Article supplied by Dr John Cropper (B.V.Sc.)
As published in The Pet Directory
This respiratory disease, though rarely fatal, is highly contagious. It can be a serious problem where large groups of horses are in close proximity - Pony Club camps and weekend gymkhanas for example.
Strangles is a bacterial disease causing a massive swelling in the tissues around the horse’s throat. The glands swell in response to a severe infection in the nasal passage – hence the name “Strangles”. The enlargement can be so great that it totally obstructs the windpipe. The horse may develop a thick, pus-like mucus discharge from both nostrils, coughing and sneezing repeatedly. The condition may occasionally spread to involve the lungs and produce a terminal pneumonia.
Antibiotics are used to treat this illness. Prevention is by vaccination, 3 doses given two weeks apart. The vaccination is usually effective but not as reliable as the Tetanus vaccine.
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