Bastard Strangles on Aris's Stablemate!

[I'mForAris]

Hello,
What started out looking like a basic pucture wound on my horse has turned into a mild case of strangles. His temperature is fine, he's eating and breathing well and the only symptom he has is the abcessed lymphnode on his jowl.
His stablemate however is not so lucky. He was sold, a few days before my horse started showing signs, and now he's back (obviously) because he has strangles.
The vet that he saw said he has secondary strangles. Is this bastard strangles?? His abdomen and sheath are EXTREMELY swollen and his sheath is swollen so much that he can't extend his penis to pee. Walking is extremely painful for him, as well.
I'm not terribly worried about my horse, or the other boarder at the farm. They do both have strangles, but in both cases it's very mild- at least compared to the other horse.
NO vet wants to touch this case at all. Obviously it's highly contagious- we found out that the farrier brought it in on her boots from another farm (arrrrg). The thing is, the horse that's got secondary strangles is looking worse and worse each day. It started with swellings in his front leg "armpits" and then the swelling moved back to his abdomenal area and now his sheath is completely swollen but hasn't come to a head yet.
I've been putting hot compresses on it, and I will find a way to lance it as soon as it comes to a head, but for now it's so painful for the guy that I don't know what else I can do without a vet's actual help (instead of vague instructions on things i can try). I understand a vet not wanting to get too involved, but the fact of the matter is it's THEIR job to help keep the horses healthy.
Anyway, any other ideas for what I can do for this guy? I'm giving them all butamine twice a day, but will that reduce swelling? I need something to reduce the swelling so this poor guy can urinate and walk!
Because his owner sold him (the same woman who own's aris- you may be familiar with my frustrated antics over her "pasture ornament" hands-off care of her horses) she doesn't feel responsible for him, and the man who bought him doesn't either. I know that strangles can be fatal and I don't want anything like that to happen to this guy because he's such a sweetheart. I've even mentioned the fatality rate to his previous and current owners and both kind of shrug it off. True the fellow is 28, but GOSH that makes me mad. He's still alive, he's still experiencing pain and stress and I guess i'm taking on the task of helping him out.
PLEASE, any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I don't have much money, but I can try to figure something out to pay for vet bills and medication.
much love,
Em

[Bertie]

I'm sorry but haven't got any medical based advice but just wanted to say thank goodness he has you.

At least the new owner has a bit of an excuse of not wanting to help but the previosus owner is totally irresponsible and should not be allowed to keep animals :mad:

I hope he recovers from this and that his owners whether old or new really realise that he his a horse, has a feelings and has suffered greatly due to tehir neglect and indifference regardless of whether he's 6 or 26.

I've PM'd you with a possible suggestion

Let us know how you get on.

[Mehitabel]

i must say that at 28 he doesn't have the best chances in the world of recovery - bastard strangles is often fatal even to young and healthy horses.
if he were mine, at that age and with not being able to wee or walk, i'd be looking at having him put to sleep rather than making him go through treatment by a non-professional without access to the best drugs (not saying you're not doing the best you can - but i know i wouldn't be up to that kind of job), for a slimmish chance of recovery anyway.

i am appalled that the vets won't get involved - what on earth are they there for? is this a common thing in america?

i'm also digusted with the owner - not only for selling on a horse of that age who IMO should be retired at home or put down if you aren't prepared to look after it - but also for not insisting that proper veterinary treatment is given.

[galadriel]

Oh, hon...oh, hell.

With bastard strangles, the infection spreads *everywhere*, including to internal organs. You may be able to help with abcesses that are close to the skin, but there's not a lot you can do externally to help the ones inside.

The reason that antibiotics are avoided in early treatment of strangles is to prevent bastard strangles. Since this guy's already got bastard strangles, perhaps a strong antibiotic, maybe in combination with some corticosteriods? for inflammation, might help him. Can you call around until you find *some* vet willing to help this poor guy?

Bastard Strangles has a very poor outlook :( The vets may not be able to cure him, in fact it's likely that they can't. As miserable as you say he is, and considering that at his age he may not be able to fight it off very effectively, perhaps you should discuss with the vet/his owners having him put down :( I'm incredibly miserable saying this, and I know you'll be even worse. I'm so sorry.

