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Discussion on Viruses in horses
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Thursday, Nov 16, 2006 - 7:16 am:
Hi, Dr.O. All of my horses have come down with a odd illness over a 2 week period. It lasted about 3 days and moved on to a different horse. (I have 3) The symptoms were decreased appetite, lethargic, depression, sweating. They continued to eat hay, didn't want to graze, and laid down alot. Bowel movements were normal. They did continue to drink normally, but seemed to pee alot! gut sounds normal. No nasal drainage or cough. no temp. and seemed to resolve in a few days with the first 2.
The last horse affected with this 17 yr. old gelding seemed way more depressed, but continued with eating (hay) didn't want grass!, and drinking. When I checked him last night he was dripping sweat (Very cold and windy)outside. and his resp was 60, yet he was standing there eating hay. He had not been running around before hand as I was watching him, he had been standing in the lean-to with his head hanging. They do not act colicy.
I called vet and he said it was probably a virus going around, give banamine and call him back. I gave him some banamine paste and he quit sweating and resp went back to normal after about a half an hour.
Another check in the night he had finally dried (alot of hair) and was munching hay.
Question is, don't they have to get viruses from another horse? My horses don't see other horses and haven't for many mos. No bugs this time of year either.
I started reading some articles in here to try to figure it out and came up with poisoning from black locust trees, except they didn't have bloody diahrea. It is the only tree in their pasture and they do chew it, plus the seed pods are all over, the pasture they are in at nite. What do you think Dr.O.?
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Member:
1sally
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Posted on Thursday, Nov 16, 2006 - 9:33 am:
Diane,
Your farrier or any other person coming into contact with other horses and then going to your barn could have brought it in. Most vets wash up before they leave, but I have seen some that don't, so that maybe a possibility too. Also, birds carry viruses.
About 25 yrs ago, I had strangles go through my barn and none of the horses had been anywhere for about a year. They had all been given their shots for it and the older ones just went off their feed for a day or 2. I had 2 weanlings at the time in the same stall. One didn't seem to get it at all, but I thought the other was going to die. She recouped with no lingering side effects and is doing fine to this day.
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Thursday, Nov 16, 2006 - 5:02 pm:
Sally that's very true and I had forgot about people bringing it in! The time frame don't fit for when the vet was here, the first one had already had it and it had moved to the second horse. Otherwise he hadn't been here for quite sometime. Farrier.. maybe the time frame does fit, but I was his first appointment that day. Otherwise no other people around my horses. We do have birds all over and they are nesting in their lean-to for the winter. Very interesting, Thanks Sally
Just to be on the safe side I fenced off the locust tree and raked up the pods. Wonderful fun when the wind is blowing 40mph and it's freezing out, but anything for the spoiled brats as my husband says
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Nov 17, 2006 - 8:26 am:
I agree Diane that a mild black locust poisoning could account for the symptoms and perhaps the weather bringing down lots of pods ar a single time accounts for the three getting this together. It should be noted that there are a number of herpes viruses of horses that live within the population of horses that occasionally will flare.
DrO
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