Strangles Cases Force RCMP Horses to Play Musical Chairs

Music might be an outburst of the soul (Frederick Delius) but strangles is an outburst of a horse’s lymph nodes, and when you put the two together it amounts to many disappointed fans of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP’s) famed Musical Ride. Equine strangles is a highly infectious disease of horses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi that causes a thick, greenish nasal discharge,
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Music might be an outburst of the soul (Frederick Delius) but strangles is an outburst of a horse's lymph nodes, and when you put the two together it amounts to many disappointed fans of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's (RCMP's) famed Musical Ride.

Equine strangles is a highly infectious disease of horses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi that causes a thick, greenish nasal discharge, increased body temperatures, decreased appetites, and enlarged lymph nodes that ultimately abscess.

According to Sergeant-Major Bill Stewart, riding master for the RCMP, one mare developed typical yet mild signs consistent with strangles on June 25 while on tour in the eastern Canadian provinces including Quebec and Ontario. This mare ultimately tested positive for strangles.

Seven other horses developed mild elevations in body temperature, lethargy, and decreased appetites

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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