Got the strangles - General Chat - General Chat - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 6/9/2009 10:11:45 PM

Oh Carp, I got the strangles at my barn I have 3 horses on antibiotics, antihistamines and hotpacks for one. Don't know if it was trainers' stable or shows or a ride we went on. Knight got it first, 3 or 4 days of massive snot, called vet, let it run it's course (thought it was like a cold or flu thing even though all my horses are vaccinated) for everything but strangles. Then he's okay and Nikko comes down with snotty nose and coughs and congestion and small lump. He gets penicillin twice a day, gentomicin once a day, and antihist stuff in food twice a day. Then poor Spirit (who has never been off the property) gets massive snot and broken open abcesses and massively swollen neck, she gets penicillin, banamine for pain, antihist and hot packs twice a day. Vet comes out, Knight never had fever, Nikko never had fever, Thunder, Quinn and Jake nothing, last night, Jake has fever,, penicillin. Today no fevers and Knight, Quinn, thunder and Sakota get vaccinated. Nikko meds end tomorrow, Spirit thursday and Jake Friday, no shows for anyone except Knight but not until the 21st. Nasty snot everywhere, have to disenfect my whole barn when it's over and halters too along with auto waterer and buckets. Been really busy with all this but through the grace of God they all should be fine and no worse the wear. Have talked to more vets this week then in all the years I've had horses. But I always thought strangles was sooo deadly and come to find out it rarely is. Nikko scared me the most cause he's 24. And usually horses the ages of mine don't get it, but guess I just got lucky to the tune of around $300 live and learn, next year I'm vaccinating against everything, oh yeah, once they have Strangles it's highly unlikely they'll get it again, don't care vaccinating anyway. So how goes it with everyone. Oh yeah, I've quarantined my barn to everyone and wrote to my whole saddle club and all others telling them to vaccinate for strangles. I kind of think it was the stable cause two horses coming in looked thin and raggedy, no drips though but who knows without vaccination how long they can carry it.

hunterseat

Posted : 6/9/2009 11:46:53 PM

I feel like a broken record but, since this is the topic....
The Strangles vaccine is a LIVE vaccine. It gets squirted up the nose (like kennel cough vaccine in dogs). Expect a large nose-blow from your horse which will spray some of the live vaccine back out. IF YOU GET IT IN YOUR EYES or IF YOU BREATH IT you will become very sick! DON'T TAKE CHANCES. Horse farm neighbors had it happen one year not too long ago. He's still suffering from the effects. Joints, immunity.....
Oops..... Ms.Eddi, it sounds like you're running a hospital. Sorry it's been such a trial for you. yuck. One of the babies down the road had it one year. (I think she's a 2yr old now) but it was no big deal.

trainer101

Posted : 6/10/2009 2:32:59 AM

I did the same with strangles for a long time unitl the vet told me that the longer I had him on pen the longer the strangles would last. If he swelled up to bad I could give him antihistamines and bute but after a couple of days he was healing up and I put Feraseptin on the place where it was seeping and cleaning with warm soapy water. Got better faster than my friends horse and she gave pen twice a day and eveything, but that is just what happened here.

I too was told that once they have it they are unlikely to ever have it again. Thankfully I have never had another outbreak here.

I hope that they all get well soon, I know that is stressfull and tiring.

JetLagaside

Posted : 6/11/2009 12:52:39 AM

Oh what a bummer! Hope everyone is better and fast! Thankfully I've never had to deal with it. Of course I go out to the farm today and the filly is covered in Hives OY

hunterseat

Posted : 6/11/2009 3:43:59 AM

Of course I go out to the farm today and the filly is covered in Hives

OH NO!

Rod44

Posted : 6/11/2009 12:27:40 PM

Just like the mumps and measles, the sooner they get it and get it overwith the better.

qh trail rider

Posted : 6/11/2009 12:37:29 PM

I am sure that Strangles is like a lot of other things. 10 different vets have 10 different opinions.

I have been told that once you put them on antibiotics, you have to keep them on it for the duration, however long that may be. Some say, you are better off to just let it run its course. ??????????

Gliderider

Posted : 6/11/2009 6:47:46 PM

Hope your horses feel better soon.

