The doctors of Krause Veterinary Clinic have been examining and treating a higher than usual number of horses for an upper respiratory disease.  The clinical signs of these cases are consistent with the bacterial infection, Strep. equine, commonly referred to strangles; however, confirmation has not been made with proper diagnostic testing.  Laboratory testing of some cases is underway and with diagnostic tests pending, a confirmed diagnosis of the underlying cause of this disease outbreak is expected in the near future.  In the meantime, if there is concern for the health of your horse, our doctors recommend that an appointment be scheduled to have your horse examined.

With recent attention to local disease outbreaks, client awareness of potential infectious diseases has been heightened.  Ultimately, the concern for the welfare of the equine community is the primary objective of owners and veterinarians alike.  So while our doctors at the Krause Veterinary Clinic are more than glad to field client questions when called upon, we would like to direct the attention of our clients toward reputable and informative resources via the internet.  This information is available through two separate websites.  The first is the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), an internationally recognized organization of equine veterinarians serving as advocates for the health of equine world wide.  And the second is the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) which specifically serves as a communication system to aid in the protection of horses and the horse industry from infectious disease threats in North America. 

Please visit either of these organizations at the following links:

www.aaep.org

and

www.equinediseasecc.org

For details concerning a specific disease, please link to the following:

 http://www.aaep.org/custdocs/Streptococcus%20equi%20var.pdf

or

http://www.aaep.org/custdocs/DiseaseFactsheetStrepequi.pdf