[I'mForAris]

is it at all possible that it hasn't abcessed on organs and has only affected the lymph nodes in his groin/abdomen near the surface?
i would hate to put him down if it weren't necessary... i'm looking into getting medications - cortacostoids (?) and high dosages of penecillan to reduce the likelihood of going septic if he does have any internal abcesses that pop?
he doesn't have abcesses or swelling on the surface anywhere except in the groin and under his belly now. the swelling on his chest is gone.
gosh is there anything else i could do for him?
this is absolutely mind boggling and i feel like i'm about to explode i'm so stressed. Aris just got over a bout of sand colic too, so i'm still getting over the trauma of that, and now THIS!
we've disinfected everything with bleach and water, and we've cleaned and closed up the barn. the horses are staying out in the pastures, the closest the sick ones can get to the healthier ones is 10 feet away, and they don't usually go to those corners of the paddocks- they're usually at least 30-50 feet away, or farther.
whats worst of all is that it's just now setting in that i won't be able to ride for at least a month, probably more.
we were just working on flying lead changes, and making the transition into higher level dressage... this is going to set us back quite a bit. i'm so nervous about spreading bacteria i can't even hug my horse. i just give him a pat on the nose, clean out his abcess, and give him treats- all with latex gloves on.
i miss my baby. :(

[Mehitabel]

i'm afraid that's really unlikely. bastard strangles travels via the lymph nodes - it the abcsesses on the throat burst or leak internally, then the infection gets into the lymph system and travels round the body internally - so once the abcsesses show elsewhere, it's pretty established and the chances are les than great. i hate saying it, and i really hope he beats the odds; but it'd be very unlikely.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by I'mForAris
gosh is there anything else i could do for him?

I'm not sure what you're currently giving him--you said butamine. Is that bute, banamine, or a drug that combines the two of them? But both bute and banamine are painkillers and anti-inflammatories, so if you're giving one or both, you are probably providing him with some relief.

The thing about bastard strangles is that there are infections internally that you can't see, which cause all sorts of discomfort to the horse. These abcesses can be anywhere--on the organs in the gut, even in the brain. And unlike the surface abcesses, when they burst, there's nowhere for the pus to go--it can cause all sorts of further infection all over their insides. Bastard strangles is something like 90%-95% fatal.

It sounds like you're giving this horse the best care he could hope for. If you can get a vet to come out and look at him, the vet can probably give you a realistic outlook for him.

I found a webpage online in which someone describes treating her 20-yr-old mare for bastard strangles. It was pretty extreme:
http://www.horse-dog-advice.com/archives/horses/013102news.htm

[I'mForAris]

heh i meant phenylbute...
i told his previous owner tonight that i think he should be put down. he's grazing and drinking water still but he turned away from a hand full of grain and his legs have swollen so i'm beginning to think it's more serious than it appears. I'm only hoping he hasn't gone septic yet.
She is going to call the vet tomorrow and we'll see if this stingy old vet decides to get off her tuckus to do something about this. The poor old chap is suffering so badly, he can barely urinate and he stands with his back legs all stretched out and his head down, like he's going to try to pee, almost all the time now. I can actually see the lymphnodes all over his body, in his neck, his "armpits", his groin, his sheath, his abdomen, his jowls... the only one that looks at all like it's coming to a head after a few days of hot compresses is the one on his sheath. the thing is, if that one does come to a head, it's likely he'll get a urinary tract infection when it does from all of the bacteria in the pus.
really i think that he just needs to be let go. i was wrong about his age. I asked today and he's estimated to be about 28-29. The poor guy has had a rough life with several different owners, and several different riding styles, but the fact of the matter is he's going to be sold for sure if he survives, and he's happiest with his best friend (Aris) so maybe it's best he's just let go while he's still happy at home.
If the vet doesn't come out tomorrow, I'm going to put him on banamine as well as the bute. At this point, his comfort is the number one priority for me (well, maybe second to making sure Aris is still progressing well).
In case anyone is following this, I went to clean out aris's jowl abcess today (the only one he has) and it completely opened up. It's no longer able to fill back up and I only got 3 or 4 drips of fluid out of it. His temperature is at a steady 100.2 which is pretty normal for him, and i asked him to move out from me a bit so i could see him walk and he took off trotting around the field. I almost cried i was so happy to see him feeling so well.
I'm still going to keep the whole place under lockdown for at least another 4 weeks, longer if the other horses abcess (but it looks like they all had partial immunity at least.)
When do you think I can ride again?
Thanks again to everyone who has helped me through this. I'll keep everyone posted in case you're interested.

