strangles

[racebuddy]

yard is currently on lockdown due to confirmed 2 confimed cases , worried sick as never dealt with this before on a yard and constantly making sure mine are ok , ie taking temperatures twice daily strict hygiene ect , affected horses on isolation in blocks but obviousily not away from other horses but that barn is not allowed to walk horses ect for three weeks . bloods being taken 2 weeks post clinical signs .

I am constantly worrying and making sure mine are ok even when he was asleep thinking is he ok even though bright and temp ok , I aM WORRIED sick , all clipped out ready for the winter season and no were to go ,

anybody been in the same situation and felt they were overworrying

thanks

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mine was on a yard and stabled next to a horse which had some unexplained symptoms which might have (or might not have) been strangles, so the whole yard was put on lockdown.

In the end, it was NOT confirmed as strangles, thank god, but I do remember the awful part was the testing and the waiting; the waiting and the testing.........

Feeling for you.

How near is yours to the affected horses? Have they shared stables and/or water troughs?? Been in the school/hacked out together?

Wish I could bring you some comfort, but all you can do right now is hold your breath and keep everything crossed.

 

[meleeka]

It’s not the end of tbe world If your horse does get it but agreed the waiting is the worst bit. I managed to look after one with it (not mine but long story) and mine without them getting it.

 

[skint1]

Earlier this year we had a new horse arrive at our yard which did turn out to have strangles. Our yard was also put on lockdown. My horse was stabled next to new horse and new horse had had the chance to interact with many of the other horses on the yard out in the field, and had been in the school before it was diagnosed. No other horse caught strangles, though a couple came up in the grey area in blood tests and had to be scoped- and were found not to have it.

 

[Follysmum]

Many many years ago my older horse and a friends horse came down with strangles. Ours were the only ones from all them in the field of about 15, others in the next fields never got it either , tends to be older and younger that are more vulnerable.

Cleaning the burst abscess and watching my horse looking sorry for himself was the worst for me but he soon rallied round.

 

[SEL]

18 months ago. Flippin nightmare because I was just about to hand in my notice, had the vet out to give my horse a feather mite jab when a livery asked said vet if she could take a quick peak at her horse with a snotty nose. Knew immediately I saw the horse I wasn't going to be moving yards any time soon!

My gelding was completely clear of antibodies but my mare showed up with a high level despite never having a temperature. She had been a bit quiet but it was a hot few weeks so I assumed it was that. Clear pouch swab.

Most horses throw off the infection and bounce back. Complications are very rare. It is an absolute PITA until the yard is clear tho. I had to be very careful meeting up with other horsey friends - clean boots etc.

Hopefully your yard has caught it early.

 

[Mule]

One of mine got it and despite having cushings and the poor immune system that goes with that she recovered fine. Complications of mudrash got her in the end 🙁
I wouldn't worry about a healthy horse getting it because it should be able to fight off the infection.

 

[Griffin]

About 15 years ago now and we did have one fatality sadly. However, you do get through it. As others have said, hygiene is the key to stopping the spread.

 

[Nudibranch]

Keep up the hygiene measures but don't be excessively worried. My PPID old girl caught it when we were on a yard, from a carrier. She was the only one who came down with it - obviously her immune system was compromised - but even she recovered well with no complications.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Keep up the hygiene measures but don't be excessively worried. My PPID old girl caught it when we were on a yard, from a carrier. She was the only one who came down with it - obviously her immune system was compromised - but even she recovered well with no complications.

Exactly. I had a horse I bought who went back to the livery yard he'd been on for a couple of years for two weeks before he came home to me. He'd been to Liverpool fo a bad sarcoid removal and his immune system was compromised. He arrived to me with Strangles - having travelled with another horse of mine who'd been on the yard. Luckily I spotted the snotty nose when he came off the lorry and isolated both horses. The other one didn't get it - nor did other horses of mine. The livery yard found they had TWO carriers - who'd been there for years and only two new horses got it apart from mine - they'd arrived from Ireland. Strangles is a PITA - but stay calm and careful and chances are your horse won't get it.

