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Expert
Posts: 1409
 
Location: Oklahoma | If so what your story please? I know bout what it is and about the immune system. But what about once you get them over the initial? Will they always be sick off and on? Is it almost a death sentence? Can you ever run barrels again? I don’t have a horse with this. But a friend of mine got news today and I’m just wondering other people’s experience that has dealt with this. Thanks! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1514
Location: Up North in Minnesnowta. | I had 2 get it the same year. One we almost lost. Kidneys shut down. After he recovered, he was never ill again. He also was never them same as a barrel horse, either. Not sure if it was because of the bastard strangles though. The mare I run now, it affected her lungs. She has never had good wind because of the bastard strangles. She requires maintenance and a good fitness program but does run barrels without issues. She also has not been ill since then. I have not seen an issue with their immune system compromised because it bastard strangles. My experience has been dealing with the left over damange caused because of it. If you treat the horse right away and avoid any major system issues, the horse should recover and go on to be healthy. That has been my experience, anyways.
Edited by MNBrlRacer 2018-04-12 4:29 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | Thank you! Did you vaccinate for strangles before they got it and do you vaccinate for strangles now? |
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Expert
Posts: 1514
Location: Up North in Minnesnowta. | I did not vaccinate before this. I vaccinate my young horse that I am hauling as he has not had it. At the time, my vet suggested to vaccinate every year even if they have had it. He said they do show immunity after having it but not 100%. Also, he said there are different strains of strangles. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
 
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | With regular strangles you do not want to treat with antibiotics. They come in after they bust open. I'm not sure with bastard strangles, I would assume it to be the same as the antibiotic will just prolong it. |
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Expert
Posts: 1514
Location: Up North in Minnesnowta. | Since bastard strangles doesn't drain, it goes through out the body and causes major problems. You have to treat it and the sooner the better.
Edited by MNBrlRacer 2018-04-13 9:45 AM
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Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Bastard strangles will bust and drain...just all over the body. Nasty |
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| We had a client horse come down with bastard strangles, and she had a volleyball sized abscess in her abdomen that could be felt during rectal palpation, and seen on ultrasound. She had developed strangles a few months prior, came through it after being treated heavily, but still just wasn’t thriving and the abscess was actually found during what we thought was a colic episode. She was put on a high dose of oral chloramphenicol for a loooong time, and slowly but surely that abscess shrunk until there was nothing to see on ultrasound, or feel on palpation. She’s still a super talented polo pony, and doesn’t seem to be permanently affected. |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| I lost a mare to it last spring- worst day ever. She had a large, typical abcess under her jaw that popped, but she was still depressed a couple days later, still a moderate temp. I assumed she was over the worst of it but just taking a bit to recover. Dead the next day- necropsy showed a huge lung abscess.
You need to have your horses gutteral pouches scoped- even horses that present normal can carry fibroids of the bacteria in their gutteral pouches. Your vet can go in and flush that stuff out and inject antibiotics via the scope. As long as there is no permanent lung damage your horse should be ok to run as he was before...but definitely get his pouches checked to make sure he isn't carrying anything.
In the future, I will now start my horses on Penicillin the first day they show a fever (if I know there is a strangles risk I will start temping right away). Research has proven the Pen and SMZ treatement within first 48 hours of fever will lessen the impact tremendously.
Edited by lopnaround 2018-04-13 12:29 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | This is not my horse. Just a horse I know of and why I’m asking bout afterwards. There is different type of strangles and not all will show on the outside. The horse has blisters on the gutters pouches and is being treated and well taken care of. I was just wondering bout afterwards and personal experiences. I’m so sorry to the ones that lost their horses! I didn’t realize how deadly it can be. I knew they could get super sick! Thank you for sharing! |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| Turnburnsis - 2018-04-13 12:35 PM This is not my horse. Just a horse I know of and why I’m asking bout afterwards. There is different type of strangles and not all will show on the outside. The horse has blisters on the gutters pouches and is being treated and well taken care of. I was just wondering bout afterwards and personal experiences. I’m so sorry to the ones that lost their horses! I didn’t realize how deadly it can be. I knew they could get super sick! Thank you for sharing!
I had no idea either- and I spent 4 years working at at equine specialty clinic as a tech!! The mis-information surrounding strangles needs to change for sure. I will never, EVER, just let it "run its course" again,
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I've treated a case this year already, it did not end well. A lot of times, that's how it goes. On top of it the horse got purpura which is a possible complication of strangles, both regular and bastard types.
If they get over the infection and get better, then they should be fine to live a normal life. It's just getting them over the infection that's very hard. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| 2 horses, 2 different years, 2 different places. Both recovered successfully.
First went septic at home, culture positive for the strangles (can't remember the exact bacteria) treated with penicillin, no issues.
Second one acquired it at the vets, was there for 2 months, no long term issues. |
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| total performance - 2018-04-13 8:45 AM
With regular strangles you do not want to treat with antibiotics. They come in after they bust open. I'm not sure with bastard strangles, I would assume it to be the same as the antibiotic will just prolong it.
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DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF ANTIBIOTIC ON NORMAL STRANGLES ..
Lance the abscess under the jaw if necessary and put Ichthammol Ointment
on it and spray it with water to keep it open and keep it draining!!
As long as they are eating and/ or drinking do NOTHING else !!
The antibiotic drives the strangles into their lymph glands and can appear
internally or burst out all over their body. Lymph glands cleanses the body
of all kinds of dirty crap and the strangles can run rampant and shut down
their immune system and it turns into a tragic situation ...
As one poster noted .. there are different strains of modified and drug tolerant
strangles ...... so why in the world would you want to give a horse a strangles
shot that is not specific for various strains that could create a toxic situation and
lower their immune system to possibly get a case of strangles or some other disease
and have absolutely no immunity from any type of strangles!!
There are too many vaccines out there that make the owner feel better and the vets
and drug companies rich but have no immune qualities and are dangerous for your
horses.
If you mess with strangles with any type of antibiotic you are just asking for
trouble!!
Take your own water and buckets to shows, no kissy poo with other horses
rubbing noses and >>>>>
if you have a stall ... have one of the 1-2 gallon pump up garden sprayers with
10% bleach and water to spray all contact areas and the floor before you lay
your shavings down. Let it dry before bringing your horse in ...
As the younger vets come on board you are going to see a lot of needle happy
cat and dog vets trying to treat horses ... so use common sense and let Mother
Nature take her course.
GOOD LUCK AND HEALTHY HORSES .
One last word ... just hope your horses have strangles while it is still cool in
spring or winter ... hot summer days are the worst to have strangles.
Several years ago I had a 2yo I was breaking and she caught strangles in August from
the race horses next door and had a bastard strangles abscess burst on
her poll ... She could not lower or raise her head from a stupor position ..
I can't tell you how many hours I spent running cool water on her and
holding buckets of feed and hay so she could eat. She made it thru it
and went to the race track as a 3 yo ..
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2018-04-17 5:28 AM
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Anyone deal with Bastard strangles?