[I'mForAris]

I figured I'd post a few images of sugar and aris while I'm at it. These are both older photographs. Sugar is the appaloosa and Aris is the palomino.
http://www.jenkinsequinephotography.com/arissugarcute.jpg

http://www.jenkinsequinephotography.com/arissugar.JPG

[Mehitabel]

well done for talking to his owner - i hope you manage to get the poor horse the dignified end he deserves. really sorry though.

[entreat]

Oh no! I started crying when I read about him. Give him a pet for me.

[Bertie]

You and he are havving such a terrible time but one thing that you can take comfort in is that you are doing you best for him and that he is extremely lucky to have to you fighting his corner.

Well done for talking to his owner, it must ave been so hard to reccommend having him let go but I think it sounds like the right thing, you don't want him to suffer anymore than he already has done.

let us know what the Vet say's and good luck.

Give both him and Aris a pet from me :)

[~Perdita.M~]

Oh my Goodness this is so sad:( And as someone else said, that heavens he has you to fight his corner and try to do what his best for him. Poor old lad.:( Give him a huge, gentle hug from me. I hope his misery is over soon. Hugs for you too, for seeming to be the only person who cares enough for him. Take care xxxx

[galadriel]

I'm so sorry that you're in this situation :( It sounds like it's so rough on you. Good for you, for talking to his owner, and trying to get him some dignity & relief. I wish there was something more I could offer you.

The pictures are very sweet. Aris looks nothing like I'd imagined, by the way, and is very lovely. I'm glad he's feeling better. And I think you'll probably be the best judge of when you canride again. You know him better than we do, so just keep an eye on him to see when he's fully recovered.

You said:
he stands with his back legs all stretched out and his head down

That's also a symptom of gut pain; you can see it sometimes in horses who are colicking. I'd guess that's evidence that there's something inside that is causing him distress, along with what you can see on the outside.

Are you handling any other horses out there? If you're not, then throw caution to the winds and give Sugar and Aris hugs and cuddles. I think you probably need them. Just make sure that you get yourself & your clothes & shoes disinfected every day.

[I'mForAris]

The vet is going to give sugar a 4 or 5 more days to gauge his progress because when his owner came out to feed this morning she found him with his head in a normal position and he knickered when he got grain. He also ate almost all of it.
The vet apparently checked his vitals and said aside from looking pretty bad on the surface, things are in order on the inside for now. She said it's likely he was standing like that because his sheath and groin are so swollen.
The vet gave me no idea of what to look for next so I'll take it a day at a time. She's convinced that this old guy is going to pull through and she is the vet,even though sometimes it really doesnt feel like it.
She didn't tell me to give him anything, but I'm still going to give him some banamine for the swelling and pain. She's a very hands off vet and combined with Aris and Sugar's hands off owner you get nothing but troubled horses.
I'll keep posting when new things arise.
I am caring for a friend's horse at the moment on and off while she works throughout the week. He lives at the same barn and was exposed to both horses with strangles but he only has a mild temperature and a cough so we think he has partial immunity (as well as the miniature horse that lives there too) but we seperated the healthier horses from the sicker horses just to be safe.
For now I am actually pretty much running the entire place in terms of watching their health (4 horses and a donkey) because everyone seems to flake out at the sight of pus. I guess I would too if it weren't absolutely necessary for me to stay strong.
It's wonderful to be getting such a resonse from everyone out there - I feel like at least you guys appreciate me. This is hard, but I'm managing to keep it all together.
It would be nice for sugar to pull through, but at this point I'm not even going to hope too much. I said my goodbyes to him yesterday, just in case, and gave him a huge hug at the end of my day at the barn and told him everything would be okay. I just hope that if/when something does rupture inside, it's as painless as possible.
much love,
em

[entreat]

Just a thought for when you hug them - you might consider washing your barn clothes in an antiseptic wash. I think Dettol make some in-wash stuff, or Canesten (sp??). And use a biological based washing powder (like Biozet) 'cause they'll help with killing off the germs.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by I'mForAris
For now I am actually pretty much running the entire place in terms of watching their health

Hmm. Can you take care of the others, then go cuddle with Aris and Sugar? I know you said that you were concerned about spreading germs.

It's disappointing that you're so undervalued, where you are. It's clear that you're trying hard, for horses that aren't even yours, nor really your responsibility. I hope things look up for you.