 

[Bob notacob]

The thing to remember is that "strangles " is just strep throat for horses. It is a weird disease that is constantly changing. It is seldom the nightmare of old. Movement of horses has ,I believe, created exposure and resistance. I have watched an epidemic completely fizzle out in a large yard. We knew it went round because the ym carried out temperature checks twice a day but unless one owner had had her horse scoped we would never have known.I assisted at the scoping and everyone just gasped when the camera went into the gutteral pouch. My own horse Bob notacob was the first to be poorly before even the strangles had been identified. He bounced back within a day and we just thought it was a virus at that point. Only two ponies did not shrug it off easily and they were both in poor health . The weirdest thing came some years later. Bob showed the same symptoms .I called my vet and Guru mike . I wanta strangles test . He said that it was of no benefit to me as Bob either had it or didnt. I explained that whilst I understood that,I wasnt prepared to risk the next seasons hunting and eventing by being the person who let it spread. Bless him my vet did the test at cost for the benefit of everyone. The result came back negative . HOWEVER THE WEIRDEST THING WAS Bob showed no antibodies . He had lived next door to snotty mac snotface for months and not even picked up the strangles.

 

[SEL]

^^^ we had some odd antibody results as well. 3 definite cases (pus everywhere) were isolated. Anything with an elevated temp was then blood tested. A Shetland who had a snotty nose came back inconclusive and was isolated for 2 weeks until he could be re-tested. Another inconclusive. 2 weeks later yet another blood test showed zero. The vets actually thought theyd got samples mixed up so re-tested. Another zero. So we all assumed he'd had a normal snotty nose and he went back into the herd.

Strangles rumbled on with odd horses showing temperatures and needing scoping. Turned out the Shetland was a carrier after all. Never really got a good answer as to why his bloods went back to zero tho.

I have to admit I ended up very, very cynical about the whole drama over strangles and the reliability of the tests.

 

[Shay]

You have to try not to get too anxious. In a way its a bit like those first days when you have your first horse (unless you were a child I suppose) when you worry over every little thing. Waiting and testing is the hardest time because you don't know, and the tests are not always conclusive anyway.

Most horses who get strangles are fine. There are complications and it can be fatal. But the same can be said of a lot of things. It certainly isn't the death sentence it used to be.

It sounds like your yard are doing all the right things by isolating and locking down. You might want to talk to your vet about vaccinating. Keep your hygine 100% and just hang on. In a few weeks you'll probably be wondering what all the fuss was about.

 

[honetpot]

I would keep off FB, the hysteria and lack of knowledge about strangles is incredible. There always seem to be outbreaks this time of year when horses start being stabled and are in closer contact with others, its a bit like kids returning to school after being on holiday.
https://www.aht.org.uk/skins/Default/pdfs/steps.pdf
They post the worst pictures, the drug companies want to sell the vaccines, but its really for most not that bad, like mumps in humans, which can have complications.

 

[scats]

The problem with strangles is that, if it’s not managed correctly, it can drag on and on. I used to be on a huge yard (about 100 horses) and a new horse arrived with strangles. It spread like wild fire around our American barn system and we were not free of it for 5 months. Some people were fantastic in their management of it, but there were enough idiots doing stupid things to keep it spreading. It was not helped by the fact that two vet practises were involved- one was sensibly saying to treat anything with even vague symptoms as strangles and the other was telling people that unless they had abscesses or were looking desperately ill, it wasn’t strangles and to treat it as a virus and turn them back out after a few days. Of course, those people who had the second vet were delighted by their ‘diagnosis’ and were turning snot-nosed horses out left, right and centre. We were fighting a losing battle.

My horse at the time got it and was very unwell. I also had two other horses who didn’t get it, despite being stabled next door and opposite my poorly horse. I was scrupulous with hygiene and changing clothes.

 

[SEL]

The bizarre thing with my two - who shared a field together without even a boundary with other horses - was one had a negative result and the other showed a high level of antibodies.

From reading since I suspect M had been exposed in the past so had immunity. S was younger and therefore more susceptible. No idea how she got exposed but hygiene / quarantine was pretty poor at the yard. I do wonder whether that means she'll have immunity going forward now.

I actually think the outbreak of influenza at a yard when I was a kid was worse. We had a lot of poorly horses.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

We had an isolated case earlier this year. The horse had been away for a couple of weeks with the loaner (now ex) who works at a dealers and came back ill. Luckily it was on a separate block and only one horse had any direct or close contact. No other horse got it not even the owners other horse who was feet away in a small 3 stable barn.

Steri 7 was literally sprayed every way and we used separate taps etc. And took temps every day. Luckily the way the yard is set up it’s almost like two separate yards.

 

[Kaylum]

Many horses get strangles some just have cold like symptoms. But your yard sounds like they are doing things the right way. Its important to remember that new horses should always be quarantined for 3 weeks. Not many yards seem to do this.

 

[holeymoley]

Interesting, wonder if your not far from me, as just heard today of a case. Yard is large and 9 letters in the name of it...

