What Are Chondroids In Horses?

Chondroids are firm “stones” of pus that form here and complicate treatment of infection. In milder cases, guttural pouch infections respond to systemic antibiotics or flushing of the pouch. More difficult cases, and those with chondroids often require surgery.

How do you treat guttural pouch infection in horses?

Treatment of choice includes antibiotics, flushing the guttural pouch with a physiologic solution to remove the pus, and analgesic (pain-killing) drugs. In severe cases, the pus might have to be removed by surgical drainage. In rare cases, the pus hardens into round balls called chondroids.

What is the purpose of guttural pouch?

Recently, investigators determined that the equine guttural pouches function during selective brain-cooling to maintain blood carried by the internal carotid arteries at a temperature below the core body temperature during hyperthermia, induced by exercise.

How do horses get guttural pouch mycosis?

Guttural Pouch Tympany in Horses
The condition occurs in young horses (from birth to 1 year of age) and is more common in fillies than in colts. It may be caused by inflammation or by a congenital (present at birth) defect that allows air to enter the pouch but prevents it from returning to the pharynx.

What clinical signs are associated with an infection of the guttural pouch?

Clinical signs include intermittent purulent nasal discharge, painful swelling in the parotid area, and in severe cases, stiff head carriage and stertorous breathing. Fever, depression, and anorexia may or may not be seen. Diagnosis is determined by endoscopic examination of the guttural pouch.

How do you flush guttural pouches?

Balanced electrolyte solutions with acetylcys- teine, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or a combination of antimicrobials can be used to flush the guttural pouches. Dilute povidone-iodine solutions (1%) are also used; however, iodine can be neutralized by exudates.

How long does it take to get results from a guttural pouch?

Horses carry strangles in their guttural pouches so if they are currently infected or carrying the disease then the samples will confirm it. Samples are usually sent for culture and PCR (detecting the DNA of the bacteria) and can take up to 7 days for the results.

What are bastard strangles?

Metastatic strangles (sometimes called “bastard strangles”) is a condition in which lymph nodes in other parts of the body, such as the abdomen and chest, are affected. The diagnosis of strangles is confirmed by bacterial culture of secretions from abscesses or nasal swab samples.

What does strangles do to a horse?

Strangles is a highly contagious infection that causes fever, nasal discharge and abscesses near swollen lymph nodes. Hot packs can help the abscesses mature before opening and flushing them out. Horses that struggle to breathe may need antibiotics or hospital care.

How do you prevent strangles in horses?

Prevention:

1. Ensuring that the yard is not overcrowded.
2. Avoid sharing tack or equipment from horses of an unknown health status.
3. At shows/when away from the yard do not allow your horse to touch horses of an unknown health status.
4. Ensure that new arrivals to the yard are quarantined for at least 2 weeks.

Where are Chondroids found in horses?

They are located near the throatlatch region of the neck. Major vessels and nerves supplying the head course through the walls of the pouch. The pouch is accessed with an endoscope through a small slit in the pharynx.

Is EIA in horses contagious?

Infected horses, whether showing symptoms or not, remain chronically infected with EIA virus and their blood remains infectious to other horses for the remainder of their lives. This means that the horse is a persistent viremic carrier and can potentially transmit the infection to other horses.

How does a horse get a fungal infection?

Fungal infections in horses are almost always caused by ringworm. Although it sounds like a parasite, ringworm is actually a fungus. It’s caused when ringworm spores are present and settle onto the horse’s skin. This is much more common in moist or humid conditions.

What is the most common infectious agent in guttural pouch empyema?

The most common bacterial species that result in guttural pouch empyema include Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Streptococcus equi. Treatment is often frustrating because of the cost and duration of guttural pouch lavages, systemic antibiotics, and antiinflammatories required to clear the exudate and infection.

What is a guttural pouch test?

The guttural pouch is a cavity within the horse’s head that can harbour and hide bacteria; this means that horses may carry strangles bacteria without showing disease signs. A guttural pouch lavage is the most effective way of diagnosing the presence of strangles bacteria.

Why can disease of the guttural pouch cause neurological signs?

Diseases of the guttural pouches can also cause signs such as dysphagia, abnormal soft palate positioning, laryngeal paralysis, and Horner syndrome due to lesions in one or more of the cranial nerves or sympathetic structures involved with these functions.

How do you tell if a horse is a strangles carrier?

It should always be remembered however that a carrier state exists, where horses show no symptoms but still carry the disease. The classic signs include being dull and off colour with a high temperature and loss of appetite. The horse may have difficulty swallowing.

How much does a guttural pouch wash cost UK?

about £200
The current cost of a strangles blood test is about £50, and a guttural pouch wash costs about £200 (depending on how much sedation is required). These figures include laboratory fees but not visit fees.

What runs through the guttural pouch?

Additionally, several important blood vessels, namely the internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, and maxillary artery, all pass along the walls of the guttural pouch in order to provide blood supply to the brain and head.

Can humans transmit strangles?

It is possible for humans to spread the disease through contaminated clothing, hands or equipment, etc. The bacteria can contaminated water or feed sources and be transmitted orally as well as via the respiratory tract. What should I do if I have a strangles outbreak in my horses?

How long does strangles stay in the ground?

S. equi bacteria can survive for weeks in water troughs, but dies quickly in pasture and soil. The bacterium can also remain viable in frozen discharges. Approximately 20 percent of horses shed the bacteria for a month after all clinical signs are gone.