[I'mForAris]

I have some good news.
Aris has completely stopped draining, so the 2-4 week quarentinte begins as of yesterday! His pasture mate, dodger, had mild strangles because of a past vaccination so he's over the worst as well. The miniature appears to have almost complete immunity- she had a runny nose for one day last week and it disappeared overnight.
We turned out all of the horses together finally because dodger has mild strangles and had it for quite a while before we caught it, and the mini had the runny nose so we figured everyone must have the antibodies by now, lets see if we can brighten their moods by putting them all together. It worked, too! Dodger had been really down, confining himself to the corner with his head down. We were both worried that his strangles was getting worse but as soon as we let them all out together he perked up immediately and has been fine ever since.
The best news of all is as follows... :)
We were going to give Sugar until this past Sunday to moniter his progress. If he stayed the same or got worse, we were going to have him put down.
I went out saturday evening to visit and lo-and-behold his abcesses were all matured and draining well. The swelling under his belly is completely gone, as are the hanging swollen lymphnodes in his groin. His sheath is much smaller, though I think it's still painful to extend himself to urinate. All of his joints are much less enflamed and as I drove up, he picked up a nice marching walk to the gate to see me. His nose is no longer runny and he holds his head much higher than he was.
I'm definately not letting myself get my hopes up that he's alright inside, but his vitals are good- his breathing sounds fine and his heart rate isn't up.
He has quite a bit of swelling on his face now, all along his nose on the top, which makes him look aweful but he doesnt seem to mind it. The point is, he's MUCH more comfortable. We're still monitering him to see if he takes another turn for the worst, but for now he's enjoying life grazing on tall green grass with his buddies.
I rode aris yesterday for a few minutes (halter lead-rope walking and grazing only, of course) and when I caught him normally I can just call him up from the field and open the gate and he'll just walk out and eat grass until I get a lead rope and halter on him.
He's definatley feeling better though because when he came out of the gate, he started walking away like "hmm i wonder if she'll notice" and of course as soon as i started walking after him he took off and trotted in circles around me flagging his tail. I was so happy, even though he was loose! lol
He looked like he was saying "see mom? all better!" and after he made 3 circles around me, he stopped, lowered his head and walked up to me like "okay lets go..."
Gosh i'm so glad Aris is okay!
I'll keep you all posted on Sugar's progress. For now I'm doing the dirty job of draining his abcesses (yes even the one on his sheath!) He seems so much happier now. Gosh. What a great couple of days!

[Mehitabel]

blimey - that is good and unexpected news! my heart sank when i saw you'd posted again.
are they sure it was strangles that sugar had and not some other infection?

[LynneAC]

You are officially a saint :D

I'm pleased for you that the horses are all on the mend.

It's so good to hear that Sugar is more comfortable and that is down to you, it's so nice that someone cared enough to spend their time, care and energy on him. Well done you :D Whatever happens now at least you know that you've done everything in your power to help him.

x

[I'mForAris]

Awwe thanks :)
Yes, we're sure sugar had strangles. Any strangles outside of the neck/head region is referred to as bastard strangles, and he had them all over his body externally. We don't really know if he has abcesses internally, we just assumed he did (its best to assume the worst and be surprised pleasantly.) We still dont know for sure, but all of his external abcesses are draining well now and he's still perky. Today, dodger ran up to him to try to play and he even managed a few uncomfortable trot steps.
I'm going to go out tomorrow or thursday to buy a stethescope so I can more carefully moniter his breathing. Pneumonia is a really common secondary infection (tertiary at this point I guess) with strangles and I want to make sure nothing gets past me.
If only I could figure out where to buy one.
I went out and gave aris a BIG hug tonight. In fact, I'd call it a massive hug. It was so great just to hold onto his neck and feel him wrap his head around me (even if I was aware of the big open wound brushing against my back from where his abcess was on his chin)
No worries though, all the clothes I wear to the barn are in the wash and I'll be in the shower in no time, scrubbing with antibacterial wash.
Thanks to everyone for the great support!,
I'll keep posting probably until everyone is out of quarentine.
much love,
Em

[galadriel]

I'm so, so glad for you :)

[entreat]

WOO! I'm so glad!! Sugar has the same colourings as Cody & it tore me to read that such a beautiful boy in such a bad way.

You're an awesome angel to these horses!

[4_white_socks]

Well done! You've done so well. I only just spotted this board and I've been reading it - I'm still crying now! I'm so happy that everyone's better, and you have been wonderful to them. You hung in there when no one would help, doing what you could for them and it paid off!!

I hope you can practice your flying lead changes soon!

