Strangles Savvy?

[Tootsie4U]

Our barn is under the thumb of a strangles outbreak. It disquised itself as a flu for about three weeks, but a week ago the vet diagnosed a strain of strangles when a few (about 10 to 15) horses showed swollen lymph glands.

Our vet, which I dont completely trust from a previous experience, says that its best to let the disease run its course untreated unless the horse comes into respiratory distress. She says the most recent studies suggest that treating strangles with antibiotics will prolong the illness as it only masks symptoms and doesnt allow the horse to build its own immunity.

The disease has gone through most of the herd and I thought I was lucky because my two boys were fine. Until tonight. Fella has a fever of 104F and did not eat his dinner or touch his hay. He has no swollen glands but he is having trouble swollowing.

For those of you who have been through this nasty thing, what treatment did you give? Is anyone up on the current info - esp. over in the UK as things usually tend to be a tad different than here in the States. I went researching on the net and I get conflicting info. Most seem to say to treat early signs with antibiotics but once the swelling begins to let it run its course.

Thanks.

[Shadowlark]

I let it run it's course both times I have delt with it in my own horses - I don't remember my horses as a kid ever having it.

Splash had a severe reaction to the strangles vaccine.. it was nasty we actually thought we were going to lose him - and than 6 months later ended up being the hardest hit when it went thru - rest fluids and beet pulp brought him fully fit faster than the horses on either side of him, who were given antibiotics. I chose not to revaccinate him against it, due in no small part ot his reaction and my feelings on over vaccination/vaccinosis. The next 3 times it went around - Splash didn't get a single symptom - while both his neighbours were sick yet again.

Lovie and Cypher both had at when I adopted them - we knew they had it at the feedlot (as did the others in the group), they were kept seperate up at the rescue and we used the same solution with them - both came around quite quickly and are doing fine. We did worry about Lovie due to her age, and being so underweight but she is a trooper!

[Rips]

You are not supposed to treat it with antibiotics until the abcess has burst (if there is one) otherwise it can result in a case of bastard strangles (fatal)

I researched it a long time ago and that is one thing I remember.

I have heard of vets lancing the abcesses though, so that the horses could be treated.

[Tootsie4U]

You are not supposed to treat it with antibiotics until the abcess has burst (if there is one) otherwise it can result in a case of bastard strangles (fatal)

I researched it a long time ago and that is one thing I remember.

See, thats why Im so confused. Some of the articles I've read said that is a falacy based on antiquated info.

Who knows what to believe anymore :confused:

Thanks for the input though.

Mine are vaccinated for it. Im hoping their own antibodies will fight it and it wont become full blown. Some of the other horses only got the fever and lethargy - Im hoping I get as lucky but am doubting it because both of mine are coughing now.

[KateWooten]

I've got it at the moment too. Well, Rosie appears to - everyone else is still fine. We're letting it run its course - even to the extent of not isolating her. My case isn't confirmed yet - we took swabs today as the abcess started draining. Fortunately for me, Rosie hasn't been in any way sick or off colour at all and is eating for england. We're not even giving antibiotics now that it's burst because of her lack of sickness. Who knows - maybe it's not even strangles ? The vet did open up the abcess to drain it, and I'm to keep it clean and stop the scab growing over and that's about it. I don't vaccinate for it.

[Scarlett 001]

Gosh, what a pain in the neck for you guys. The worry of the illness, and then to boot all the careful cleanup you have to do at the yard afterwards. I knew someone who once told me about a horse they had that died of bastard strangles - this was a long time ago from I gathered and was at another yard (not mine) but it sounded awful.

[Bronya]

My horse had it a few years ago. I was advised to let it run its course, so I did, and she was ok. Had an enormous abscess so couldn't eat or drink from the floor and had to have everything on a sort of 'bar' of straw bales! She should now be immune, and that is such a relief.

Regarding treatment, two horses didn't show abscesses straight away, more flu type symptoms. They were both given antibiotics and both did much worse, and had if for far longer, than the horses where it was left to run its course. One ended up having so much phlegm in her lungs and throat that she had to be walked in hand for hours each day to try to help her cough it up or she was literally drowning in it. They are both far less likely to be immune, so the owners could have to go through it all again one day.

