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Discussion on More Strangle questions
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Member:
pfdusty
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Posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 - 9:33 pm:
My 7 yr old QH (vaccinated)started showing his first signs of strangles 2 weeks ago (8-Dec) with 104.6 temp. He was moved into quarantine before we even knew what it was. First it was suspected to be an upper resp. issue without strangles. Very next day he started showing an abscess under the throat latch area.
He was treated with Banamine/dex IV for the temp and put on uniprim which he refused to eat so we changed to tribrissen for 3 days.
His temp keeps going up and down and once it hits 103 or higher I give him 5cc Banamine. I take temp. mornings and evenings. Usually the banamine holds for about 24 hrs.
At this point the abscess is about the size of a larger orange and still hard as a rock.
Yesterday he started a cough mainly when eating, and that's when yellow nasal discharge goes flying. Today his nasal discharge is continues and not only when coughing. He also seems to be losing weight.
My vet is out of town for x-mas 
My horse is quarantined in an arena. No shelter, turns into mud when it rains, no wind break. Should I burn the excess hay on the ground once he moves out and gets trough this? What about the manure, burn it too? I am wondering if the prairie mud actually has a positive effect on his feet in regards to deter laminitis? How do I disinfect the soil in the arena and how long do I wait before using it again? Does the washing machine disinfect clothing good enough?
So far, knock on wood, the rest of the herd is fine and not showing any signs.
I was wondering, would it be too risky to set up temporary panels on the opposite side within my barn with a distance of about 18 feet to the closest horse? I could tack up a tarp to keep the cough spray contained. Of course I don't want to get anyone else sick. I just hate seeing him miserable. Today I had to put the grain bowl on the top of a mounting block so he could eat. He can't eat when it's on ground level. Is there something I can do for the snotty nose and/or the cough? As I mentioned, all he is on right now is 5cc Banamine as needed if temp goes over 103.
I am doing everything i can to keep this under control. Any other ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listening to my rambling
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 - 9:57 am:
Hello Moni,
Most your answers on environmental persistence and control are explained carefully in the article. Generally washing clothes in hot water and detergent is considered good enough to sanitize them. As to whether 18 feet is enough depends on many factors so difficult to judge but a good explosive cough will send stuff about that far.
Much of your treatment runs counter to our recommendations in the article. I would not have given dexamethasone for a bacterial infection and would not start/continue antibiotics once an abscess formed. For more on all this see the article. As a last point on treatment a sick horse running a fever needs shelter from the rain and wind. Do you have a horse trailer that could be moved into the paddock or some type tarp you can rig?
DrO
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Member:
pfdusty
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 - 10:34 am:
Thank you Dr. O,
we had a plastic car port put up and had it tied to the arena fence. It's not as cold in Alabama as is is in other states but one of the fronts came though and moved the carport including the fence and scared him as well as me and we took it down at midnight that night. I had moved him behind my house into a metal carport and put temporary panels and straw in it. It works as long as I sit there. The minute i walk into the house he pushed the panels around, starts screaming I get concerned that he will hurt himself.
I have some fleece-lined rain blankets and had been putting them on when it was getting down to freezing at night.
Should I put the blanket on him when the wind is blowing even though he always runs the risk of fever? I do check his temp 2x day now.
I can not fit a horse trailer in there without taking the fence down. Would you use a gooseneck trailer as a wind break or just for the horse as free access (of course I'd have to leave it attached to the truck)?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 - 8:22 am:
You mistake what happens during a fever, surely your veterinarian did not tell you to not blanket a horse in the cold rain and wind with a fever. It is important to help animals keep warm during a fever and an extra stress if they get chilled. A stress that can turn mild infections to serious ones. The fever helps the body fight off infection. When you get a fever you first feel chilled as your body tries to raise the core temperature. It is not till the fever breaks that you feel warm and sweat.
Either way with the trailer just as long as the sick horse can get out of the wind and rain.
DrO
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Member:
pfdusty
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 - 12:41 pm:
Thanks Dr. O and merry christmas!
The abscess busted open today, what a christmas present! He is feeling much better. My hubby and I are building a run-in shed today and hopefully get it up before more bad weather comes since we assume he will stay up there for a few more weeks till he is all healed up.
The only other questions I have at this point are: is it a good idea to rinse the busted abscess with betadine solution? How to disinfect leather items i.e. saddle and bridle?
Thanks for your assistance and Merry Christmas to all!
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Member:
wgillmor
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 - 2:18 pm:
Hi Moni,
Our local vets recommended Rocal for disinfecting stalls, tack, rails etc. after a recent Strangles outbreak at the barn where I was boarding.
DrO may recommend differently, and if so, I would follow him.
Good luck,
Wiley
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Member:
pfdusty
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 - 8:32 pm:
I am using chlorhexidine but wasn't sure if I can use that on leather?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 - 10:41 pm:
Hello Moni,
I really don't have anything that I can guarantee to be safe on all leather products. A good saddle soap, chlorhexidine, and then reoiling may be Ok for many leathers. Also the quaternary ammonium salt recommended in the article would help.
For more on the care of the open abscesses see the article. I would use chlorhexidine instead of betadine for the hot packing however since it is more stable in hot water.
DrO
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Member:
pfdusty
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 - 10:45 pm:
Dr. O, I have one more question  , my horse's abscess busted on the 25th of December (great christmas present actually). It stopped draining on the 28th. He is still in quarantine and I was wondering, how long I should wait until he can come back in the barn. He is perfectly fine, no cough, no anything besides the bald spot under his throat latch area. I know he can still shed strangles but there is also no guarantee that he will not be a carrier. What is considered reasonable?
Thank you
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Jan 11, 2008 - 6:55 am:
With the caveats you mention three weeks and a good antibacterial bath after the abscess has healed up is reasonable.
DrO
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