Liz xx

[I'mForAris]

Alright, I have a new wave of questions coming from the strangles situation.
Sugar is looking probably 70% better these days. His swelling has almost all gone down, he looks totally normal except for his weepy abcess on his sheath and a few minor abcesses on his chin. In fact, yesterday, (and I know this might sound odd that I was so overjoyed) he even dropped his penis part way! It was the first time I had seen him comfortable enough to do it.
The thing is, however, that now that the swelling has all gone down (believe me he was a balloon) I can see that he has lost SO much weight.
He does need to have his teeth floated, but the vet won't come out until july once we have the all clear. They're not terrible, but that combined with the fact that he's never cared much for grain and he's been super sick is kind of creating a problem.
For now, I've been giving him more grain than he really needs sugar-wise (sugar as in glucose, not as in the horse) and he doesnt seem to be putting on much weight at all. His thighs (flanks?) are kind of caving and the top of his rear is dished he's so thin. You can kind of see his ribs and everything- he looks like one of those horses you see on rescue shows, only much happier looking.
The thing is, he only likes to eat about a half scoop of grain each feeding, requardless of how much we give him. I've been giving him a handfull every time I see him, but he's never been that interested in grain or mollases treats. I guess he doesn't have the sweet tooth that a lot of horses have.
Is there something I can give him with extra protein or fat or something? He gets sweet feed and hay and all the grazing he wants of lush grass and clover (lush meaning 1-2 feet tall in most cases, as well as lower new-growth grass) so I should think he wouldn't be having such a weight issue. We still don't know what all is going on inside, though his temperature was 100.1 yesterday which is totally normal. I know there are weight gaining feeds out there, but what should I use, and should I use one at all? He has a strong stomach and has never colicked so I think he'd be fine switching gradually over to a different feed.
But remember, he's not my horse and his owner isn't fond of spending money.
Also, will sugar have a temperature if he gets pneumonia? We've been riddled with midwest storms this week (hail, tornados, flash floods) and I worry about him getting pneumonia. I can't hear anything when I try to listen to his breathing, and even if I heard it and it did sound labored, it could be from strangles.

Well... In other strangles news:
Dodger broke out with two more abcesses, and the donkey looks like she doesnt feel so well. Nothing major though- after sugar's situation, I feel like I have a much better grip on the rest of the equines, no matter how snotty, weepy and gross they get.
Nothing is more vile than cleaning an abcess the size of an orange out of a horse's sheath.
Does anyone know the average temperature for donkey's and miniature horses?
Also, I tried to take the mini's temperature and she freaked out. The worst thing about her is that she's so small she can swing her butt around really fast and get away from me when I try to take her temp. Any suggestions for holding her still? She is only 3 and probably isn't very used to having a thermometer in uncomfortable places, but I couldn't even get it in at all. As soon as I even touched her there she freaked out and kicked and spun around. (could this be a mare thing, as well?)
Thanks for all of your support. It's so great to get emails and messages from people.

[4_white_socks]

That's really great! Not sure about temperatures for donkeys or annoying mares :D
I've made friends with a very thin horse. She was so thin you could see and feel her ribs easily, and she had little dips where there's supposed to be bulges etc...
She's fed a lot on grass and hay, when stabled probably has 1-1.5 bales a day, and is turned out a bit. She has a carefully monitered diet and is getting so much better, her ribs have almost disappeared! YAY! Maybe this is what you should do with Sugar. Sounds like you are already, but look around for certain weight gain feeds, hopefully talk to a vet about it and see what recommendations you get. I'm not sure what food the horse I know has, but it has really helped her gain weight!

[galadriel]

I'm so happy for you :)

For Sugar's diet, you can try a senior feed. They often have higher amounts of protein and fat, in a very digestible mix. You can also try adding oil to the feed, if he'll eat it (up to about a cup per feeding). Some horses love it, some won't touch it. Oil is 100% fat, so lots of calories there.

Another type of feed that you can try is a pelleted feed. They're a bit easier to digest for a horse who can't chew well. A feed with a lot of grains needs to be crunched really well before swallowing in order to get the most out of it. In my area, there's a feed made by Nutrena which is called "Compete." The high protein version of Nutrena Compete has 14% protein and 7% fat, which is a lot more than many sweet feeds (perhaps 12% protein and 3-4% fat). Nutrena is mostly available in the southeast, I think, but there may be another brand which has a similar product where you are.

