This message is from: "Lauren Sellars" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I am so sorry to you Joe and your family as loosing a fjord friend is so hard. I hope you have a healthy lovely foal next spring. WE lost our beloved Cruizer a few years ago, seeing his babies brings us such joy. His last baby Simba looks more like him then any other.
Strangles Several years ago with a herd of 30 fjords we got strangles . One of the biggest mistakes I made was not vacinating the entire herd immediately. Some will take months to develope the disease. Anything to lesson the severaty would be a blessing. I would suggest whole heartedly to use the internasel vacine immediatly. I have used it on horses from 3 months to pregnant mares. Anything is better then the hideous strangles and all it's side effects. Do not take the disease lightly as it can develope into perpura, or basterds strangles etc. Instantly. I had to take temperatures 3 times a day. At one point I had 10 horses on penicilian 30 days each. 5 horses here developed perpura. The first was a mare whose legs swelled instantly to close to 4 times their normal size. She was on deaths door, she couldn't even lift her head after giving penicilan etc still no change . Figuring she was going to die anyway with nothing to loose I gave her severall cc's of tea tree oil * Within 10 minuets she was up and the swelling was going down. Unfortuneatly the swelling had cut off the circulation so bad that the skin sluffed of on all 4 legs for about 10 inches up. I hosed her legs 2 hours a day for months and she healed. She still has scar tissue but she is healthy strong and about to have her first foal. All other cases of perpera were immediatly detected and cured with penicilan. Only because I checked them day and night. Checking temperatures etc. I did not leave the farm all summer. I self imposed a quarenteen on the farm. When all seemed well I even had nasel swabs taken to ensure there were no quiet carriers. Sure some horses go thru strangles with little difficulty others can die. Many horse ranches in the valley lost horses to strangles that summer. Cleaning the water tanks daily is important. Dont visit other horse farms ... The germ can be carried on your shoes etc. The first foal that showed symtoms of Strangles was on penicilan for well over a month and seemed to have a cronic infection under his ear. (forget the name of the glan ) Anyway I tried spraying the tea tree oil mixed with water up his nose in 3 days all swelling was gone. * Tea tree oil is very strong it is NOT supposed to be used internally. I have used it on many external bumps, infections etc with excellent results. Garlic may help boost their immunity as well. All our fjords love garlic we blend it up in the blender and feed it on their oats. They aquire a tast for it. Garlic breath on a big scale. Good luck to all of you with the horses that are developing strangles I truely wish you the best . Please concider vacineating. On a positive note We have had our first 2 fillies born. Snowy's Aurora & Snowy's Tango both are healthy, sweet and cute. WE have 6 more expecting mares. They are a delight. Lauren Sellars www.fjordhorse.net
