Shipping Fever

[susanminiponygirl]

My next door neighbor went to a general horse auction and came home with 5 horses she spent under $400 total for. She noticed they kept laying down and another neighbor noticed yellow mucus from the nose. To make a long story short, they had shipping fever. Her pastures abut mine and I now have it running thru my farm. We are at 30 sick horses and counting! Stallions, mares, and babies. I don't know how much this will cost me and whether or not I will lose any babies. Please, please, whenever you bring a new horse home, quarantine them for 30 days. It may save some one else a lot of heartache and worry. Susan

 

[Baydreamfarms]

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I had a friend that just went through this about a month ago. Did the quarentine and her other horses still got sick. The area she lives in is really windy and the vet thinks it just helped the airborne disease go farther. Her vet recommends at least half an acre to an acre of separation for the first 30 days. I wish that were always possible, but sometimes there just isn't the room.

Here's hoping for a quick and speedy recovery for your horses, all of them!

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

It's hard to stop airborn diseases spreading even a fairly great distance with the right wind . . .

Although not airborn, we had a horse get pigeon fever (fly bite) and the closest horse to us is 1/2 mile away. This was a few years ago though.

When we spoke to the health expert (for exporting purposes/quarrentine requirements) he said 25 feet minimum, no common buckets, feed or anything basically used to care for horses. (shovel/rakes, horse and people clothing) He said 30 days is adequate for almost anything to manifest, as generally within 2 weeks you'll see it.

It also helps to know what diseases, etc., are currently active in your area - that may not help with horses from out of state/auction though.

Immune support helps get the healthy and is great as a preventing illness from spreading to a healthy herd.

 

[Marty]

This is always the sad part every time a horse is moved. It is usually always a risk at an auction with the public auctions the worst. Its also a sad fact at shows and in shipping; a risk that is taken. All anyone can do is take the proper precautions, vaccinate, disinfect, and hope for the best. Quarenteen doesn't usually work unless one is being quarateen for the duration off your own property. In your case, your neighbors really messed you up big time. I'm so sorry. They should be paying for your vet bills. You should not be stuck with this one bit.

 

[Jill]

I'm sorry about what's going on

An auction's got to be the most notorious place to pick up that kind of sickness.

I've got four new horses coming in soon, from two farms. I will not be quarantining them because my understanding is like has been said -- it's nearly impossible to "protect" the horses with quarantining on the same property and my property is not large. But, these are both farms that take great care of their horses, and the shipper is very respected. Hopefully all will go well and this is exactly how I've handled it when I've had all the other horses I've bought shipped in.

 

[RJRMINIS]

Well I do recommend quarantine even if being transported, you never know what other horses they have on the truck that may be carrying something.....just better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Joanne]

I know it is hard to do, but quartanteen is the way to go. It may have nothing to do with the farm you get it from (though I have had that be a problem as well).

The horses in transit that they are exposed to and the stress of the trip can bring out the virus.

Keeping them seperated is a great idea for 2 weeks or longer if you can do it.

I always request that the horses are vaccinated ten days or so before shipping and that the vaccination includes rhino. This added booster is worth the cost. We do the same on our outgoing horses.

 

[PaintNminis]

Thats Awful

I am Hoping Everyone makes a Full Recovery

 

[bingo]

I believe the issue is more the auction grounds they came from then the transporting.

Considering the thousands of horses transported daily very few get sick due to transport.

 

[bevann]

Not always true,Bingo.I used a commercial hauler several years ago who told me that he unknowingly hauled a horse with strangles.He delivered several to different farms and several came down with strangles.He traced it back to a farm where a vet had carried in the virus(had been to a farm and treated 1 with strangles) and then done a vet check for shipping on a previously healthy horse.He did the right thing and contacted all parties involved to give them a heads up.He had to spend lots of money disinfecting his trailer. I always quarantine here for 30 days in a separate building. That horse is last to be fed daily and all tools stay in that building.At the end of 30 days horse gets to come up with the rest.I had strangles here almost 16 years ago and it is not fun.Good luck with your sick horses.General auctions are the worst place for disease transmission.

 

[Joanne]

We depend on a lot when we ship horses. That the veterinarian doing the vet check actually SEES the horse and is honest. That the shipper is honest, and that all the other people transporting hold a horse if it looks off or is obviously sick. The transporter as well has the right to not ship a horse they feel is sick.

Some shippers stop and unload horses on long trips at other farms. Lots of places to pick up sickness.

I agree with Bevann; seperation is the key with new arrivals. Let them rest and recover. Many have jet lag, no matter the length of the trip it is stressful for them.