HOW TO TREAT STRANGLES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 298, 9 April 1896, Page 7

HOW TO TREAT STRANGLES

By

Cart. M. H. HAYES, F.R.C.V.S.

Strangles may be defined'as a specific fever, ■which manifests itself by catarrhal symptoms, and usually by abscess under the jaw. It principally attacks horses between the ages of two and six years, and rarely affects the same animal twice. In these respects, and from the fact that a large proportion of colts and fillies suffer from it, it may be said to bear the same relation to the horse, as distemper does to the dog; or measles to man. Opinions are divided as to its power of occuring spontaneously, and, also, as to its infectious character. The weight of evidence, however, is in favour of its being capable of being communicated from horse to horse. Even if mild cases are not infectious, there appears to be little doubt but that the severer forms are. There is also some doubt as to its power of being propagated by inoculation. The crowding of young stock certainly favours its spread. As carefully-reared puppies will, generally, escape distemper; so will young horses, if equally well attended to, and brought up singly or in small numbers, usually, remain free from strangles. Animals reared in the open, are, undoubtedly, less liable to it than those brought up under conditions of crowding. The Parasite. —Dr Schutz, of Berlin, has found the microbe of strangles. This coccus forms rosary-like chains which are deeply stained by gentian violet and methyl-blue. He has made several pure cultivations, in and on different media, and then produced the disease by inoculation. Dr. Raymond, F.R.C.V.S., by independent observations, has confirmed Dr. Schutz in the finding of this strepto-coccus in all pus collected from the abscesses of strangles. Symptons.—ln ordinary mild cases, the horse is dull, off his feed, and slightly feverish. There is, usually, cough and a discharge from the nostrils, which is watery at first, and thick later on. An abscess forms in the hollow between the branches of the lower jaw, and comes to a head in about ten days. There is, generally, more or less difficulty of breathing on account of the swelling. In some cases, for a month, or even more, before the abscess appears, the animal loses condition ; his coat stares ; he becomes “hide-bound; - ’ has a cough, and is “ out of sorts.” This state has sometimes been mistaken for glandi rs. In simple strangles, there is only one tumour, which, as a rule, is clearly defined. The abscesses, in all cases of strangles, are connected with glands. Bastard, Malignant, or Irregular Strangles is the term applied to a very serious variety of this disease. Several indolent swellings form in various tissues, and do not come to a head, after running a regular course, as does the abscess of simgle strangles. As a rule, these swellings appear between the branches of the lower jaw (their typical position), at the base of the neck, at the point of the shoulder, under the shoulderblade, in the chest, or in the abdomen, When they are under the jaw, they remain hard and indolent, and may, even, diminish in size. “At other times, particularly when affecting ihe lymph-glands at the point of the shoulder, the abscess is of great extent, and the pus well formed.” (Robertson.) The internal glands which are usually affected, are those of the mediastinum and of the mesentery ; the former being the partition that divides the cavity of the chest into two parts; while the latter is the membrane that suspends the intestines from the roof of the abdomen. In both cases a fatal termination may be expected. When the mediastinum is involved, there is cough, difficulty of breathing, and dropsical swellings of the chest. When the abscesses occur in the mesentery, “ the most prominent and characteristic sign is a total loss of appetite, or an apparent loathing of food associated with occasional colicky pains.” (Williams). The existence of these pains points to interference with the action of the intestines. In irregular strangles, the febrile symptons are, generally, better marked than in the simple form; especially, when the internal organs are involved. e If the temperature rises to 104 or 105 degrees F., we have good reason for concluding that an internal abscess is in eourseof formation. Treatment. —If the animal be at grass, he should be taken up and put into a comfortable stall, which should possess every condition necessary for health ; such as, proper ventilation, good situation, and freedom from crowding. Give a laxative, though fairly generous diet, which may consist of bran and linseed mashes, gruel, boiled barley, carrots and freshly-cut grass. If there be constipation, administer an enema, and if necessary, give half a pint of licensed oil as a drench. It is advisable that the bowels should be regulated by the nature of the food. Half an ounce of nitre may be mixed daily in the water. Valuable horses, and, especially, those that are suffering from the dangerons form of the disease, may, if the swelling at the throat does not render balling or drenching dangerous, get 2 drachms of quinine twice a day until the bodily temperature (normal, 100.5 degrees F.) is reduced to the usual standard. If difficulty of swallowing exists, 1 ounce of liquor arsenicalis given in the food for a week, may be substituted for the quinine. The swelling under the jaw should be frequently fomented with warm water; while at other times, the part should be kept warm by means of wool or flannel. The abscess should be opened with the knife when it becomes softs and “ points,” The part should, then, be bathed with warm water, and a small piece [of lint inserted in the opening, in order to facilitate the discharge. Professor Williams recommends that, if the tumour delays coming to a head, a fly blister should be applied over it, and, twenty-four hours after, a warm poultice. The part should be shaved before being blistered. Premature lancing of the swelling should be avoided, as it will tend to induce the abscess to re-form.

If the breathing becomes painful, the horse may be made to inhale steam from boiling water mixed with a quarter of a pint or so of oil of

turpentine, the action of which is to accelerate the discharge from the nostrils. If the breathing becomes very difficult—the animal fighting for breath —tracheotomy must be performed. During the after treatment, the horse should be liberally fed, and may have a couple, of quarts of beer a day, with half a drachm of sulphate of iron in his food daily. As there is danger and difficulty in drenching, that operation should be dispensed with, as much as possible. In all cases, the horse should be carefully nursed and his strength kept up. Roaring, due to alteration of structure of some part of the air passages, and blood-poisoning (pyaemia) are the chief after-effects to be feared from an attock of strangles. The fact of a horse having safely passed through this disease, certainly tends to increase his value.