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 Elite Veteran
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| I wanted to share the info I got on this with you all. I had never heard of this, but a lady I know, her horse died from it. Thought if you didn't know about this disease, you might want to learn about it. Very scary & very sad.
In honor of my horse Majestic Sign (Celeb) I want to spread awareness of the terrible disease that took him. Thank you so much to everyone who posted on my sad news about losing him. If you are in Texas east of I35 and your horses are on pasture they are in very real danger of getting Equine nasopharyngeal/tracheal Cicatrix. It is a debilitating disease with no known cause. It is especially bad with the wet year we are having then the hot sun on the wet grass. It is thought to be possibly caused by a fungal spore but no one knows. The symptoms start out as a cough and cold and often the snot is very white. Scoping will show whitish lesions and blisters on the throat and all the way down into the trachea. This acute stage is then followed by a build up of scar tissue which results in exercise intolerance. It will eventually suffocate them without a permanent tracheostomy. They can be used sometimes for many years with the trach. It just didn't work for Celeb. It kept collapsing when he would take a deep breath. He got along ok the past several years as a pasture pet as long as he didn't run around too much. But he loved to run and that's what did him in with the heat and humidity this week. He ran real hard across his pasture and the tracheostomy just collapsed real bad. And there was no coming back from it this time. So the call had to be made. So everyone take heed. There is a pythium vaccine which may help. But there is no solid proof yet, also something about nebulizing colloidal silver may be helping. My other horses are vaccinated yearly. Celeb was vaccinated too but he already had the acute stage by the time I got a diagnosis. If anyone has any new info about research or treatments please post! Please share this post with all your horse owning friends especially in this area.
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I have nothing new, but wanted warn people that the vaccine does not always work. I have a friend whose mare was on the vaccine but this summer she had to retire her from the barrel pen due to massive scarring.
Edited by GLP 2016-09-07 7:40 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | My horse was diagnosed with this in July, 2015. I have owned him his entire life and he is 14 this year. He has a life long history of coughing & allergies. Yes, I live east of I35 and my horses are out on coastal bermuda pasture. He got so bad one year that I couldn't even ride him at a walk without him having a coughing attack. He also started bleeding after a run. Vet just recommended scoping every 6 months to keep an eye on him. I started him on Curost Total Equine & Immune & Repair with phenomenol results. I am now only giving him the Total. I do keep him in EXCELLENT condition and I breeze him to open his lungs up to maxiumum capacity. I run him on 3cc of Lasix and Ventipulmin starting two days before a race. I am considering trying the OxyO2 instead of the Ventipulmin. But he feels & is running better than he ever has... PRAISE THE LORD! |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| We live west of I35 and the vet who "found" this is in Premont and that is in South Texas, west and south of I 35. So it is not just an east Texas thing unfortunately. The lady she bought the mare from seemed to think it was because her horses water from a pond and around the pond it is really grassy. She, too, was told it was a fungus in the wet grass. She has all her horses on the vaccine as soon as they get to her place, so my friend was really surprised at the diagnosis. I was hoping my friend would try the Cur Ost, but she didn't. I use Cur Ost, but for other reasons. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1481
Location: TEXAS | The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/ |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 885
| turn3turnsok - 2016-09-09 8:38 AM
 The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/
Yes I know. I know Shelly well & her daughter, Kasey. Just wanted to post the info on here. Have a great day.
Edited by okhorselover 2016-09-09 8:36 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1481
Location: TEXAS | We're all allowed a participation trophy here ..... Bless your heart
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Veteran
Posts: 260
Location: Gonzales texas | Hello everyone! Thank you for sharing my fb Cicatrix page here ! I was going to do it but got busy this weekend. So this is really awesome that the conversation has already started here!! Please go to the fb page Equine nasopharyngeal/tracheal Cicatrix and like and share it. I would also appreciate posting your experiences with this horrible disease, the diagnoses, your vet, your treatments and locations of cases on that page so we can get it all documented in one place. My hope is that I can raise awareness and get something going to try to figure this thing out. Gonzales county is one of the worst and has been around for years but still not that many are aware of the danger. There are some promising treatments that are very exciting but there is still no known cause. Only theories and opinions. I am so sad right now but so encouraged as the page has had over a thousand views in four days! Please go and read celebs story and spread the word. Every day I hear of new cases and horses having to have tracheostomies. Again thank you okhorselover for getting this going here and thank you all. Some of you have already been on my personal page with kind words and it is greatly appreciated ! I loved that horse and I want to find the cause and a cure so others won't go through this! |
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Veteran
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Location: Gonzales texas | GLP - 2016-09-07 7:38 PM
I have nothing new, but wanted warn people that the vaccine does not always work. I have a friend whose mare was on the vaccine but this summer she had to retire her from the barrel pen due to massive scarring.
