Strangles Test

[Singing Dawg]

I have a pony going to a new home soon and lady taking it wants a strangles test done to save it going into quarantine when it arrives on its new yard. I was told they had strangles at this yard "twenty" years ago.....

As far as I know the test is just a blood test to see if pony has been exposed, but does anyone have more knowledge or experience of this test? I should post this in vet. too but thought it might have more chance of a reply in here.

TIA

Dawg

 

[Archiepoo]

i always thought there were two blood tests for strangles a couple of weeks apart so the horse would still have to be quarantined until you had an all clear whether on the yard you are on now or the new yard.maybe have a chat with the vet would be best ?

 

[Ella19]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/196399.html

1 blood test should do the trick as long as it comes back negative!

 

[nikkinoo]

but the horse could contract strangles the day after the blood test and not show signs for a week or two, so test would therefor come back negative, so personally I would quarantine any new horse on yard anyway.

 

[Snoopy1]

My YO asked me to do this when we moved in as we were coming from a strangles area, however in my opinion it was rather pointless as he had to be quarantined anyway until we had the results of the blood tests back!. Strangles has up to a 2 week incubation period so you would need to take the bloods at least 2 weeks before horse moved and then keep him/her in quarantine until they moved incase they contracted it in that period between having the bloods taken and moving! Which ever way round you do it, horse would have to end up quarantined at some point! Let the new owner worry about it if I was you!

 

[Ginger Bear]

My horses had to b strangles tested before moving to our yard.. It's 1 blood test, results come back about 3 days later.. The mare was negative, the gelding was positive! The problem with the test is that it only shows if ur horse has strangles anti-bodies or not.. If they have they get a positive result.. That means they have either been exposed to strangles, have strangles, have had strangles in the last few years or are a carrier of strangles. My gelding then had to have the gutteral pouch test which was negative so in his case he had had strangles in the past so he now has anti bodies against the illness. The guttural pouch test was about £300 too! If the guttural test comes back positive then u have problems because u could have a horse that's a carrier so they never get the illness but they spread it to others. It can b dealt with by vets but not always successful.

 

[ReggiePerrin]

I had the same problem. New yard insisted on strangles test. He failed both blood tests so had to have gutteral pouch. Including call out charges I spend nearly £700 before I'd even bought him! I don't think it's covered by insurance either so worth checking.