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Discussion on New rescue positive for EIA
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Member:
dwfaith
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012 - 12:12 pm:
We took in an old friend's pony stallion after he fell on hard times. The Shetland stallion was one of many at a busy Shetland farm that actively shows and campaigns ponies. He has his HOF and in exchange for his upkeep, we would breed a couple of our mares to him.
His Teeth needed done and while we were at the vet's I asked them to pull a coggins, since it had been some time since he was off property.
I was notified by the vet today he is positive and the state has been informed.
He bred two our of mares, is pastured with one of these mares, a donkey and a mule (both males). Though this pasture is separated from the other pastures by an 80 foot open area, he has had nose to nose contact with about half the herd. The other mare bred, not in his pasture, is in the main herd.
He has been on property since 30 June. He will have to be put down as I have no means of separating or quarantining him. MY QUESTION is about our herd and the bred mares. What is their risk? Will the bred mares have to be put down as well? How long will the farm be under quarantine? I had sales pending, their coggins drawn in the last 90 days, are they considered null and void now? I am heart sick on so many levels...
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Member:
judyhens
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012 - 3:36 pm:
Should you repeat the Coggins prior to putting him down? Is the test ever subject to false positives?
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Member:
dwfaith
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012 - 4:08 pm:
Judy, I've been told the sample will be retested by a "professional" lab and I think they said by some organization in St Louis. If those are all positive then the state authorities will come out and draw Coggins on everyone on the farm and then a determiniation/"finding" will be made. My options are to keep him 200yds from any other non-infected horse, kept in a screened stall the rest of his life, or humanely put to sleep.
I've always love this old stud, but being very selfish here, I'm concerned about the risk to the mares and their foals? IF he is positive, since the virus can be transmitted by blood, milk, other Bodily fluids, will the mares become infected as well and what of their foals? If we have to put him down, how long will the farm be under quarantine before I can sell our current for sale horses? I'm probably over-reacting, it's just so terrifying, for this great old stud, for my financial future, the wreak I'll be if I have to put down any of our beloved horses and ponies and minis.
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Member:
dres
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012 - 4:24 pm:
this sucks ... . do you have pictures of this boy ?
On the first day God created horse, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
judyhens
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 - 9:54 am:
Oh Dianne, I am so sorry this has happened to you. Sounds like they are already doing a re-test. I was thinking more about the possibility of a sample mix up: ie the positive sample actually belonged to another horse. May be wishful thinking Although this is not common it happens in human medicine and I assume it could happen in equine medicine too. Did the farm from which you got him get their horses tested too? Any other positives? Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Judy
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Member:
dwfaith
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 - 10:29 am:
Thanks Judy, We will definitely take all the prayer we can get. I've been officially "Notified" by the state not to remove any animal from the property under penalty of....well you know the routine. I asked if they were going to test the other farm and they didn't see to be concerned about them, like it was none of my affair. You got to love the bureaucrats!
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Friday, Aug 17, 2012 - 5:22 pm:
Dianne, no advice other to say that I'm very sorry you got put in the middle of an awful situation. Best of luck...
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Friday, Aug 17, 2012 - 9:17 pm:
So dreadful.
I am so sorry for this situation that you find yourself in.
There was a time when I thought one of mine may be positive for EIA and I did not know what I would do for a horse who I loved with my whole heart.
Horses are herd animals and it is really sad to keep them separated by long distances.
There are some facilities who keep EIA positive horses for therapeutic or other riding, which is a best case scenario, IMHO.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 19, 2012 - 10:07 am:
Hello Dianne,
It appears that you have most of your answerable questions answered. The particulars of the quarantine are state dependent so these questions should be referred to your local officials.
Risk to the other horses depends on your biting fly load and the viremic (the amount of virus in the blood) state of the stallion. Many non-febile horses are not very contagious until they succumb to another bout of fever. Breeding is not a well documented method of transmission but since bleeding can occur during the act and white blood cells can be found in semen it is possible.
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