strangles

[doodah]

has anyone on here ever had a first-hand experience with strangles? Its just that one horse on our yard has it but the yard owner doesn't seem to be taking quarantine seriously, nor does anyone for that matter except me and a few other people. It seems as everyone is just trying to point the finger. If anyone has ever had strangles on their yard, how did you handle the 4-6 weeks isolation?

[stinkpig]

having been on a yard that had strangles you cannot take the quarantine too seriously and once you have all resigned yourselves to that the time flys by, i was lucky and because of how careful we all were my mare never contracted it but sadly one of the older horses was put to sleep because although the vet tried everything they couldn't get a negative result and his owners felt that they couldn't put him through yet another gutteral pouch wash. Be careful, be patient it will work out but everybody has to do the same !

[doodah]

thanks, it is just so fustrating probably because we are all panicking far too much.

[arrogorn]

We had an awful time with strangles three seasons ago, We had it on the yard three times from the feb, again in may then again in aug it was so stressful.
It started with an old horse having a really bad snotty nose and tying up but the owners werent bothered and left it, it soon spread and a 4yr old got it really bad and was up at the vets for a week on a drip and they nearly lost him.
My mare had signs ie a big lump in the back of her throat however tested negative three times but it burst open and pussed abd she went down hill, she was blood tested and results showed she had a virus but clear for strangles! no signs on the scope either!
The yard was sealed off for 6 weeks after the last horse had its third clear swab.
Then out of the blue another horse from a different part of the yard and a diff field came down with a snotty nose, again yard shut down for another 6 weeks after the third clear swab.
The last time the yard was not shut down and was opened as soon as the last horse had a clear scope therefore no need for swabs.
It was an awful time and thought we would loose one of our 4yr olds as it was suspected bastard strangles however he never showed any signs but tested positive. Therefore we learnt a horse can have a clear scope, clear swabs but show signs ie burst absess and really unwell, and other showed no visible signs but had positive swabs? Vet could not explain.
Best disinfectant everything and avoid contact with other horses and keep them in away from the infected ones or as far away as poss in a diff field and clean the water supply in the field that infected ones have grazed.

[stinkpig]

Our vet actually came to the yard and explained the whole thing to us, yes some people panicked but overall we just got on with it, the biggest problem we had was with outsiders spreading rumours and making the situation much worse. Listen to your vet and follow their instructions to the letter and things will get better

[ferret]

we had it few years ago , a few were very poorly , vet advised to mix the yard as its best they are all subject to the virus and then the ones who are going to get it will get it and then they can get the right treatment and the yard will be reopened quicker . He said trying to keep them all seperate just ends up with the virus dragging on and on . Was very frustrating while yard was closed , but time soon passed and we never got it again touch wood

[seahorse]

If you can nomintate one person only to each ill horse, you can not take any chances, but above all if you are careful and it does spread, do not blame your selves so many people turn it in a which hunt

[lincolstables]

We were lucky when we got it. Only one mare got the lumps the others just had a bit of a cough and runny noses. Our mares were in-foal at the time so it was very worrying. We quarantined our yard for 8 weeks. Cancelled PUK etc. No vehicles or other people were allowed anywhere near until it was over.

[stephjw1]

I had experience of it on a livery yard twice, the first time everybody was really vigilent everything was disinfected and the infected horses one my old horse one of the yard owners school ponies and a foal where only attented to by three of us. A very worrying time I nearly lost my old boy he was so ill. But this was due to his age, if managed properly everything should be ok, but the quarantine must be handled well it is vital to take it seriously