I never really knew a whole lot about this disease before my own horse came down with a case of the strangles. I did some research and found out quite a bit about the disease not to mention the info I picked up from my veterinarian. Strangles is actually caused by the disease Streptococcus equi which is similar to the bacteria that causes strep throat in humans. The bacteria actually enters the horse through the nasal passages and then spreads to the lymph nodes under the jaw and around the pharynx. These lymph nodes will attempt to fight off the bacteria possibly causing an abcess to form. So how can your horse get this infection? Mostly through contact with other infected horses or through contact with things that infected horses have touch with their muzzles such as fence posts, stalls, or water buckets. Uncontaminated horses should be kept away from ponds, bedding, or hay that the infected horse has come in contact with. These bacteria are pretty hardy as they can survive for weeks in the right environment.
The signs of strangles are pretty obvious. You will notice that your horse may have a loss of apetite or may have a fever. The most obvious signs are the thick mucous that will come from his nose. He also may keep his neck outstretched to relieve pressure from the swollen lymph nodes. While all horses can get strangles, young horses from ages one to five are the most likely candidates for this disease.
So what do you do? First, contact your veterinarian. They may be able to suggest the right plan of action for your horse. Another possibility would be to administer penecillin to your horse. You must be careful about when you give your horse the meds though. Either give it to them as soon as you see the signs of strangles or after any abcesses have ruptured or been cut by a veterinarian. Otherwise, the penecillin may actually keep the abcess from healing as soon.
Just remember if your horse does begin to develop signs and symptoms of strangles, isolate him from other horses and contact a veterinarian.
