Has your horse ever had a snotty nose? Nasal discharge should never be dismissed in horses, and it is important to assess the type of discharge, and the thickness of the mucus. If your horse has a snotty nose then the next step is to take their temperature and discuss it with your vet. Many causes of nasal discharge are highly infectious, including Strangles. In this article I will set out what Strangles is, how to be more aware of the condition and some easy steps to help your horse.
What is Strangles?
Strangles is a common respiratory disorder caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi. Nasal discharge, a raised temperature and enlarged lymph nodes are the likely symptoms.
It is a highly contagious disease, and part of the problem with the condition is that silent carriers exist, meaning that a horse can have no outward symptoms yet pass the bacteria to other horses and surfaces they make contact with. Strangles carriers often have pus (empyaema) or inspissated pus (chondroids) in their guttural pouch. Bacteria is shed intermittently from the guttural pouch into the nasopharynx, and respiratory droplets are then spread to other horses.
A carrier state can persist for months to years, making Strangles so difficult to manage.
What to do if you suspect Strangles?
The first step is to isolate your horse, and take their temperature. Next call your vet to confirm that it is Strangles, and your vet will help create a plan to reduce the spread on the yard. As well as the health implications, Strangles can have a damaging financial effect on a yard so minimising the impact, and getting other owners on board is essential.
What is Strangles Testing?
You might have heard of ‘Strangles Testing’, and many livery yards require horses to have had a test for Strangles prior to their arrival. Horses can have a blood test for Strangles, and this will demonstrate if the horse has had an immune response to Strangles, as this measures antibodies to the disease.
A positive result may mean that the horse::
- Is a Strangles Carrier
- Currently has Strangles
- Has had Strangles in the the past 6 month
A blood test needs to be used in conjunction with isolation, as the blood test is measuring the antibody status of the horse at that particular time, and it isn’t a foolproof method.
Your vet will access the guttural pouch and using a tiny camera it is possible to view chondroids. A horse with a positive blood test result then needs to have a gutteral pouch wash, and appropriate treatment.
What is isolation / quarantine?
It is essential to have a plan in place to isolate a new horse, or so you can set up a quarantine area for an unwell horse. This involves:
- Segregating the horse from others, with no physical contact, and not sharing the same airspace, as respiratory droplets can travel.
- Restricting movement of people in contact with the separated horse. One person should look after the isolated horses, attending to these animals last, changing their clothes or overalls afterwards.
- Using separate equipment and tools, as bacteria can travel on wheelbarrows or buckets, brooms and other mucking out equipment.
- Preventing yard animals from accessing the isolation area as they can pass bacteria between the two areas.
Best practice for new horses on the yard
With any new equine arrival there is a risk of the new horse bringing in diseases, such as Strangles, and also a disease risk to the new horse from the current horses.
- New horses should be isolated in a separate barn/field/stable block
- Separate equipment and water sources must be used
- Take daily rectal temperature of the new horse, although it is useful to measure temperature of all horses
- Look out for clinical signs such as coughing or enlarged lymph nodes
- Blood sample before and on leaving isolation is best practice
Out and About With Your Horse
If you are out at clinics or competitions with your horse, there are some sensible measures you can take to limit the spread of infectious diseases:
- No nose to nose contact with other horses
- Take your own buckets, water, forage and feed
- Use fresh bedding if staying away at a show
- Don’t graze your horse with others
Temperature checks for two weeks after a stay away show or camp would be a sensible step.
How to be more Strangles Aware
- Realise that any horse can have Strangles or be a carrier
It is easy to think that Strangles affects ‘other horses’, but any horse from a retired Shetland to an international competition horse can contract the disease, or have a carrier status.
- Improve biosecurity when out and about
If you are out at clinics or competitions with your horse, there are some sensible measures you can take to limit the spread of infectious diseases:
- No nose to nose contact with other horses
- Take your own buckets, water, forage and feed
- Use fresh bedding if staying away at a show
- Don’t graze your horse with others
- Have a clear policy in place on the yard
Managing an outbreak of Strangles can be a difficult situation. It is expensive, emotional and stressful. Allow your vet to take charge of a plan, but be prepared with appropriate isolation policies and a space to segrate new or unwell horses.
- Be alert for ‘minor symptoms’
A roundup of current best practices for Strangles published earlier this year highlighted how mild symptoms of the design, such as nasal discharge, raised temperature and swollen lymph nodes are more common than abscessed lymph nodes, or difficulty breathing or swallowing. Any nasal discharge is worth discussing with your vet to be on the safe side.
There is so much to do to reduce the risk of Strangles and taking lessons from how we dealing with Covid 19 (and are still dealing with) can be helpful. In short, more space (i.e. no nose to nose contact, no sharing of water or feed), and more sanitising is a useful starting point.
