenty of yards insist on a negative strangles test before allowing a horse to move on (which is best practice) so sellers should be aware of that and willing to agree to that. When I sold one once it came back positive on the blood test and myself and the buyer shared the cost of the scope. But with Lottie I wanted to test after transport as she could have picked it up in the journey so I tested about 10 days after the arrived. Thankfully she was clear.

Good luck

Thank you. That makes sense, I’ll get them to test for strangles at the vetting. Would the 2 week separation be ok for equine flu? (Mine is fully vaccinated but others at the new yard might not be..they won’t be in my field but I know it’s still risky)

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Yes 2 weeks quarantine is fine. It's just that if you have chondroids they don't clear on their own so quarantine does not address that. SO a combination of 2 weeks for any incubating infections and a strangles test covers most bases.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Yes 2 weeks quarantine is fine. It's just that if you have chondroids they don't clear on their own so quarantine does not address that. SO a combination of 2 weeks for any incubating infections and a strangles test covers most bases.

Thanks so much. So if I do end up needing to do the gutteral pouch procedure (if the test is +), does that then make the pony good to go after that? I’ve already made an offer subject to vetting (in hindsight should have said subject to strangles negative test too)

 

[Ample Prosecco]

It’s a step by step process: 1) bloods. Hopefully they are negative and that the end of it. Takes about 48 hours for results to come back. If tests positive, step 2 is guttural pouch scope. They will visualise pouches with a camera. If they see chondoids you then need to treat the horse. If they don’t see anything they will take fluid from the pouches anyway and send them off for testing. If they come back clear you’re fine. If they see chondroids or the fluids shows infection is still in there then pony or horse needs treating. That’s the nightmare scenario as that takes weeks! You are only in that scenario in the unlikely event your pony is an asymptomatic carrier do it’s definitely better to know. And no seller will expect you to move the pony when it has strangles. No yard in the country would allow it. It would be a horrible situation but I’m the end it’s all sortable. Just takes time.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Worth reading this.

https://www.facebook.com/448385608551998/posts/4367198716670648

 

[I don’t like mondays]

It’s a step by step process: 1) bloods. Hopefully they are negative and that the end of it. Takes about 48 hours for results to come back. If tests positive, step 2 is guttural pouch scope. They will visualise pouches with a camera. If they see chondoids you then need to treat the horse. If they don’t see anything they will take fluid from the pouches anyway and send them off for testing. If they come back clear you’re fine. If they see chondroids or the fluids shows infection is still in there then pony or horse needs treating. That’s the nightmare scenario as that takes weeks! You are only in that scenario in the unlikely event your pony is an asymptomatic carrier do it’s definitely better to know. And no seller will expect you to move the pony when it has strangles. No yard in the country would allow it. It would be a horrible situation but I’m the end it’s all sortable. Just takes time.

Thanks so much

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I’m so glad you’re being ultra responsible! It wipes the whole yard for months if a new horse is positive. A blood test is normally about £50, a guttural pouch scope up to over £300, depending on your practice (RVC=£325, but that includes a quite complicated process of flushing then putting antibiotics in there using gelatine to help it stay in place) I’d say months rather than weeks. If a guttural pouch scope comes back positive, you’re usually advised to wait 6 weeks to ensure it’s clear before scoping again.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

There is a difference between the scope which is a diagnostic test and the wash which is a treatment. The scope is a camera up into the pouches and then fluid pushed in and samples taken for testing.

The wash is gallons of fluid flushed through to remove chondroids (‘the solution to pollution is dilution’) followed by antibiotic gel packed into the pouches. Followed a few weeks later for re-scoping to make sure the treatment worked. If the scope reveals visible chondroids the vet might then just start the wash/gel treatment there and then but the 2 approaches have different aims and methods and costs.

 

[Leandy]

I wouldn't unless you happen to be on a yard that insists. Personal experience from selling a horse. Buyer had the blood test because the yard they were going to insisted. Vet had advised against it as said blood test shows many false positives (not really false positives ie they do have antibodies but then go on to be no problem at all and not infectious). Lo and behold and much to everyone's surprise my horse came back positive. Buyer then paid for guttoral pouch scope which wasn't pleasant for horse, and as expected came back negative. So all was ok in the end but cost the buyer a goodly amount in vets fees and caused us all stress for a test that the vet had advised against because this scenario is very common. The (very experienced) vet was of the view there was little point testing a non-symptomatic horse.