Tag Archives: Strangles

General

Mud, sweat and germs

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Mud, sweat and germs
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It is time for spring cleaning. That smell of ammonia that has hung around the yard, those bacteria infested stables you have not had time to get on top of. Beyond the bugs and bacteria, even just the grease and grime eating its way into your tack and equipment. Let us introduce you to a new range of products from The Logical Range.

Already these products are being favoured by professional yards. If it is good enough for the prized animals found with an international eventer, a high goal polo player and a top dressage rider in Emily King, Hazel Jackson and Ellie McCarthy, then it must be good enough for the rest of us.

Germ Kill

Did you know, strangles is responsible for 30% of infectious disease in the equine industry worldwide? Furthermore, data from the Animal Health Trust implies that the disease is on the rise in the UK. It is a disease that can impact any yard or equine individual, professionals and happy hackers alike and even those with excellent management. As well as being extremely distressing for both the animal and the owner, this disease causes major economic losses to the industry due to its contagious nature, prolonged course and associated complications, which can be fatal.

The Logical Range’s product ‘Germ Kill’ has been produced to kill 99.9% of germs including Equine Strangles. Not only does it disinfect and keep the dangers of micro-organisms at bay, but it is a product that also cleans. It can be used on stables, yards and horse equipment. It is safe to use for humans and environmentally friendly.

  • Effective against Equine Strangles.
  • Powerful cleaning and disinfection in a single environmentally friendly product.
  • Safe to use around animals and humans.
  • Effective at killing bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts.

 

Stable Cleanse

Do you wish you could replace stable smells with a fresh minty aroma? Now you can with Stable Cleanse – the ultimate odour eater for use on stables, yards, horseboxes and trailers.

If you think how that strong smell of a stable yard can take your breath away, imagine what it is doing to your horse’s airways, as well as your stable staff.

This is a product that is safe and effective:

  • Kills the unpleasant odour under rubber matting but without eating into the matting.
  • Can be used with any bedding and on any floor surface.
  • No special handling requirements. Safe for your horse and you.
  • Great value: one five litre lasts up to six months on a standard size stable.
  • Money back guarantee, if you’re not happy.

 

All Rounder

So here is quick and easy to use product that every yard should have – for safe use on all your equipment. Have a bottle on the yard, in the horsebox, even by your kitchen sink. You can stop buying washing up liquid which can eat into fibres and enjoy not having grime embedded in your nails any more. This is a product that will not damage your skin and you will not harm the environment either.

  • Effortlessly removes sweat, grease, grime, mud etc.
  • Can be used on rugs, saddle cloths, clothing, synthetic and leather tack.
  • Safe to use for you and your horse, in the home and on trailers and horseboxes.
  • A highly versatile natural orange cleaner- environmentally friendly.

For more information visit the website:  http://thelogicalrange.co.uk 

 

Written by Ellie Kelly 

Eventing

Dani Evans (Event Rider) is shut down because of Strangles: Top Tips to help prevent strangles

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Horse Scout Blogger has just seen the H&H article about Event rider Dani Evans who has told H&H she has had to shut down her yard after an outbreak of strangles was confirmed last month (27 February). What a disaster for her and her owners.  My sympathies go out to them all.  I hope that they are on the way to being clear of the disease now. Read more at here

There can be nothing more worrying for the horse owner nor frustrating for the professional competition rider than having a yard shut down through something like this. Most especially when every precaution has been taken through good biosecurity and hygiene and yet something like strangles or equine hereps or even ringworm sweeps through a yard.

Strangles is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi (Strep. equi), it is one of the most common equine respiratory infections in the world. It can affect horses of all ages and types.

Strangles is a common threat

The disease causes major economic losses to the equine industry worldwide due to its prolonged course, extended recovery period and associated serious complications. According to International Collating Centre reports, strangles is responsible for 30% of infectious disease episodes. Reliable UK statistics are not available, but in Sweden, where strangles and equine flu are notifiable diseases, there are approximately four cases of strangles for every case of flu (see table).

Reported cases in Sweden          2000   2001   2002   2003

Strangles/flu ratio                              4:1      4:1      6:1      4:1

A dangerous and contagious disease

Strangles itself can kill (in simple cases there is a one percent mortality rate), but the major reason for its concern is the speed with which strangles spreads among horses, especially in a stable setting. In large horse populations, established outbreaks may last for months, essentially shutting down stabling premises.

Moreover, some “recovered” horses (carriers) can harbour Strep. equi with no outward clinical signs. Consequently, new or recurrent outbreaks are likely unless costly diagnostic procedures and aggressive quarantine measures are used.

S. equi infection can be transmitted both directly via close contact with an infected horse or indirectly through shared housing, water and feed buckets, shared tack and equipment; and contact with shared personnel such as groom, instructor, farrier, veterinary surgeon or more unexpected sources such as a pet dog.

Signs include:

• fever

• loss of appetite

• depression

• marked ‘snotty’ nasal discharge (this is the most common sign)

• lymph node swelling and abscesses predominantly of the head and neck

• Remember that not all horses will show all (or any) of these signs

If you suspect Strangles:

Isolate the horse and any other horses that have had direct, particularly nose-to-nose contact with it. Also isolate those which have/may have had indirect contact with the suspect case (such as through sharing of water and/or feed buckets, tack, handlers, and so on). Isolation should be away from other horses in the yard with which they have not had such contact. Do not allow other animals to enter the stable where the infected horse was kept or have access to its feed or water container.

Call your veterinary surgeon and discuss with the appropriate management, sampling and laboratory strategies to investigate whether infection with S. equi is the likely cause of the clinical signs. It may be beneficial to take more than one sample from more than one horse or on more than one occasion from the same horse to confirm or exclude the suspicion of strangles. Depending on the type and timing of sampling of cases, S. equi can sometimes be difficult to confirm and your vet will be able to advise you further.

Further information can be found here through the British Horse Societies very useful pdf on the Voluntary code in the event of a strangles outbreak. “Strategy to eradicate and prevent Strangles (STEPS)”

Vaccination can be used as part of a strangles management program. It can form a critical element in preventing strangles outbreaks on yards but it is not a substitute for good stable management and disease awareness.

A vaccine is now available to reduce clinical signs and the incidence of lymph node abscesses. Developed by MSD Animal Health, Europe’s leading manufacturer   of equine vaccines. The vaccine is now available to help owners and veterinarians manage this disease.

The vaccine can be used in horses from just four months of age and is administered by injecting a very small volume of vaccine into the upper lip of the horse. In trials undertaken by MSD Animal Health, horses tolerated this innovative application method well.

Where vaccination is required and to minimise the risk of strangles taking hold, all horses in a yard should be vaccinated.

This vaccination information is brought to you by MSD Animal Health, manufacturers of Equilis® StrepE. Equilis® StrepE which can only be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon whose advice should be sought.

A horse’s vaccination program should be based on the risk of disease for the horse, the yard and also the economic consequences of an outbreak. In general, the more a horse is in contact with other horses the greater its risk of contracting strangles.

Discuss an appropriate vaccination schedule for your horse with your veterinary surgeon