Keeping your Horse Healthy

Prevention is better than a cure - or worse. If your horse contracts a cough, cold or ringworm, it can feel uncomfortable but strangles must be every horse owner's nightmare.

Sometimes known as the equine plague, Strangles is one of the most common contagious illnesses in the horse world - a bacterial infection caused by bacterium Streptococcus equi - easy to prevent but not always so easy to cure.

Strangles can be life-threatening if not dealt with. It is also contageous so isolate your horse immediately from other animals and disinfect everything: yourself, animals, rugs, equipment, the yard, stable, horse-box, etc.  Also, contact your vet without delay if your horse has nasal discharge, swollen lymph nodes or abscesses in the neck region. Symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite and moodiness.

Stangles can be kept at bay by regular use of an effective body wash, one that is proven to kill at least 99.999% of bacteria, plus general hygiene such as keeping shared items clean, such as rugs, accessories and the stable.

Choose a non-irritant, non-toxic shampoo that can be used on all animals (dogs, cats, etc) that may be at risk of catching or passing on any germs. Alcohol is used in some products, working on the external membrane proteins, temporarily disabling the bacteria rather than eradicating it thus potentially increasing the problem by encouraging a more resistant regeneration. Use a solution that destroys the DNA and RNA, eliminating the risk of bacteria/pathogen developing resistance to the treatment.

The same care and attention needs to be given to accessories, rugs, stable floors and walls, the stable yard and horse boxes plus rubber matting, boots, tack, feed buckets, etc. Think back to the measures in place during the foot-and-mouth outbreak and clean round your horse's environment just as you would your own.

If you use a rug washing service, temporary stabling or transport for horse-shows, ask for confirmation that appropriate products have been used - particularly since the previous contact with other horses.

The Cleanround product range includes horse and pet shampoo that contains a patented biocide proven to kill a wide spectrum of microbes, including the bacterium responsible for strangles, and kills ring worm. Effective yet gentle. The rug wash and yard wash products are suitable for cleaning various accessories and the horse or pet environment.