Deano645
Active Member
Hello
Help & advice needed. We have a pony with possible strangles, basically a week and a half ago pony became unwell, off food and high temp. Had the vet out who suspected an infection, glands were up a bit but no snot or cough. After finished course of antibiotics temp went back up and off food again, then a few days ago huge abscess appeared under the throat and ruptured. Vet called out immediately as of course we suspected Strangles. He took blood, nasal swab, and sample from the fluid coming from the abscess. Through the rest of the week lots of thick yellow very smelly gunk has come out of the abscess but pony is so much better in herself and temp normal. She is grazed separately from others as she is prone to weight gain, doesn't share a water trough or any other equipment, there are 4 other horses at the yard and all are still ok and well. We are being very careful and treating it as though she does have strangles so only I am handling her, wearing protective clothing etc and using lots of disinfectant! The vet has told me he thinks it isn't strangles as we still have no snot or cough, even though we have this big abscess. Anyway, yesterday he phoned to say the blood test was negative, and hopefully this means she is clear of strangles. On monday we will get the results from the swabs, he said the blood test although negative does show she has antibodies so has been exposed to strangles in the past and we need to do another test in a couple of weeks. He said if the swabs are negative then they will clean her up, try and find out what it was that caused it, and do a guttural flush and all should be ok.
He was very positive on the phone yesterday that we are in the clear, does anyone know much about this blood test and how accurate it is, and has anyone been through this and will it all be ok? So worried for everyone else on the yard if it is strangles and the cost to them etc and the inconvenience. Glad our pony is getting better though.
Help & advice needed. We have a pony with possible strangles, basically a week and a half ago pony became unwell, off food and high temp. Had the vet out who suspected an infection, glands were up a bit but no snot or cough. After finished course of antibiotics temp went back up and off food again, then a few days ago huge abscess appeared under the throat and ruptured. Vet called out immediately as of course we suspected Strangles. He took blood, nasal swab, and sample from the fluid coming from the abscess. Through the rest of the week lots of thick yellow very smelly gunk has come out of the abscess but pony is so much better in herself and temp normal. She is grazed separately from others as she is prone to weight gain, doesn't share a water trough or any other equipment, there are 4 other horses at the yard and all are still ok and well. We are being very careful and treating it as though she does have strangles so only I am handling her, wearing protective clothing etc and using lots of disinfectant! The vet has told me he thinks it isn't strangles as we still have no snot or cough, even though we have this big abscess. Anyway, yesterday he phoned to say the blood test was negative, and hopefully this means she is clear of strangles. On monday we will get the results from the swabs, he said the blood test although negative does show she has antibodies so has been exposed to strangles in the past and we need to do another test in a couple of weeks. He said if the swabs are negative then they will clean her up, try and find out what it was that caused it, and do a guttural flush and all should be ok.
He was very positive on the phone yesterday that we are in the clear, does anyone know much about this blood test and how accurate it is, and has anyone been through this and will it all be ok? So worried for everyone else on the yard if it is strangles and the cost to them etc and the inconvenience. Glad our pony is getting better though.
