Pigeon Flu in Eastern Colorado

Sunny · Pigeon Flu in Eastern Colorado

Thought I'd share this with you all. Has anyone here had a horse with Pigeon Flu? This is happening in the Denver area.

Quote from a yahoo forum:

Hi - we have a serious outbreak of pigeon flu at our ranch in Loveland. So far, horses in the pasture, barns and paddocks are active with external abcesses of varying degrees. Most are doing well except for one older (30 YO) pony. Hers was so bad the vet gave antibiotics and she seems to be recovering nicely
There is no rhyme or reason to the outbreaks. Horses standing next to each other - one gets it, the other doesn't. In a herd of 10 only 2 got it and the others had no signs.
There is no vaccine just very deliberate and repeated fly spraying. I purchased the leg and neck bands for all four of mine and so far nothing . I still spray on top of that and use SWAT on the ears, etc.
We have a designated bleach bucket for boots, use betadine and warm saline to flush out the pus wounds and gloves, gloves gloves, hand sanitizer out the wazoo.
Think strangles and you get the picture Flies are the carrier so get ready Front Range...
If your horses is acting 'off', not eating, showing lameness and/or fever, but no pus pockets, CALL THE VET ASAP - this could be a case of internal abcess and is FATAL - do not wait or rationalize the cost of a farm call.. There has been one fatality in Berthoud of internal abcess because the owner did not call the vet in time -
All you can do is make your horse comfortable with Banamine and the flushing while the pockets drain. After 7-10 days, you are good to go.usually once the pockets drain the horses bounces back just fine. There is pro/con to lancing them. One horse here had hers lanced and it popped up in another spot bigger. It can also come on the neck, head and legs.
The bad news is that we are ahead of the real pigeon fever season which normally hits in late summer/fall so hold on for a tough season change.
FYI - as of earlier this week, there were 100 + cases in Ft. Collins and too many to count in Loveland
this is really unheard of but not unexpected as the soil comes into cycle during wet rainy seasons. what about that drought...
So far the cost of fly spray has emptied my pockets - anybody got a good home recipe they want to share??
any questions, check out online for dryland distemper aka pigeon fever

Thunder Hollow

Sunny · Fever

That is awful Ann! To have three horses get it over a year's plus time.... Where do you live? And to not have any horses near by..... do you know if it just area specific or does it occur anywhere, flies do travel...? Did they think Buster had some form of a slight immunity to it? What is the WSU you are referring to? Yes, I believe you "did your time" on that one!

Sunny · Fever

I am amazed, having lived in Colorado for 30 years, I had never heard of Pigeon Fever!

Here's some more from yahoo:

So, please educate yourselves and be on the look out! We at the ranch have a very large heard to protect. Please be aware that humans can carry the bacteria on clothes/shoes. Be aware of the barns you enter into!

Pigeon fever is aweful aweful, Last year before the BCHA show, my gelding came in from the pasture with a large amount of swelling in his front chest, it went into his leg, and made him look like he had saggy armpits. It was warm to the touch. The oncall vert came out to see him and did not think it was pigeon fever, she suspected that it was a kick ( i didnt think I would see that much swelling without any type of mark there to justify what I saw but none the less ) I followed her instructions, gave him bute, walked him and hosed his chest and legs, several days went by and his chest continued to swell and the edema went into both legs, he was getting lethargic and his appetite was depressed -- My normal vet came out to see him, we did an ultrasound and could not find any pockets of pus at that time, but were certain that is what we were dealing with .. I began hotpacking his chest with espsom salts for the next few days, continued hosing the legs and hand walking him to try and reduce swelling, then suddenly he spiked a high fever and wouldnt move hardly at all, so vet visit number three, the abcesses had formed, the chest was HOT to touch but had not burst open, we went ahead and had the vet lance them open and he went into the horses chest and found 3 more abcesses ( so 4 total ) the horse was places on antibiotics for 30 days, lucky be having a draft heh .. and we kept the area clean and dry. I took a depend and taped it to the inside of a fly sheet so I could contain the drainage as best as I could and not cause any further spreading to the other horses. SWAT IS YOUR FRIEND!
I am happy to say no other horses came down with it, but its a yucky yucky mess, and one that I hope you dont have to encounter ... If you do, containment and disposing of the drainage is very important!