That is true. You are exactly right.Celeb was vaccinated but it was after he had finally been diagnosed and it was already full-blown. In fact he was over the really acute stage of the raw blisters. He then developed massive scarring . I'm hoping it helps my 2 others since they did not have it when I started vaccinating them. There is no proof that the vaccine works. It is the pythium vaccine and might have some cross over IF it is a related organism. But nobody knows. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| There are horses being diagnosed in other non coastal states. Mine were diagnosed 3 years ago after we bought our new place. They had no symptoms prior to moving and were diagnosed 6 months after the move. The vaccine has worked for mine, they are able to graze 24/7. I give the vaccine every year and scope twice a year, more often if I hear a cough, which so far has not been cicatrix. |
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Veteran
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Location: Gonzales texas | GLP - 2016-09-08 10:56 AM
We live west of I35 and the vet who "found" this is in Premont and that is in South Texas, west and south of I 35. So it is not just an east Texas thing unfortunately. The lady she bought the mare from seemed to think it was because her horses water from a pond and around the pond it is really grassy. She, too, was told it was a fungus in the wet grass. She has all her horses on the vaccine as soon as they get to her place, so my friend was really surprised at the diagnosis. I was hoping my friend would try the Cur Ost, but she didn't. I use Cur Ost, but for other reasons.
Yes that is unfortunately true. it is in south and east Texas and some in the Florida panhandle. Which is strange that it skips over. In fact it may have started in south Texas and moved gradually north according to Dr Tracy Norman formerly of A&M. I know it has been here in Gonzales co for a very long time, they just didn't have a name or any communication about it. I hope it isn't on the move but if it is in other areas and states people will find the page and post it there. |
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Veteran
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Location: Gonzales texas | rodeomom3 - 2016-09-10 8:29 PM
 There are horses being diagnosed in other non coastal states.  Mine were diagnosed 3 years ago after we bought our new place.  They had no symptoms prior to moving and were diagnosed 6 months after the move.  The vaccine has worked for mine, they are able to graze 24/7.  I give the vaccine every year and scope twice a year, more often if I hear a cough, which so far has not been cicatrix.Â
Hi rodeomom! I remember visiting with you here about this. Celeb was diagnosed about the same time as yours. Unfortunately the vaccine didn't work on him. We also dry lotted him and later I let him have very limited grazing. After the trach I did turn him out 24/7 But his case was very bad. And his trach didn't work very well. It finally collapsed so we had to euthanize. I hope the vaccines are working on my other 2. I do limit their grazing to an hr a day and I worry about that. I'm so happy that yours are doing well. I would appreciate it if you post your experiences on the fb page! And if you know the people in the other states please share and invite them.
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Veteran
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Location: Gonzales texas | turn3turnsok - 2016-09-09 8:38 AM
 The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/
Thank you for posting the link!!! I can't even get my iPad to copy and paste my own link  |
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Veteran
Posts: 260
Location: Gonzales texas | TBone - 2016-09-08 9:32 AM
My horse was diagnosed with this in July, 2015. Â I have owned him his entire life and he is 14 this year. Â He has a life long history of coughing & allergies. Â Yes, I live east of I35 and my horses are out on coastal bermuda pasture. Â He got so bad one year that I couldn't even ride him at a walk without him having a coughing attack. Â He also started bleeding after a run. Â Vet just recommended scoping every 6 months to keep an eye on him. Â I started him on Curost Total Equine & Immune & Repair with phenomenol results. Â I am now only giving him the Total. Â I do keep him in EXCELLENT condition and I breeze him to open his lungs up to maxiumum capacity. Â I run him on 3cc of Lasix and Ventipulmin starting two days before a race. Â I am considering trying the OxyO2 instead of the Ventipulmin. Â But he feels & is running better than he ever has... Â PRAISE THE LORD!
