My understanding Strangles (equine distemper) is a type of “pneumonia” per-say.
"Most horses will recover, but around ten percent of untreated horses die, usually from a secondary infection which causes pneumonia. Rarely, the abscesses will spread to other parts of the horse’s body, such as the lungs, internal organs, or even the horse’s brain. This condition is called “bastard strangles.”
There are lots of horses that are Strangles carries but never effects them and or other horses.
So does the horse have pneumonia? Or Strangles or the secondary condition caused by a bought with Strangles?
I have dealt with several horses that came down with full blown Strangles. Young horses, both were yearlings. I am told it is rarer in older horses.
Strangles doesn’t come on over night. The first sign are enlarged glands in the jowl area that will get exponentially larger by the day and then burst. The horse will also have some thick nasal discharge which also gets very nasty within a couple of days. While this is starting the horse will be a bit “depressed” and have an elevated temp.
The initial tell tail are the enlarged glands which can easily be felt before they can be seen. There can small bit of the thick “junk” when taking the time to look up and into the horses nose.
Any vet worth paying will as part of a health check run their hands under the horse jowls and check for enlarged glands, SOP and look in their nose. They always should take a temp also. I do this myself with any new horse coming on the farm. Not looking for Strangles per-say just a quick “health check”,
Your post reads like you had a vet check the day before the horse shipped? If so I find it really hard to believe/understand why the horse passed. It is my understanding Strangles or pneumonia having dealt with both does not happen, become full blown over night.
If you had requested the vet to issue a shipping Health Certificate which is a government regulated legal document. Good chance you would have legal recourse with the vet under E&O, (errors and omissions), or aka malpractice.
Given the fact the vet gave the horse a clean bill of health as part of the PPE the day before, even days before you may have legal recourse. Hopefully the horse if being treated by the same vet/clinic that did the PPE. If so you maybe able to get them to pick up the tab. A well written letter explaining the timing of things and demand they pay for everything. Research exactly what the horse has and the “tell tails” exhibited and the timing as to when the horse becomes full blown sick and in need of emergency care.
They in turn may go after the seller.
There maybe some “legalities” with the seller selling and more importantly letting a sick horse leave the farm and shipping to another. Strangles and pneumonia can be transmittable. A call to the state Vet may clarify your states ruls and regs on this. Leave the seller out of the conversation for the time being. If it sounds like the seller maybe in deep do-do with the state call them and tell them about your conversation with the state Vet.
Explain that you will leave them out of it if they come and get the horse and refund your money.
Understand I am not an attorney but have paid my attorney’s for a pretty good law education, especially equine law. The above is not advice per-say just things to think about, consider.
I am with others as far as paying for legal recourse considering the amount of money involved. Even with the vet bills. If you are thinking about consulting with an attorney make sure it is one VERY well versed in equine law. Otherwise you could be paying for their education to look up statutes, case law. An attorney well versed in equine law should be able to give you an idea of what recourse you have and what it will cost to proceed at the first meeting or even over the phone.
To be fair to the Vet and seller we are also going off of only one side of the “story” and the timing of the events.
Based on what has been written I don’t think this is a clear case of “buyer beware”. Something very suspect when a horse checks healthy and ships the next day and the following day is in the “emergency room”. It may just be a case of bad luck. But who’s bad luck?
Unless the horse has been quarantined at the clinic by the state Vet the clinic can not force you to keep him there. If he has Strangles its not that hard to treat. Nor is it expensive. A daily dose of what I call “vampire meds” because they can not be turned out in sunlight. And some other details. Strangles is not a death sentence. Nor is it wildly transmittable. Specific but simple bio-security protocol to be followed. A yearling that came down with it was the only one in the field out of 7 that did.
Pneumonia depending on the type of and severity can be a bit more tricky and labor intensive to deal with. Depends on ones skill and comfort level. I have dealt with some successfully and some that didn’t pull through with what we could do here cost effective.
It’s can be and is a tough decision to “play god”. Meaning, yes if we had spent the many, many thousands it would have cost to keep the horse in intensive care at a clinic. There would have been a very good chance of them recovering. But no guarantees were given. One has to weigh very carefully the financial repercussion of following one’s emotions instead of the reality of the situation.
To be clear I am not trying to throw anyone under the bus.
I will be very interested to see how this is resolved. More adventures in buying and selling horses. As the say; live and learn.
Won’t the horse get better in a week or two? No place to keep him isolated except the vets? Total drag, I feel bad for the horse too.