Strangles
Strangles is an infection with Streptococcus equi — not cellulitis, not hives, and not choke aftermath. It can look like fever, swelling under the jaw or at the throatlatch, or thick nasal discharge. A photograph cannot diagnose strangles. A still cannot tell a lymph-node abscess or nasal discharge from other infections, choke aftermath, or ordinary lymph-node swelling. Diagnosis is a vet exam, often culture or PCR. Isolation and biosecurity are a vet and yard decision, not a photo. The skin scan is a first look at the swell / discharge, not a verdict that your horse has strangles, and there is no strangles scanner.
Symptoms to watch for
Fever, dullness, or a horse that is off feed
Swelling under the jaw, at the throatlatch, or in the lymph nodes of the head and neck
Thick nasal discharge, or an abscess that may rupture and drain
A stretched neck, difficulty swallowing, or reluctance to eat from the floor
More than one horse on the yard with fever, jaw swell, or nasal discharge
A change in swell or discharge is a reason to book a vet, not a photo verdict
Common causes
- Streptococcus equi subsp. equi — not cellulitis, not hives, and not choke aftermath, and a still cannot name the bacterium
- Close contact or shared water, buckets, tack, or yards that move the organism from horse to horse
- A recovered carrier that can shed from a guttural pouch — that status is not visible in a photograph
- Not cellulitis (a limb-skin infection), not hives (an allergic swell), and not choke aftermath — a still cannot tell a lymph-node abscess or nasal discharge from those, and those need a vet
Prevention
- Isolation and biosecurity are a vet and yard decision — do not lock a yard down, or move horses, from a photo guess
- Watch for fever, jaw or throatlatch swell, or nasal discharge, and book a vet rather than waiting for a photo guess
- Do not share water, buckets, or tack, and do not start antibiotics from a photo, a web article, or a scan result
- Do not treat a photo, a swollen lymph node, nasal discharge, or a scan result as a diagnosis
- Skin photos can help you and your vet look at the swell / discharge — they do not confirm or rule out strangles, and they cannot tell strangles from other infections, choke aftermath, or ordinary lymph-node swelling
What to do
- 1
Book a vet visit if you find fever, swelling under the jaw or at the throatlatch, or nasal discharge. Diagnosis is a vet exam, often culture or PCR — not a photograph.
- 2
Photograph the swell and any discharge in good light and keep it on the horse's record so you and the vet can see change over time — a first look to share, not a diagnosis.
- 3
Do not start antibiotics, and do not isolate or move horses, from a photo guess — isolation and biosecurity are a vet and yard decision. A still cannot tell strangles from other infections, choke aftermath, or ordinary lymph-node swelling.
- 4
Use a skin scan only as a first look at the swell / discharge to share, not as a strangles test. There is no strangles scanner.
- 5
If strangles is confirmed, follow the plan your vet and yard prescribe. Do not start a treatment or isolation protocol from a photo.
- 6
Keep the vet on the same page. Share what you see; do not treat a photo as a verdict.
Pick up the phone if…
Schedule a vet visit if you find fever, swelling under the jaw or at the throatlatch, thick nasal discharge, or more than one horse with similar signs. Call sooner if the horse is dull, off feed, having trouble breathing or swallowing, or an abscess is draining. A photograph cannot diagnose strangles. A still cannot tell a lymph-node abscess or nasal discharge from other infections, choke aftermath, or ordinary lymph-node swelling. Diagnosis is a vet exam, often culture or PCR. Isolation and biosecurity are a vet and yard decision, not a photo. Strangles is Streptococcus equi — not cellulitis, not hives, and not choke aftermath. The skin scan is a first look at the swell / discharge, not a verdict, and there is no strangles scanner.
Related topics
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Educational content only. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.