Shipping Fever
Streptococcus Zooepidemicus is a pathogen that is often present in the horse’s nasal passages. The horse’s immune system keeps it under control unless the horse is stressed and its immune system defenses are lowered. When this occurs, the Strep Zoo bacteria can then set up in the lungs and cause pneumonia or pleural pneumonia.
Long trips in the trailer can stress the horse and cause a respiratory condition often called shipping fever. During transport, Horses are constantly working to keep their balance especially through acceleration, stops and turns. They may have anxiety in the trailer or squabble with other horses. Poor ventilation and temperature changes in the trailer are also contributing factors. All these conditions put a physical and mental strain on the horse, raising their level of cortisol, (the stress hormone), and lowering their immune system function. If the horse has come from a sale and is sick, it is usually from a highly contagious Flu, Rhino, or EHV virus or strangles, not shipping fever.
Shipping fever takes hours or a few days to develop after a long trailer ride. Signs are a temperature 102 or more (fever), depressed, and loss of appetite. In pleural pneumonia, there is excess fluid and bacteria in the pleural space between the lungs and the ribs. These horses are reluctant to move, lie down, and have shallow breathing because their chest hurts.
A veterinarian can diagnose the pneumonia by listening to the lungs. Crackling sounds caused by mucous in the small airways, or wheezes cause by constriction of the bronchioles are signs of pneumonia. Ultrasound of the chest and lungs can diagnose fluid in the chest cavity Pleuritis.
The horse should be treated immediately with high levels of antibiotics.
Prevention
1. Make sure the horse can lower its head to knee level during travel. Tie him loose or not at all. If the horse has to be tied high, stop regularly and untie so he can lower his head and clear his airways.
2. Protect air quality in the trailer. Dust from shavings, dried manure, and hay can irritate airways causing inflammation. Dampen or don’t use shavings. Soak hay that will be fed on the trip and use a slow feed hay net. If you are traveling through an area with forest fires, close the trailer windows so there is less smoke inside the trailer.
3. Ship only healthy and fully vaccinated horses.
4. Monitor the temperatures of the horses for a week after shipping. They will often spike a fever after 3 pm. Normal temperature is 99- 101.5. If the horse has a temperature of 102 or more it has a fever, and it is time to call the vet.
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