Strangles in Horses: Welfare and Management

Key Welfare Considerations

• Strangles causes submandibular and retropharyngeal lymph node abscessation causing welfare pain and dysphagia.
• Clinical welfare signs include fever, nasal discharge, depression, dysphagia, and visible lymph node swelling.
• Bastard strangles involves internal abscess formation — welfare prognosis is more serious than typical disease.
• Guttural pouch empyema from strangles causes chronic welfare infection requiring endoscopic lavage.
• Purpura haemorrhagica is a serious immune-mediated welfare complication requiring intensive treatment.
• Carrier horses harbouring SEHA in guttural pouches maintain welfare infection risk in populations.
• Isolation and quarantine welfare protocols are essential to prevent welfare spread within yards.
• Penicillin treatment is welfare-appropriate for very early disease or severe systemic welfare illness.
• Hot compresses applied to lymph nodes may hasten welfare abscess maturation and drainage.
• Allowing abscesses to mature and drain naturally is preferred over lancing welfare for most cases.
• Welfare pain management with NSAIDs reduces fever and welfare swallowing discomfort.
• Soft soaked feed provision maintains welfare nutrition during dysphagia.
• Return to work welfare requires full recovery — serum SAA normalisation confirms welfare resolution.
• Strangles vaccination with Pinnacle IN intranasal vaccine provides welfare protection.
• Rigorous screening including guttural pouch endoscopy before rehoming prevents welfare carrier spread.