|
|
Post by hoofcarebydesign on Jan 11, 2009 14:32:20 GMT -5
Just a little back ground as to why I am asking. I have a 5 year old mare that has a spot under her jaw the abcessed and has got pus dripping out, it looks like strangles. However she is not running a fever, is acting like her normal self, eating well and no other spots are swollen, I can't feel any other lymph nodes at all. I did notice about a 2 weeks ago she had a bite mark on her neck from a pasture mate, who just came in to the boarding stable.
I did call the vet and they said it could be strangles or just something got poke into there.
She has been at this boarding place for over 3 months.
Has anyone ever seen strangles act this way or have a horse in one spot that long and then they get it? I thought maybe the new horse that came in might have been a carrier...Though at this time no one else is sick.
Vet wanted me to give her 20cc penicillin 2x a day for 7 days. Which I am doing in case she has something up in there. Other wise if it is Strangles I had heard it is better to let it run its course.
I am just baffled how it could be just an abcess in one spot and nothing else swollen or signs of sickness.
I asked the Vet Tech if they could run tests on the pus to see if it is Stangles but haven't heard back. I just taked to them Friday.
So what are your experiences with Strangles??
|
|
|
|
Post by sherideswildhorses on Jan 11, 2009 16:11:27 GMT -5
They usually have a fever but Sounds like strangles some get it light others get it bad.I have had it here.It is very contages.Make sure you don't walk in barn around other horses,Don't put your hose from the sick horses drinking bucket into another ones.Wash your hand and change cloths before touching another horse.Think before you do anything.
|
|
|
|
Post by smokesmistyrose on Jan 11, 2009 18:36:46 GMT -5
Strangles starts with a fever, cough, and snotty nose, but by the time the abscess ruptures, the temp is usually back to normal or very near normal. The abscess rupturing is the last stage in strangles. It is definitely best to let it run it's course, because if you stop antibiotics too soon, you take the risk of it turning to bastard strangles (goes internal and can make things terribly worse).
|
|
|
|
Post by horsecrazymom on Jan 11, 2009 20:05:01 GMT -5
How are her teeth? We had a horse do that one time, and it was caused from a bad tooth.
|
|
|
|
Post by windancer on Jan 11, 2009 20:20:21 GMT -5
Does she rub her head on trees or any wood of some kind? I have had strangles in some horses and I had a horse that had gotten what I thought was a bee sting. As things progressed, it turned out that he probably had rubbed his head/neck and gotten an object poked into his jaw. It drained and I treated with an antibiotic and it went away. So if she hasn't had a runny nose and cough and has been eating and drinking and her teeth are OK, I would think it is a foreign body in her jaw.
|
|
|
|
Post by hoofcarebydesign on Jan 13, 2009 6:55:56 GMT -5
Her teeth were done last spring and she is eating well, acting normal, looks fat and happy. I never noticed any difference is her, no other symptoms. When I gave her the shots last night it had reduced in size to about 1/3 the size of 2 days ago. Though she doesn't rub much doesn't mean she didn't. Would I be able to see something in there after the swelling is gone?? It is not draining pus anymore, so it drained about 3 days. She is in with 7 other horses so I guess if it is stangles someone else should get sick soon. Barn owner didn't think it was Strangles and said even if it was the horses were already exposed.
Yes I have been careful and do all other chores first before I do her - outside away from the barn(right by her gate for the pasture). Then don't go back to the barn.
I have been around Stangles before too, never was like this....they always were lathargic, snotty nose and very swollen.
Thank you for giving me some ideas.
Angelina
|
|
|
|
Post by twgal42mi on Jan 13, 2009 7:29:11 GMT -5
When we were newbies we rescued a Ten Walker that had this huge opening under his throatlatch area. The previous said oh he got kicked this am by a mare so we said ok. (DUMB DUMB DUMB). It turned out to be strangles. We didn't have other horses at the time but what a mess. It dripped for a week. Vet bills climbed from all the medication we gave him. But it was a huge hole that dripped bloody pus. He had no fever because the virus had already did it's damage and his body was just cleansing itself when it broke through. He turned out fine but that was my first and only bought with it. Scared us to death because he was 17 hands tall as a 2 year old and giving him the shots was a task.  |
|
|
|
Post by windancer on Jan 13, 2009 10:15:32 GMT -5
If something was in there it could drain out with the pus. So you may never know. Strangles has to run it's course and shouldn't be treated with antibiotics. If this spot has gotten better and is done draining in three days or so then sounds to me like there was something in there and it is now going away. Vets automatically treat things like this as Strangles to be safe I think. I have a great vet and he was thinking Strangles. I was thinking infection from rubbing on something. The spot went down some then came back up. I picked up an antibiotic and ran it 10 days and the spot went down, disappeared and has been gone for three years or so. Hopefully the issue you are dealing with will go away and never return.
|
|
|
|
Post by leo1981 on Jan 14, 2009 18:12:10 GMT -5
The place where I board just got over an outbreak of strangles. We have over 20 horses there and all but 5 or 6 got it. Some of them had all the symptoms and some of them just got the abcess. It took almost a month for it to completely run its course. If your not sure thats what your horse has, just treat it like it is. Better safe then sorry. I have had my horse vaccinated for it due to it being required by the facility I was boarding my horse at. Now that I have experienced what it's like to deal with, I will be caccinating her every year.
|
|
