Strangles
Strangles is a common condition that we see in horses that strikes fear in the heart of horse owners. The condition although it can be severe is usually treated successfully and your horse returned to normal work and condition.
The disease can result in upper airway obstruction due to enlargement of the lymph nodes (glands) in the head and neck. The disease is an extremely infectious condition caused by a bacteria known as Streptococcus equi var. equi and is seen most commonly in young horses, but can occur in horses of any age.
Horses typically present with a snotty nasal discharge, that may be thick and bright yellow in colour. There may be a cough and the horse may find it difficult to breathe. Often horses are unwilling or unable to feed because of swollen painful glands in the throat area. In some more severe cases the swollen glands may rupture leaving open wounds under the jaw and beneath the base of the ear.
The condition is infectious and spread of the disease is via direct contact between horses, and can also spread via horses coming into contact with tack, grooming equipment, blankets and rugs that have become contaminated with nasal discharge. They is also the possibility that the disease can be spread by aerosol.
The incubation period is up to 10 days and the symptoms can resolve within 3 weeks. Infected horses may remain persistent carriers of the infection despite looking clinically normal. These carriers may shed the bacteria at times of stress. Carrier animals may well be responsible for the recurrence of disease on certain yards.
Diagnosis can often be made purely on the clinical signs, but to confirm Strangles a nasopharyngeal swab must be taken and cultured to identify the causal bacteria. After infection has resolved it is recommended to take three nasopharyngeal swabs a week apart to confirm the absence of Streptococcus equi var. equi. before the horse can be classed as disease free.
Treatment of the disease may or may not involve the use of antibiotics. Other treatment are symptomatic such as soft food to facilitate swallowing, raised water and feed buckets to allow the horse to feed, and poulticing abcessed lymph nodes.
It is important that when horses are suspected or confirmed to be infected with Strangles that they are isolated to prevent the spread of disease to other horses. Unfortunately by the time a diagnosis is made many horses may already be infected, so we do recommend that horses on infected yards are not taken off the premises until the yard is confirmed to be disease free. This may take a number of weeks or even months, but as a responsible horse owner you should make every attempt to prevent the spread to other horses on different yards or at shows.
A vaccination for Strangles became available in 2005, but it has since been removed from the market for modification. As soon as the vaccine returns we will inform all of our customers.