This is awesome news! Please keep in touch about this and post it to my fb Cicatrix page!!!
Edited by shelltc 2016-09-10 8:53 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1481
Location: TEXAS | shelltc - 2016-09-10 8:47 PM
turn3turnsok - 2016-09-09 8:38 AM
 The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/
Thank you for posting the link!!! I can't even get my iPad to copy and paste my own link
You are VERY WELCOME!
I know it's been around for sometime - I believe the earliest studies were done back in the 80's - it's good information for those in Texas and surrounding states that are unaware.
GLAD I COULD HELP YOU   |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| shelltc - 2016-09-10 8:45 PM rodeomom3 - 2016-09-10 8:29 PM There are horses being diagnosed in other non coastal states. Mine were diagnosed 3 years ago after we bought our new place. They had no symptoms prior to moving and were diagnosed 6 months after the move. The vaccine has worked for mine, they are able to graze 24/7. I give the vaccine every year and scope twice a year, more often if I hear a cough, which so far has not been cicatrix. Hi rodeomom! I remember visiting with you here about this. Celeb was diagnosed about the same time as yours. Unfortunately the vaccine didn't work on him. We also dry lotted him and later I let him have very limited grazing. After the trach I did turn him out 24/7 But his case was very bad. And his trach didn't work very well. It finally collapsed so we had to euthanize. I hope the vaccines are working on my other 2. I do limit their grazing to an hr a day and I worry about that. I'm so happy that yours are doing well. I would appreciate it if you post your experiences on the fb page! And if you know the people in the other states please share and invite them.
I am so sorry about Celeb. The vaccine does not work on all horses and I am very fortunate it did on mine. We lived at the same place for 11 years prior to moving and my horses had zero symptoms. One is a bleeder and scoped many times prior to the move and no cicatrix, another scoped for ulcers and he was clean. We moved in April, horses had slight cough when first asked to work but no exercise intolerance. I attributed it to allergies. One bled at ANHA, had him scooped on site and found the cicatrix :(. I followed up with my regular vet, 2 were a 4/5 on a scale of 10 and one was a 3. 30 days after the vaccine all were a 2, by 60 days they were completely healed and all were out 24/7. I do have friends that have given the vaccine multiple times and it has not worked for them. |
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Veteran
Posts: 260
Location: Gonzales texas | okhorselover - 2016-09-09 8:35 PM
turn3turnsok - 2016-09-09 8:38 AM
 The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/
Yes I know. I know Shelly well & her daughter, Kasey. Just wanted to post the info on here. Have a great day.
Thank you so much for getting this going on here. I greatly appreciate it! https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/ Look I got it to copy with my phone. Okhorselover have you seen this disease in Oklahoma? I heard that it was but I haven't heard definitely! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Bumping this. Found this very interesting. I have Familiy in E. TX. Will pass along the info.
So sorry to hear about Caleb. |
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Veteran
Posts: 260
Location: Gonzales texas | IRunOnFaith - 2016-09-14 4:03 PM
Bumping this. Found this very interesting. I have Familiy in E. TX. Will pass along the info.
So sorry to hear about Caleb.  Â
Thank you for passing it on. Please tell them about the Facebook page. I'm looking for info and I will post it there. Also links to research articles. If anyone tries anything or hears of anything please post it there! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 885
| shelltc - 2016-09-10 10:03 PM
okhorselover - 2016-09-09 8:35 PM
turn3turnsok - 2016-09-09 8:38 AM
 The lady who lost her horse "Shelley Chrismon" to this disease started an informational Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/
Yes I know. I know Shelly well & her daughter, Kasey. Just wanted to post the info on here. Have a great day.
Thank you so much for getting this going on here. I greatly appreciate it! https://www.facebook.com/equinecicatrix/ Look I got it to copy with my phone. Okhorselover have you seen this disease in Oklahoma? I heard that it was but I haven't heard definitely!
Shelly, Haven't heard of this is Okla, but I will check with my vet. Give Kas-e a hug & smooch from me :) |
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