You're welcome. ?I will apologize also, since I re-read my original post, and I did over-state what I actually knew. ??
I'll try and do better. ?:)
On Aug 13, 2007, at 9:32 AM, Milroy Grosse wrote:
OK then...that makes a big difference.? That information is crucial when discussing these things and educating.? It sounds like the vaccine in this case may not have been helpful.
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Although it is tough to say whether the vaccine may have not have prevented infection....did it save the horses lives because they had a little bit of immunity.
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I didn't mean to sound confrontation...I apologize.? I just was confused as to how and why the horses were treated.
Hold on a bit, there. ?I probably mis-stated some things. ?I wasn't personally involved in the incident, and I never asked for details of how the horses were treated, so I can't say one way or the other whether they isolated horses or not, or what vaccination protocol was followed. ?BTW - this was a boarding facility, not a "ranch" ranch. ?:)
On the other hand, I **do** know that some horses in the place had already had strangles vaccine before this incident -- they had been vaccinated all along and were up to date -- and they still got strangles. ?The vets were not impressed with how the vaccine worked. ?Add the above-normal complications, and they decided to stop recommending it.
When my vet talked to me about it, he quoted a rather unimpressive percentage for protection -- can't remember exactly -- that he had gotten from the vaccine manufacturer.
I'll chime in with agreement with Raven and Karen -- my vet used to recommend the strangles vaccine, but no longer does. They will give it if you want, but they had a bad experience themselves, kind of similar to Karens. A horse on a ranch got strangles, and they recommended vaccinating all of the other horses. Most of them got strangles anyway, and some got very, very sick.
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I would have to say that in this case the horses were treated wrong.? I was told that if you have a horse at a barn that comes up with strangles, you should divide the horses into three groups.....
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Group 1.? Horses with obvious symptoms of strangles should be isolated and treated only.
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Group 2.? Horses with known exposure to sick horses should be isolated and watched for 10 days or so for symptoms...or I guess could be treated as a precaution.? If no symptoms arise..vaccinate
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Group 3.? Horses that are known to not have contact should be isolated and vaccinated.
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If the horses were already exposed then the vaccine will not have any protective effect.