It could be that he's uninterested in food due to the discomfort of chewing. You can try soaking his feed to see if he'll eat more. If he's not getting enough forage, you can try alfalfa cubes (dry or soaked). You can also try giving him a bran mash with lots of calories added in (molasses, honey, oil, grains) to see if he'd prefer that.

He's been really uncomfortable, and as a result he may not have been drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause a horse to lose quite a lot of weight in a hurry. You can try feeding him salt to make sure that he's drinking enough now; if he got dehydrated and still isn't drinking quite enough, it will be difficult for him to gain the weight back. Just something to always consider when trying to put weight back on a horse who has been sick.

I'm afraid I don't know about donkey or mini vitals. Perhaps your vet could tell you? (You probably feel like you're being a serious pest to the vets. That's all right; if they won't come out and treat a horse for you, you don't have to feel guilty about trying to get the info you need from them.)

About taking the mini's temperature...obviously it would be most preferable to get her slowly introduced to being handled around her tail. But if you absolutely must take her temperature and she is not cooperating...is she small enough that you could put her between you and a wall, and use a knee to keep her from swinging around? If she were a bigger horse, I'd suggest doing something of the sort but using your hand at the back of the barrel to keep her from swinging out.

Good luck with all your ill equines. I hope they're all fully recovered soon :)

[I'mForAris]

Well, I figured I'd update again!
Sugar is on the road to recovery, I think. He is not swollen anywhere anymore and while he still kind of looks like he was wasting away, a lot of it is muscle loss. We've got him on senior feed now, with an additional dollop of corn oil tossed in for good measure and his weight is finally coming back up. You can't see his ribs anymore and most of the thinness is from lack of muscle. He seems to like the senior feed more than the sweet feed, so it may be the taste but I'm betting he needs his teeth floated.
Honestly though, I think he's going to make it. I wasn't going to get my hopes up, but after watching him today he looks like once we get weight and muscle back on him he'll be as good as new (except for the big welt/hematoma on his side from being kicked- which is actually a mildly good sign because he's trying to get his herd status back up after being "tossed aside" for so long.)
I had another scare though... I got a call two days ago at 7am (those dreaded early morning phone calls) and sugar's "owner" told me his "hoof" was curled down funny and at a weird angle. Of course I flipped out. She said he wouldnt put any weight on it and I hadn't been out to visit in two days so my first thought was "what if he's foundering?!"
Well apparently she uses the word "hoof" to describe foot. I got out and he was holding his foot up and didn't want to put any weight on it. He was walking on three legs so my first thought was that he pulled/tore something. We convinced the vet-tech to come out and look at it and she said it was an "abcess" and told me to pack it and wrap it and give it a few days. Well... I have to admit honestly I forgot to wrap it. Then the next day (yesterday) I was super sick and couldn't get out to wrap it either. So I went out today and he was standing totally normal. (Which leads me to be suspiscious about the vet tech's diagnosis of an abcess. I've never seen one go away practically overnight, and his hoof was never hot anywhere.)
I got him out of the field and he took off at a marching (somewhat blundering) walk towards the grass to graze. So then I got it in my mind to ask him to trot so I could see how even he was. I trotted him for about 20 paces on the pavement and he looked absolutely fine. He's awfully stiff so I'm going to put him back on bute and start him back on his glucosamine supplament, but he was sound.
So now, there is only one horse out of the lot of them with an abcess and it's almost completely gone (clearish-yellow puss and small) so we're crossing our fingers to be out of quarentine before July.
I also found out that Aris's new favorite treat is Skittles! I'm not sure how great they are for him, but I guess they can't hurt much. He came trotting up the gate when he saw I had the bag in my hand this morning. His trot looked great and I'm planning on longing him this afternoon to see if he is ready to go back to a light work schedule. Also, his lymphnodes aren't swollen anymore. Maybe I'll have those flying lead changes down by this fall!
All in all, we're on the mend. The miniature horse has been slightly limping (head bobbing) for a while and today it seems a lot worse so I'm going to try to pack her hoof with sugar and iodine to toughen it up. I guess the farrier gouged the quick when he came out to trim last and we thought it would be alright but it looks like it may have abcessed. Ah well. I feel like I can handle anything after this! (I'm keeping my hot air to a minimum though... this was a terrifying experience)

Oh and as a happy side note, the owner of the place is having her husband flatten some land and put in some sandy "budget" footing and we're going to have our very own large dressage arena with letters and everything - of course it'll be on a super tight budget and we'll have to do the upkeep ourselves, but it'll be somewhere to ride while we're quarentined to the property. Normally we ride down the road at a bigger dressage barn and obviously that's out of the question (but no worries, we informed them of the strangles outbreak and they vaccinated and quarentined the whole place for two weeks to make sure they didn't have any horses with it.) It'll be great to have a place to practice tests where we can be sure to get a spot in the ring! I can't wait to start riding again!

