These resources are brought to you by the Cooperative Extension System and your Local Institution

Horses Home

How does a horse contract strangles, and what are the treatments?

Last Updated: August 16, 2006

View as web page


The incubation period for strangles is generally 3-5 days. The primary ways for horses to contract the disease is from direct contact with an infected horse or from contacting contaminated buckets, feeders, fences, stalls, trailers, etc. It is possible to contract the disease from contaminated airborne droplets, but that is considered much less of a threat than other routes of transmission unless the animals are rather close. Treatment consists of TLC (Tender Loving Care) and in severe cases supportive antibiotic therapy. Most horses will recover and build immunity so as not to acquire strangles again.

Browse related Faqs by tag: horses


Have a specific question? Try asking one of our Experts

Unlike most other resources on the web, we have experts from Universities around the country ready to answer your questions.


View this page: