Equine Health

Medicine & Husbandry

Pigeon Fever (aka “Dry Land Strangles”)

This year our area saw an increase in the number of Pigeon Fever cases. Pigeon Fever is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, a bacteria that is naturally found in the environment. Any horse can be susceptible to this organism and may experience more than one episode. The infection is usually introduced into the horse through broken skin (i.e. fly bites) and can cause lameness, fever, lethargy, weight loss, or abscesses.

The abscesses associated with Pigeon Fever can be found under the skin, deep in the muscles, or internally. Lymph nodes in the chest or between the hind legs can be infected and may be open, draining sores or grapefruit sized swellings. Treatment involves bringing the abscesses to maturity by hot packing and topical treatments. In some cases, Butazolodin and antibiotics may be needed, especially in the case of severe internal abscessing. However, they can slow the maturation of external abscesses and prolong the disease in mildly infected horses and are therefore not always indicated.

Occasionally the abscess can be drained surgically. Once the abscess is broken, treatment includes flushing the area with antiseptic solutions. Recovery from Pigeon Fever can take from two weeks to several months. The prognosis for external abscesses is generally favorable, while those horses with internal abscesses have a lower percentage of full recovery. Because there is no vaccine for this disease, prevention includes fly control and minimizing contact with horses that are exhibiting draining abscesses.