[ladyimbria]

Hi We are currently going through strangles here too, although so far no one has the bastartd version *knocks on wood*. My youngest horse, Raider, turned 4 years today and he was the first to exhibit symptoms, even though he has never been off the property. In fact I was supposed to send him off on June 1 for training, but alas that is not to be. Raider has never been vaccinated for Strangles. We are well into week 3 of symptoms and have hada rollercoaster of improvement followed by worsening. I am treating any fevers with bute, but to be honest he only had low grade fevers a small amount the first few days. He isn't drinking well, but He hasn't gone off his feed at all, in fact none of mine have, although the horse who I suspect brought this in , who shall remain nameless, did. In fact Nameless has almost fully recovered at this point, but I am concerned that he may be a carrier because he supposedly was vaccinated against strangles AND has already had strangles once over a year ago and this is his second bout. Raider has swollen up under the jaw, abscessed, drained, and then repeated the whole process three times now. My little sister's Thoroughbred looks like he is going to abcess any day, and another boarder's already has. All other horses who have shown any symptoms at all have already cleared up without abcessing except nameless and one small pony also owned by someone else. Here are some of my questions to anyone who might have suggestions:

How long does this take to run it's course. My vet has been very hands off, he gave equistim (immune stimulant) about 4 days after symptoms appeared. but thats it except the bute he recommended and lots of feed and sunshine. I don't mind waiting this out, Raider and my other horse's training can wait, but we are in quarantine until 2-4 weeks after the last horse is symptom free and one boarder had sold her horse right before the quarantine started because she was diagnosed with Cancer a few months back and she is physically and financially no longer able to care for her horse. Well the sale fell though because of strangles even though her horse has never once shown any symptoms, her buyer wasn't willing to wait til the quarantine was over to get the horse. Anyone have any recommendations for speeding the process? or any other suggestions?

[I'mForAris]

So far the only thing I've found that seems to help is keeping them dry. Try putting a solution of water and betadine or a providone iodine (any non-alchohol based iodine will work) on the abcess to disinfect it and help it to try out. Also try keeping the flies off as much as possible. Every time it rains out here, we take a slight turn for the worse and then when we have dry days things look better. (of course michigan has been getting storm front after storm front - what luck)
It is possible that the other horse is a carrier, but that shouldn't affect your horse's abcessing. The abcesses occur because of the bacteria in the system. At this point, your horse should be developing antibodies to the bacteria and it really wouldn't matter too much to any of the horses already exposed if Nameless were a carrier because they already have the antibodies. It may be that Nameless wasn't the horse that brought it in.
When the horses here started getting symptoms, my first instinct was to blame another horse. The fact is that it can come in on anything- even a fly!
The reason some of the horses might not be getting it is just an immunity to it. Something like 80% of horses that have ever been at auction or in auction like atmospheres have had strangles or have been exposed enough to have immunity. Also, some horses don't swell at all except the lymphnodes down the back of the jowl which aren't terribly obvious. In fact, we have one horse here who hasn't even abcessed and we're pretty sure she's not going to either.
About the temperature - the horses out here had temperatures for the first day and then they went back to normal. Sometimes on a particularily bad rainy day they'll go back up again, but never anything dangerous.
I've heard that you can add salt to a horse's diet to encourage them to drink. I don't know anything about it because our horses didn't go off their drink or feed ever, so i could be wrong.
The hardest part of this whole thing for me is probably grasping the fact that it's going to take FOREVER to get through this.
So whereabouts are you from?
I wish you the best of luck.
I hope I was some help!
<3
Emily

[Stallion]

That is great that Aris is getting better, I hope it continues that way and good luck

Monty and I send our love

[ladyimbria]

