Page 653 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

• there may be a purulent discharge from the eyes

• painful abscesses form in the lymph nodes under the throat and at the back of the
VetBooks.ir • pharynx (submandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes)

swallowing is uncomfortable leading to depressed appetite and possible loss of condition

• saliva may drool from the horse’s mouth

• the horse may intermittently show choke-like symptoms
• over the next few days the abscesses increase in size and eventually burst to release large

amounts of pus (Figure 15.5); this generally occurs around 10–14 days after the start of
the disease and at this stage the horse begins to feel better.

Figure 15.5 A burst strangles abscess

Some horses are only mildly affected and show only mild respiratory signs such as a runny
nose or slight cough. This may allow the disease to spread unnoticed.