Horses dieing in my area

[Waikato Valuta]

A few horses in my area have died resently.

They dont know what caused them to die but the got very sick could not stand. Then go absuses all over there bodys. The last straw was when there tendons literaly disolved.

I have heard the vets think it was something to do with food. But as one of the horses was not being feed this sound a tad unlikly.

two of the horses pulled through. But will be afected for the rest of there lives. No one thinks our horses are at risk. but i was wondering if you have ever encounted somthing like this and what it could have been.

[DebO]

Could it be some sort of poison?

[Snuggles]

I have never heard of anything like that before! I think it also could be poison. Maybe ther was something left out in your area, or a plant of some sort. But I dought it could be the food, but check anyway. Search the hay loft ( if you have one) or the area where the feed is being kept. Perhaps, I highly dought it, but something could have crawled into the food. As for your horses being safe, I have not idea. Maybe monitor how long and where your horse is being turned out. I hope everything turns out ok!

[DebO]

Maybe it could be some sort of bacteria, perhaps in the soil or spread by other animals.

I just typed "horse body abcesses" on the internet and there was one particular item I certainly hadn't heard about. Occurs in the states, these horses were covered in abcesses. You could see pics of the pus pouring out. Called it Pigeon something, or dryland disease.
Don't think it's anything like your describing but it is always worth typing in different search criteria. It's a good way of finding out info

[Cochise]

Late last year, there was a bout of tetanus going around my area. Two horses died I think. I got injections for my horse and myself done SO quickly!
Sounds like there is a type of poison about.

[galadriel]

Ack, tetanus! Usually any equine 3- or 4- or 5- way shot we can get here has tetanus in it :) But recently there was a shortage of the HUMAN anti-tet vaccine. Fall of 2001 I scratched myself on barbed wire (fell on it in fact, whoops--have some very impressive scars on my shoulder). I didn't think anything about it until about the week later, when I realized that it had been about 9 yrs since my last tetanus injection (more whoops).

Had a doctor apptmt the next day anyway, so I asked for it--they wouldn't give it to me! They said they had to ration it, since the supply was so low. Since I didn't have a recent wound (as in the last 24 hours or so) I didn't qualify. 'Course, when I broke my finger last spring and had an open wound at the ER visit, I qualified then...

Waikato Valuta, is there any more news about this? It sounds pretty awful, and serious enough that any local equine hospitals should be looking into it if they're not already.

[Nickie]

Originally posted by DebO
I just typed "horse body abcesses" on the internet and there was one particular item I certainly hadn't heard about. Occurs in the states, these horses were covered in abcesses. You could see pics of the pus pouring out. Called it Pigeon something, or dryland disease.

DebO is this the thing you found?

http://www.ctba.com/02magazine/jul02/HORSECARE.pdf

I certainly hope this is not what is affecting the horses in your area Waikato. I hope there haven't been any more ill horses!!

Nicola

[DebO]

Hi Nikki

Sorry I didn't respond been busy.

That might have been one of the articles. If ever I want to find out more info I just type in a variety of words and see what comes up. The internet is really useful at times.

Have you found out any more about these ponies?

[Nickie]

Not found out any more - but will let you know if I do

Nic