Strangles test

[Ambella]

Hi just wondering if anyone could offer advice . We are buying a pony and a strangles test is required for him to move to the yard. The test came back with a high result so the vet carried out a guttural pouch flush . However I was under the impression that samples were normally taken for retesting . No samples were taken the vet just says it looks fine and he’s ok to move . Obviously the yard owner isn’t happy with that but the vet says he can’t do anything else as a blood test would give the same result . Without a negative test he can’t move and don’t really want to pay to repeat the guttural pouch ? I would be grateful for any advice , thanks

 

[SEL]

Hi just wondering if anyone could offer advice . We are buying a pony and a strangles test is required for him to move to the yard. The test came back with a high result so the vet carried out a guttural pouch flush . However I was under the impression that samples were normally taken for retesting . No samples were taken the vet just says it looks fine and he’s ok to move . Obviously the yard owner isn’t happy with that but the vet says he can’t do anything else as a blood test would give the same result . Without a negative test he can’t move and don’t really want to pay to repeat the guttural pouch ? I would be grateful for any advice , thanks

Did the vet send the samples from the guttural pouch wash off to be tested? We did that with my mare and they came back negative - so showed she didn't have strangles. The blood test shows antibodies which they can get from their immune system fighting it off and those antibodies can remain for many months which is why there is no point in redoing the blood test.

 

[SEL]

Oh - actually just read the post again. If your vet didn't send off the samples from the pouch wash then they didn't do their job properly and I'd complain!

 

[Ambella]

Yes I expected that samples would be sent as a standard thing as does the yard owner . Thanks I think I will have to make a complaint !

 

[meleeka]

Mine didn’t take samples, but she wasn’t moving anywhere, she’d just come back. The vet said there it was totally clean, so nothing really to swab. I didn’t think to question it at the time, but as I say I didn’t need any documentation to state she was clear.

 

[Henry02]

So did the vet take a blood sample, and then come back for a guttural pouch scope? Did you ask for the scope or did they do it of their own accord?