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Answer: Not Strangles!! Gotcha While an assumption of acute strangles infection was the initial diagnosis, culture of this infection revealed a different bacterium was the culprit. Since “Strangles” is the most common presentation of this type we will talk about it briefly. Strangles is the layman term for infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus Equi. It gets its name because sometimes it causes severe swelling around the throat which makes it difficult for the horse to breath. Hence the term “strangles” The organism is highly contagious and typically effects horses 1-5 years old. Clinical signs usually present 10 days after exposure to the organism. Clinical signs can vary from the acute swelling of the throat area as in the mare above to not so severe signs such as recurrent fever, sub maxillary lymph node abscessation, nasal discharge, anorexia, depression and overall ill thrift. Diagnosis is made on culture of the organism. Treatment varies but the organism is sensitive to antibiotics which are usually curative. Quarantine is mandatory for effected animals. Vaccination helps to prevent the disease however it is not 100% effective in all cases. In this case the mare was treated with massive amounts of steroids and secondary antibiotics. She was sent to a referral facility were she could receive extensive treatment on a daily basis. < back to cases >
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