Too late to vaccinate against strangles?

[Sianage]

We were on a yard surrounded by horses with strangles. The vet said if anyones horse developed a temperature they would give us antibiotics (presumably as this would indicate the distict possibility of them developing strangles). This is what he said and this is what I did. He was happy to prescribe them, I was happy to give them and the horse was fine.

For goodness sake get a grip.

Thanks for telling me to get a grip

I merely intended to point out that giving antibiotics to horses who are well only encourages antibiotic resistance, meaning when the strangles bacteria trundles along next time the normal antibiotics a vet would prescribe for this will not work.

Fair enough if you were just following your vet's instructions, I would do the same thing if I had been in your position. Would also like to point everyone in the direction of this recent article on Horse&Hound website...... http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/311161.html

Not up for causing arguments, have a nice day

xx

 

[ruth83]

different strangles?, check out the science! There is only one Streptoccous Equi .

Although all strangles is caused by Streptoccocus Equi, latest research has found that there are different strains (sp) of the bacteria. Using this information and the variations (at the last update I attended, 3 different strains had been found) vets are starting to be able to track the spread of the disease and where it is being passed around.

The strangles vaccine needs boosting anywhere between every 3 months and every 2 years dependant on the level of risk in your area, so as millseysister said, a vaccine several years previously would no longer have provided protection.

I think applecarts comments have been somewhat misconstrued. Though the disease itself is serious, the biggest problem is the stigma surrounding it. Yards who get it are seen as being dirty or not having a good level of care. This leads to secrets being kept and the yard, very wrongly, continuing as normal - allowing liveries to go to shows etc, to prevent problems. Carriers happen, it is a fact of life. If it were accepted that this sometimes happens AND that, yes, it can be a fatal disease BUT if your horse is generally well the fatality level is low (normal strangles, without complications in otherwise healthy horses carries a mortality rate of 1-2%) then the stigma would be decreased and yards would be encouraged to implement proper quarantine procedures and be open about what is happening on the yard.

Yes, quarantine procedures need to be taken seriously and yes, complications are awful but thankfully, fairly rare. It is the panic which needs to be avoided - it's almost like hiding a child away and saying someone is a bad parent because their child has picked up chicken pox.

 

[traceyann]

I agree with the post above as long as you know what you are doing and i have had many cases of strangles in big yards over thirty years. You know the drill it becomes second nature. In thirty years iv had one horse iv owned with strangles. so count myself lucky he was sharing a horsebox with my friends horse at another yard but didnt know the yard had strangles. The horse i knew that had been vaccinate was in the same year we got strangles seven years ago just to clear that up.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I'm on a yard where its compulsory to vacinate against strangles. 23 horses and this has been going on for a year now. Worst reaction has been a couple of horses have had a lump on the lip for a few days thats a bit tender. Nothing like some people are saying. After the fist injection they needed another after 3 weeks then its every 6 months.