I also know of a friends horse who came down with it last year right after my horse did

Anyone know where this originated? Carol

Thunder Hollow

PasoBaby_CarolU

Anne, did they tell you what organism causes it? Just by how it is so localized I assumed it was a soil contaminant. I guess flies could carry it from the soil to the horse.

Now you've perked my interest. Now where is that link for the Merek manual?

PasoBaby_CarolU

I found it:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm...10802.htm&word=pigeon%2cfever

It doesn't say that flies are the vector, but that open sores (including fly bites) allow the organism entrance.

Sunny · Fever

Thanks for that link Carol! Wow....

Sunny · Fever

Here's some more information. At least if someone's horse here gets it we'll know what to do!

From the yahoo forum:

I'm going through this right now. 2 of my 3 are down. The older gelding is definitely more ill than the younger mare is. Yup, high vet bills....

They were on bute when the fever was high and the painful abscess was forming. After the abscess burst, it seemed to be relief of the pressure.

I discovered that when you notice you are developing an abscess (hard lump), apply Ichthammol ointment. It draws the infection out within a couple of days. This speeds up the process and reduces the odds of an internal burst. (An internal burst is usually fatal) I bought my ointment at Walgreen's. Ask the pharmacist, but I see it could be in a local vet supply too. A hot pack helps the pain and your horse will love it!

Both my horses are on antibiotics for 30 days (use probiotics in their feed).... as they both have abscess on their heads. Highly unusual. If the abscess is on the chest as normal, some vets will not prescribe antibiotics and just let it run it's course.

Once it burst's.. the pus is highly contagious. I'm wearing rubber disposable gloves, to clean the wound. And apply SWAT around it.

I have heard that the abscess in the legs is a terrible situation! Swelling, lameness, and a much harder, longer situation to get rid of.

Apparently, once your horses get it, (and survives) they should be immune..I'm sure there are exceptions and I guess I will find out.

Yes, it is annoying, and everyone hates sick ponies. Part of the responsibility of ownership.

tween rain and illness, tis a tough summer to ride your ponies... <sigh>

Thunder Hollow

learningthedance

WOW!!! That doesn't look like something you would want to mess with.

Ann, your last 2 pictures are the same shot. Would love to see how it looks though.

Can you tell I am not squeamish?? LOL

Thunder Hollow

PasoBaby_CarolU

My husband found this article, which is very informative. Apparently they are having a serious outbreak in Northern California right now.

http://www.examiner.com/x-8664-Sa...n-Fever-in-Sacramento-Area-Horses

Sunny · Flu

From the yahoo blog:

Thunder Hollow

Sunny · fever

Ah Ann, such a bummer! And so late in the year? Hang in there. I don't know what else to say....

except that there was alot of helpful ideas on one of the yahoo blogs... What are you able to do to help him be more comfortable?

Thunder Hollow

PasoBaby_CarolU

Ann, we never had Pigeon Fever in our area until this summer. My vet said he's getting about 2 new cases a DAY right now. I'm afraid that now that it is here, it will be here every late summer. I have dodged the bullet - so far - with the judicious use of fly spray and putting Wound Coat on every open wound I see to keep the flies out.

I have several friends with horses with it. All I can say is once the abscess comes to a head and starts draining, to separate your horses and grooming supplies, and everything else you can think of to keep it away from the other horses.

Thunder Hollow

PasoBaby_CarolU

Good luck Ann. As I understand they recover from the external ones fine, it's the internal ones. Which, according to my vet, there is no way of knowing they have them until it is too late.