Thanks for the info, we are north of Atlanta, GA and it has been hot hot hot. and Dry. I have been washing Raider's abcess with betadine surgical scrub and water, but one of our boarder's is using saline solution with a small amount of povidone iodine mixed in and having much better results. Braveheart, my sister's TB, looks like he will be abcessed by tomorrow. My anglo/arab mare and my quarter horse both got a snotty nose but its been gone for 10 days and no abcesses nor other symptoms. My TB mare shows no symptoms at all. We have about 1/2 sick and half unaffected. Of the 1/2 that are sick, 1/2 of those had been vaccinated and half had not. My vet gave equistim again today and if it has the same positive effect as last time, then he will come again on monday and give it again. I'm glad your horses are improving. I found out today that there is a near epidemic of strangles in my area, and that besides the horses on our farm, my vet alone has seen over 40 other horses on multiple farms within 10 miles of us that have it. And that is just the ones within 10 miles. Its been in the papers that some really large farms have been quarantined by the state for it and have 80-100 infected - not just exposed but actually suffering from visible symptoms. I wish it would get over though. Thanks again for the info.

[I'mForAris]

Gosh I've read what a mess it is down there. I found a few articles about the strangles "epidemic" in GA while I was looking for information on bastard strangles. It must be terrible!
I wish the best for you and your horses.
It's too bad they dont have a better vaccine for this...

[I'mForAris]

Well,
Yesterday was both a happy and sad day for me. I'll start before that though...
Two days ago, I took sugar out for a walk. I rode aris and had a lead rope and walked him around the whole property. His best friend, the donkey, followed us and it was a nice warming experience. He was so high strung and he was trotting around. His weight is back out of the danger zone, though he's still a bit thin. He looked truely happy. I'm glad I had that day with him...
Yesterday, we finally got the all clear to start riding at the local dressage barn (finally an ARENA! I've been riding in foot high meadow grass and it's been such a pain!) I came out to the barn in the afternoon to clean tack and see my sweethearts and the first thing I saw as I drove up was my friend laying on the back of her horse looking rather thoughtful. Then, I saw Aris standing next to them which is nice but not ordinary because he normally stands with Sugar...
I guess I jumped to the correct conclusion. Sugar was sold yesterday morning to a man who deals in horses, along with the miniature horse (affectionately named "Mini"). He said he would be taken to a place that does trail rides, but that because he's geriatric he'll be well taken care of. It still makes me furious to think about his owner. GOSH it makes me mad. I will never understand the complex workings of her mind that allow her to spend three intimate years with a horse and then up and sell him on a whim. She deserved the vet's strangles bill and more.
I brought aris up and my friend brought up her horse, dodger and we went on a trail ride (which included riding through a lake) and it was a wonderful experience. When we brought out the horses we also let the donkey out (she just hangs around) and sugar's owner let her dog out. Because Aris and Dodgey are the only horses left, the donkey and the dog followed us on our trail ride. We rode single file and it was a lot of fun. It's funny how I can think about how much fun it was but there's still this dark cloud overhead because of sugar. I put my very heart and soul into taking care of that horse. I skipped four days of classes the week before final exams and i'm not just talking about highschool exams, i'm talking about sophomore year college exams! I did everything I could. I was out there from 7 in the morning until 7 at night, draining abcesses, hot compressing, giving electrolytes, feeding, taking temperatures, cleaning and bleaching stall doors and floors and everything else... and this is how I'm thanked.
I'm glad I had that day with him two days ago.. I will miss him terribly. I have a photo I took of him last week. I'll post it here when I get the chance.
In happier news, aris is finally losing the fat he gained from all that rest. He's also getting muscle back where it had gone to waste. I think he might have developed windpuffs (windgalls) from going from a daily workout to absolute rest so suddenly, but as long as they dont cause him any pain I'm not too worried about it. I think that he's made such a great comeback that I'm going to compete this fall. (I haven't competed in 3 years!) I'm really nervous about it because I said I wasn't going to compete anymore but since I've started riding with this new-to-us dressage training he's improved 300%. We worked on walk to canter transitions yesterday to prepare him for flying lead changes. I'm not going to rush into it, but that's my goal this summer. He lost a lot of muscle throughout the strangles thing, especially in his back, so we'll just wait and see.
Good luck to anyone who has to go through what I have these past few months, and thanks to everybody that has emailed me and been so terribly helpful.
Much love,
Emily

[entreat]

After all that work & now he's been sold?! Atleast you can take satisfaction in knowing you saved his life when he had stangles. Maybe you could visit him at his new home?

I'm very happy all the horses there are well again!!

[galadriel]

Oh, that stinks! I'm so sorry, Emily.

Do you know anything about his new home? Do they have a reputation for treating their horses well?