Illness & Injuries
Stopping the spread of the highly infections disease strangles requires proper diagnose and quick treatment. If a horse is exhibiting the signs of strangles (fever, nasal discharge and enlarged lymph nodes) it is important to call your vet immediately. An undiagnosed or misdiagnosed case of strangles could result in the contamination of unexposed horse and cause a potential outbreak. The only way to confirm or rule out strangles is to have one of three tests performed.
Be assured, if strangles is confirmed Mid-Rivers will guide you through implementing bio-security measures. This can help reduce the spread of the disease to any unexposed horses and provide the best possible care to infected and exposed horses.
The EHV-1 virus is spread from horse-to-horse or from contact with contaminated objects such as water buckets, grooming supplies, or people’s hands and clothing.
If you would like to learn more about EHV-1 the other eight equine herpesviruses please read the AAEP’s brochure Equine Herpesvirus (EHM) Myeloencephalopathy.
Any horse suspected of having strangles should be isolated and your equine veterinarian should be called immediately. Horses are typically treated with antibiotics and when given during the early stages, and for the proper duration, they will usually recover.
Eye injuries are often very painful and physical signs will develop. However if you look at your horse’s eyelashes you may be able to detect a problem very early on. Compare the lashes on one eye to the other. If they are drooping or not pointing straight out, this could be one of the first indicators that the eye has an issue. Eventually your horse may develop excessive tearing, redness, squinting, holding eye shut, and the cornea may be cloudy. These symptoms signal a significant problem and help should be sought as soon as they are detected.
Yes. Shining a light into your horse’s eye is fine if you suspect something may be in the eye. If you spot something however, we encourage you not to try flushing it out. Call your veterinarian first. It is very easy for foreign bodies to get buried in the soft tissues of the eye otherwise (called conjunctiva) and this can complicate, and therefore delay, extraction.
No, as eye problems can go bad fast. Waiting in this instance is the one time being patient may not be to your horse’s advantage and veterinarian assistance will most likely be required. Once an infection gets established in the eye, it gets difficult to treat and the danger of losing site or the eye is very real. The time frame can be short and hours can make the difference. If you notice your horse squinting, we wouldn’t recommend even wait until morning to seek help.