The only situation in which antibiotics were effective, was the very night the temperature first went up (it goes up before symptoms, then back to normal for 3 days or so, then up and you get symptoms like yours has). Any later, and they caused more problems than they solved.

It should take about 4 weeks start to finish. Love and tlc will get your horse through.

[Mehitabel]

running its course is still what our vets say. it's on the basis that if the abscess doesn't burst outward, but shrinks instead, it may not go entirely and then can get into the blood stream from there. that's been the case with foot abscesses i've seen - treated with antibiotics they shrink but grumle on for ages and then burst again later - better to get it over with and get it all out, then you can ensure everything is gone.

[showjumper-zoe]

I would let it run it's course as giving antibiotics can clear it up but cause bastad strangles(goes to the organs inside which can be fatal)

Also feed all hay/hayledge etc off the floor so all the mucus etc will drain out best to have there heads down.

Use hot damp towls on the swoolen lymph glands to encourages them to open as when they are open the horse can start recovering.

I would get swabs untill the sawbs tell them the horse is clear.

[Tootsie4U]

Ugh, what a nightmare :(

Question about the phlem - the one with the fever, my QH, has alot of it and sounds terrible. He's breathing ok but having a hard time when he coughs. we're not supposed to walk them because of keeping this away from the other horses, so what can I do to help him?

(Hay and grain is still kept low but what else, if anything)

[Mehitabel]

we feed a lot of extra strong mints and mentholy things for anything respiratory, helps them cough things up. poor chap.

[Tootsie4U]

[QUOTE=Mehitabel;1262465a lot of extra strong mints and mentholy things for anything respiratory, helps them cough things up. poor chap.[/QUOTE]

Ah! Great idea!

I'll tell him a few of his hugs today are from auntie mehitabel. :)

[Mehitabel]

no kisses though while he is snotty! ;)

[capalldubh]

We had this last year. Vet advice was that by the time the swabs showed it was strangles, it was too late to treat with antibiotics - although possible to do so if necessary after abscesses burst. He just gave bute for about 4 days. Ours were all turned out - and stayed out, as this meant the yard stayed free of infection. This seemed to help - they all grazed throughout, so everything drained downwards and the movement seemed to help. Hard feed/dry feed was a problem, though and had to be damped down and fed higher up.

Of the four, one showed virtually no symptoms, but remained infected after the others and had to have a guttural pouch wash (we suspect he was a carrier who only occasionally shed bacteria), one showed early snottiness - lots of yellow mucus - but never had an abscess. The other two had the snottiness big time and abscesses which burst and drained in an unproblematic way. No antibiotics were needed in the end and everybody recovered fine within 3 or 4 weeks. They were only ever really miserable for about two days of this.

None of the abscesses were lanced, they swelled up, popped and then the vet advised to keep them open and draining as they needed to heal from the inside out. I washed my mare's out with warm saline once - after that she was disinclined to allow me anywhere near it ;)

I found this (http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121309.htm) really helpful. HTH - good luck :)

[Tootsie4U]

Bonfire still does not have a fever, but he is coughing intermittenly (on occassion, just a little). If he does NOT develop any other signs, how will this affect him in the future? Since he's been exposed but not infected, could that lend him to becoming a carrier?

Uh huh, panicing a bit in case we ever move stables and what that might do to the new horses.

I understand *what* a carrier is, but how do they become carriers exactly?

[Bay Horse]

Tootsie, the strangles remains in their guttural pouches.

We found that vets in attendance treated cases quite differently. My own horse was given bute to enable him to eat and drink again, and to bring his temperature down, but otherwise the disease was left to run its course. His temperature was something like 104F for the best part of a week, and it took a fortnight for the discharge to clear up. He didn't have any abcesses. Animals being treated by a different vet were given antibiotics from the outset, and the discharge cleared up within 48 hours. I must admit that I did feel happier that mine was left to run its course and his own immune system allowed to fight it off.