What are Strangles?

You may not seem to guess it at first but strangles is not a situation but a condition and a disease suffered by animals especially by horses.  The breeds that suffer with strangles are inflicted with serious and contagious bacterial infection that should call an immediate alert and care from your vet.  The Streptococcus equi is the bacterium responsible for the sickness and is really contagious.  This alone should get your attention because you do not want your horse to suffer and much worse your other pets and horses to get the bacteria as well if you don’t have the carrier treated right away. 

A horse with strangles.

The bacteria causing the sickness give the patient and or victim a hard time especially on his respiratory system.  Although at most times, the victim suffers severe inflammation like swelling body parts, redness on some affected areas and very hot temperature as if on severe fever.  The inflammation is mostly noticed on his head and on his throat if you try to observe.  Also, in most cases his lymph nodes are likely to rupture causing the large amounts of thick, creamy pus which indicates the presence of the bacteria as we know it. 

To prevent the disease to come into your horses’ systems, you must first, detect carriers.  Carriers are easily detected because they are usually the horses that just came to recovery from a previous clinical illness as well.  Because the recovery is fresh, they still bear and remain in their system persistent infection in the guttural pouches.  As easy and as fast that you detect the carrier, it will be easier for you to isolate him from your other horses immediately.

Second, always maintain his monitored vaccination.  Vaccinations for strangles are available from your vet.  Since your vet knows everything, from the prevention to the cure, do consult from and checked by him very often the condition of your horse. 

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Lastly, immunity and control will help you and your horse prevent him from getting contaminated by the bacteria.  So, if you observed keenly that one of your horses have been infected with strangles send that one isolated right away from your horses.  This decision will be for the best on both victims and the uninfected ones.  The infected one should not be mixed with the other breeds to strengthen his immunity and as well as to control the spreading of the bacteria and keep your other healthy horses get the same fate for all.