Re: Strangles



--
Lynn Tucker
Applications Technology
Information Systems and Technology
University of Waterloo

"jmc" <NOnewsgroupsSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3njpigF1tao7U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Suddenly, without warning, Fragile Warrior exclaimed (30-Aug-05 7:58 PM):
> > "Jim Casey" <seamus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:mWWQe.213456$gL1.1390@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >>grosvenr@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>I'm afraid one of my horses has come down with it. Her lymph nodes
> >>>under her head are swollen and there is a lot of discharge from one
> >>>nostril.
> >>
> >>Sorry to hear that.
> >>
> >>If you don't see the characteristic pustules, it could be some kind of
> >>rhinitis.
> >>
> >>I have to say, in my limited experience, I never saw another illness
> >>produce as much yellow mucus as strangles. My horse's case was also
> >>remarkably one-sided.
> >>
> >>
> >>>Any advice, etc.?
> >>
> >>Isolate the suspect. If you have a common water trough, drain it and
wash
> >>it out with bleach. Disinfect everything the infected horse touched,
> >>especially feed buckets, to whatever extent you can.
> >>
> >>Good luck.
> >>
> >>- Jim
> >
> >
> > And don't forget to disinfect your shoes as you move from area to area.
Has
> > there been anyone visiting you who might have tracked it in?
> >
> > My PMU foal developed a form of what the vets called "*** strangles"
> > shortly after he arrived. He had the lump but no nasal discharge and no
> > temp. He never went off his food even and the pustule followed the
normal
> > strangles course including some disgusting draining for a week or two.
No
> > one else got sick. He recovered fine. I hope your horse has it as
easy.
> >
> > Giselle
> >
> >
> No fun. I babysat a friend's field-boarded horse in Australia once.
> The day after she left, Strangles was diagnosed in the field (Yea,
> Murphy waits for things like that). Her horse got so sick we nearly had
> to put him down. The vet there was nearly useless, the horse survived
> mainly from hybrid vigor (he's a brumby). I think now he had purpura
> hemmoragica, which I now understand can happen if a horse that had
> strangles once is exposed again to the virus. I even suggested this to
> the vet, after some internet research, but was blown off.
> Unfortunately, she was the only vet in the small town: a small animal
> vet. All she did was put him on antibiotics, later I was told it was
> probably 25% of the dose he should have been getting.
>
> It was pretty nasty. He swelled up severely underneath a line running
> horizontally from the point of his shoulder, though he never swelled
> above it. Legs like stovepipes, belly like someone had injected about
> 10 gallons of water under his skin. This starvation rescue went
> completely off his feed - and that terrified me.
>
> I gave him the antibiotics, cold hosed his legs, and got him walking to
> try to reduce the edema. In the beginning, he could hardly bend them,
> they were so stocked up.
>
> Fortunately, he had a strong will to live, and was nearly completely
> recovered by the time my friend returned. He went on to make a complete
> recovery, and last I heard she's still riding him.
>
> It's not terribly common - a google search doesn't bring up much. I did
> find this tidbit though:
>
> The Merc Veterinary Manual:
>
> ---"Purpura hemorrhagica of horses is a form of nonthrombocytopenic
> purpura ( Acquired Thrombocytopenia) that often is a sequela of an
> earlier Streptococcus equi respiratory infection; it is mediated by
> immune complexes of antibody and streptococcal antigen in vascular
> basement membranes."---
>
> jmc

My 19 year old mare had strangles for 5 months and also developed purpura
hemorrhagica. We tried antibiotics but after swabbing and cultures found
that the strep was resistant. So we tried high doses of penicillin but the
mare's system started to react to that. Finally we just let her system fight
it and did supportive care. The big thing was to keep her temperature down
so she would continue to eat and drink. I had to check her temp twice a day
and adjust the bute accordingly. The purpura required a couple of days of
Predef treatment. That worked great. We ended up lancing approx 10 abscesses
on her throat, face and between her ears. Some of the abscesses were like
clusters of 5 to 10 chambers. It was a tough winter but she made it
through. I was real close to putting her down a couple of times because I
was afraid the pain was getting to be too much. I have nursed horses with
strangles before but nothing like this case.
Be very careful of PMU foals coming from western Canada as many of them
carry or already have strangles as a result of the stress in weaning and
shipping. Definitely quarantine them for at least 3 weeks after you get them
home.

Lynn

--
Lynn Tucker
Applications Technology
Information Systems and Technology
University of Waterloo


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