[ches]

Originally Posted by stormyheart6160

I have learned since last night that most people around here who have had to deal with strangles keep it "hush hush", as if there is some sort of steriotype with it??? I don't understand that mentality, since I'm warning everyone I come into contact with, for the health of their own horses. So far, everyone has been very nice, concerned and appreciative towards me for talking about it. Can someone explain to me why someone would want to keep this hush hush?

I think some states require cases of strangles to be reported. Also you have to be very strict with your quarantine, and a lot of people consider that a PITA. For instance, you shouldn't sell or show a horse for quite some after it has had strangles because of the risk of being a silent carrier or still shedding the virus. Basically people keep it hush hush because they can't be bothered to do the right thing and then they spread the disease.

The barn I rode at last year had an outbreak in February last year. When a 3yo showed classic Strangles symptoms in July, they said it was a tooth abscess. At the time the owner was trying to sell all her horses and to her credit, she was wanting to say it was strangles but the idiot she had feeding for her insisted it wasn't strangles as if strangles is some kind of STD you pick up on drunken trips to Mexico.

[horsemom28]

Is your vet sure it's strangles? We had a pretty scary deal here in Virginia with Rhino/flu, and the symptoms sound pretty similar to what yours are experiencing....our barn revaccinated all the horses again against it.

[Stormyheart6160]

Originally Posted by ches

I think some states require cases of strangles to be reported. Also you have to be very strict with your quarantine, and a lot of people consider that a PITA. For instance, you shouldn't sell or show a horse for quite some after it has had strangles because of the risk of being a silent carrier or still shedding the virus. Basically people keep it hush hush because they can't be bothered to do the right thing and then they spread the disease.

The barn I rode at last year had an outbreak in February last year. When a 3yo showed classic Strangles symptoms in July, they said it was a tooth abscess. At the time the owner was trying to sell all her horses and to her credit, she was wanting to say it was strangles but the idiot she had feeding for her insisted it wasn't strangles as if strangles is some kind of STD you pick up on drunken trips to Mexico.

Show or no show.........why on earth would someone put others horses at risk????? Even tho this hasn't been confirmed as strangles yet, I won't let anyone come over here, and you can be sure that none of these horses are leaving the property for ANY reason!!!! I am making sure I always change my clothes, disinfect everything, ect......yes, it's a PITA and alot of extra work, but geez...........I just don't understand that mentality. Seems pretty selfish to me. My vet said that most people who have dealt with horses for any length of time, will usually run into strangles at some point in time. If that's true, then I would think that the responsibility to fellow horse owners would follow suit? I know for myself, I'm taking this very seriously, and taking every precaution that I can until this is over with. I wouldn't change anything that I'm doing even if there was a stigma attached!!! But, that's just me. I would feel like a real dirt bag if someones horse contracted this, because I wasn't honest about it.

I won't get the test results back until Monday or Tuesday, so I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing as a precaution, because I'm even thinking this is strangles.

[Stormyheart6160]

Originally Posted by horsemom28

Is your vet sure it's strangles? We had a pretty scary deal here in Virginia with Rhino/flu, and the symptoms sound pretty similar to what yours are experiencing....our barn revaccinated all the horses again against it.

No, we're not sure. The test was just done today, and we won't get the results back until Monday or Tuesday. All of the horses are current on their shots....everything except strangles. So, while it is possible, I'm thinking more along the same lines as my vet....strangles.

[Anti-Silence]

My Parker had it when we got him, of course we didn't know that. We got him from a rescue (the same place I got all four of my horses), and they had him for a day before we bought him. Him and the rest of the 11 horses they brought in that day got Strangles as well as all the yearlings in the pasture beside them (two of which are also mine now). We got hot water everyday and a cloth and just held the wet cloth on the abcess to help it drain, and he seemed to like it too. The worst he got was actually on the side of his face, and it was an ugly thing. Luckily when it grew back, you never would have known. Sometimes flies can carry it from one pasture to another. It took Parker about 2-3 weeks until he was better, but they still carry the disease for a while afterwards too.

[Fire Chik]

Last fall I rescued a 6 week old orphan foal from the sale barn. She had strangles when I got here, but was not showing any signs. With in 3 days she had the abscess on both sides, the vet had to lance them to drain the pressure off her throat. It was 2 weeks of cleaning the abscess twice a day before she healed, then she was keep quarentined for another 3 months just to be safe.

[Stormyheart6160]

Yea....I've been told that there are a couple of cases of strangles not too far from me.

[lamoo]

As long as they are not life-threatening cases, which isn't too common, it's good to just let the strangles run it's course. There's only so much you can do.

Almost all the horses at our barn have already had it; there was a small outbreak last winter. Some horses took a week to heal, and some took a month.

The positive thing is, once a horse has strangles once it can never get it again; so your horses will basically be immune to it after this.

[Stormyheart6160]

Originally Posted by lamoo

As long as they are not life-threatening cases, which isn't too common, it's good to just let the strangles run it's course. There's only so much you can do.

Almost all the horses at our barn have already had it; there was a small outbreak last winter. Some horses took a week to heal, and some took a month.

The positive thing is, once a horse has strangles once it can never get it again; so your horses will basically be immune to it after this.

Do you know what the difference between regular strangles and B****** Strangles is? Are the symptoms the same? Horses that get the B****** strangles, have they had it before. I don't understand what the difference is????

[Anti-Silence]

Originally Posted by stormyheart6160

Do you know what the difference between regular strangles and B****** Strangles is? Are the symptoms the same? Horses that get the B****** strangles, have they had it before. I don't understand what the difference is????

b.astard strangles is when the strangles moves on to other parts of the body, and you get abcesses anywhere other than around the head/throat lymphnodes.