 

[eventer and proud]

yard is currently on lockdown due to confirmed 2 confimed cases , worried sick as never dealt with this before on a yard and constantly making sure mine are ok , ie taking temperatures twice daily strict hygiene ect , affected horses on isolation in blocks but obviousily not away from other horses but that barn is not allowed to walk horses ect for three weeks . bloods being taken 2 weeks post clinical signs .

I am constantly worrying and making sure mine are ok even when he was asleep thinking is he ok even though bright and temp ok , I aM WORRIED sick , all clipped out ready for the winter season and no were to go ,

anybody been in the same situation and felt they were overworrying

thanks

Try THE LOGICAL RANGE---GERM KILL. It is proven to kill strangles and can be used in stables ect. I hope your horses are ok. Also really sorry to ask but if you do order some would you mind mentioning my name (Amity Thwaites) when asked how you heard about the company. (it will be on a text a few days after your order) thanks so much.

 

[racebuddy]

Interesting, wonder if your not far from me, as just heard today of a case. Yard is large and 9 letters in the name of it...

What area r u in

 

[holeymoley]

What area r u in

I’ll say Scotland then we can narrow it down ... just incase I’m singing from a different hymn sheet and you’re the opposite side of the country!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Some people were fantastic in their management of it, but there were enough idiots doing stupid things to keep it spreading. It was not helped by the fact that two vet practises were involved- one was sensibly saying to treat anything with even vague symptoms as strangles and the other was telling people that unless they had abscesses or were looking desperately ill, it wasn’t strangles and to treat it as a virus and turn them back out after a few days. Of course, those people who had the second vet were delighted by their ‘diagnosis’ and were turning snot-nosed horses out left, right and centre. We were fighting a losing battle.
.

We had this problem. Amber was the first horse to show symptoms (turned out later she contracted it from a symptom free carrier). My vets were brilliant and said that they wanted to be the vets in charge of the outbreak as it was important all the liveries followed the same plan. Fields were divided into red, amber and green. Red = horses with symptoms, amber = horses who had been directly exposed and green everyone else. Temps twice a day and any symptomatic horses had to move to a red field. Yard on lock down and disinfectant buckets when you moved on and off. Dogs temporarily banned. If that had been followed it would probbalt have all been over very quickly. But other liveries went to their own vets who said that was not needed and a course of antibiotics would sort it all out when temps were on the rise but before snot appeared. So horses were treated with antibs and then allowed to mingle with other horses. And the infection just kept reappearing. It was totally unncessary for it to go on as long as it did. In the end the YO got a grip and managed ALL the horses under ONE vets instructions. All were blood tested (all 60 of them!) - any positives were scoped and now no horse is allowed onto the yard from outside and any new horse has to have a negative blood test or scope before moving on. An older pony was a carrier. He had never had any symptoms. I don't blame the liveries in any way for following their own vets advice. But I think all yards should have a robust policy on strangles which should include all liveries complying with 1 vet practice during an outbreak and abiding by the rules they set.

 

[SEL]

^^^ we had similar problems in that quarantine was not strictly enforced. Plus liveries didn't have to feed their blood test results back to the YO so people would say their horse was clear when it fact it was in that 'inconclusive' range which means they need a re-test to see if the antibodies were going up. Riding school ponies were still being used for lessons and although the liveries were blocked off people would still go past their stables because it was a natural short cut.

Without being a notifiable disease there's nothing vets can really do to enforce quarantine. I still think that it is more of a PITA than anything else though. I know some horses get it really badly and have problems (my friend nearly lost her mini many years ago), but the majority shake it off with minimal to no symptoms - but all the blood tests, scopes etc cost a fortune so I get why yards try and keep cases quiet. I was on a yard that was a working riding school and they would have gone bust if they'd shut so that really didn't help matters.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Vets can't enforce it but YOs can impose whatever rules they like. Ours now insists on a copy of the clear test/scope which can be stuck up in the office so everyone can see it. It was hard at first because existing liveries whose horses were turned out in field miles away from the symptomatic horses also had to test their horses. It was expensive for everyone. But YO just said it was a new rule and anyone who did not like it was free to leave! Now it's just normal and new liveries know before they arrive they need to have their horses tested and comply with YOs vet if there ever is another outbreak.

OP I do feel for you. It's a nightmare. But as long as it is well managed it can be quite easily contained, It's bacterial not viral and it is not air borne. It can only move from one place to another via direct contact so good hygiene practices and isolating ill horses really should sort it out fairly quickly.