I had asked my vet about once they get it not getting it again. He said that was not true they can get it again. Having Strangles only gives them immunity from it for a short while not forever.

hunterseat

Posted : 6/14/2009 11:42:40 PM

Update, my friend. How's the ponies? Hope all is well.

gunslinger598

Posted : 6/15/2009 12:54:32 PM

They'll pull though.

Things sure are a mess while they are going through it though.

The ones that have had it will be most immune.

But it seems like once a property has it new horses and foals have a higher chance of getting it. I dunno if it lives in the soil etc.

Distemper ....

RubyTuesday

Posted : 6/15/2009 6:49:45 PM

My Ruby had it after I first got her. It came from her last barn she was at . We quarentined her and the Vet would not even walk near her because she said it is in the earth and she could carry it to the next barn. Plenty of antibiotics and 3 weeks of worry and then 1.5 months of more quarentine and then we were good. She cleared up fast but still you have to watch and wait. The virus can stay in the soil for 6 months or so I have heard. I May be wrong but I heard that.

MsEddi1

Posted : 6/17/2009 12:45:49 PM

Hi, Everyone and everyone is right, treat or not to treat, I chose to treat and Spirit is over hers she got treated the longest with penicillin 2/day for 9 days, her neck has healed and she's fine. Quinn got vaccinated and now has it, neck and nose dripping, will start antibiotics (maybe) might let it run it's course on him as long as he's eating and everything. Now my Jake gave us a terrible scare!! he got Purpura everything from his belly down swelled terribly and it was considered quite serious, he is on steroids (if you remember he's the one that's built like a brick schlithouse) the first dose brought him down 50% but I have to give every other day and ween him off over the next 2 weeks. Knight who started it all is in tip top shape as is my friends mare and Thunder, Nikko's cough is even gone. I stressed so bad I couldn't even talk about my babies without crying. Thanks for all your great wishes and advice. The general consensus here is vaccinate but if you don't wait till fever and signs before treating. Spirit had a fever of 104 and was draining when we started her treatment. Jake just had a fever, Nikko was coughing, wheezing and snotty when we started him. As I've said we're waiting on Quinn, will check him this morning when we give Jake his steroids. My property is quarantined (by me) but I don't have new horses here I take mine out and Knight is cleared by two vets for our show on the 21st. Jake I'm thinking of retireing from showing, especially since keeping big enough to win halter with all that grain got my butt bucked off on a trail ride, LOL

Remali

Posted : 6/17/2009 1:59:14 PM

Oh geez Ms Eddi, sorry to hear you have had to deal with strangles and hives....man that is no fun! I have heard it stays in the soil too, so many theories about strangles. I've also heard to avoid the vaccine.....but, who knows....I think whatever works best for each individual horse is best. I sure hope Jake continues to improve, that has to be nerve-wracking and scary. Sending good healing vibes your way.

MsEddi1

Posted : 6/17/2009 2:24:37 PM

Thanks, just got back from the barn, gave Jake his steroids, he sure is moving slow and his legs are still real swollen. Took temps on him and Quinn and no temps so we've decided to let it run it's course on Quinn with just hotpacking and 5cc of banamine twice a day but no penicillin. Will ask vet about banamine for Jake (so stiff and sore, but eating well). The rest are still good and Spirit is healed completely. I never have any horses coming on to the property and rarely even have friends at the barn, my house is across the gravel road so I'm thinking everyone is safe.

littlebit

Posted : 6/17/2009 3:37:27 PM

I feel for you MsEddi!! We had strangles here in 2002 which came with a group of PMU foals we adopted. I don't know how they ever got through the border check into this country with the shape they were in. I have heard that strangles is very common in Canada. HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS! We kept pans of bleach water outside the stalls that we walked through. Washed our hands and changed our clothes/boots after tending them. Had a set of grooming tools, halters, leads, rakes and wheelbarrows just for the PMU stalls. A cat, dog, or chicken can carry the virus all over the place.
The poor foals, after just having been through the trama of being weaned, shipped hundreds of miles, and being very sick all at the same time, were so depressed. Strangles ran its course and the foals have turned into beautiful mature mares.

Most vets don't like to use antibotics unless they have to as sometimes the abcesses turn into "*** strangles" meaning that they go inside instead of bursting out through the skin-then you have a major problem and the possiblility of losing your horse. But most horses get through it fine. They will be immune from getting strangles for a period of time, but not for life. The virus cannot live long outside the body was what I was told.