AND I TOLD YOU A WEEK A GO AHS KILLS

 

Thanks to one of my friends for mailing this info to me.

 

Don’t know if you are aware, but in certain areas of Gauteng, we are experiencing a very bad African Horse Sickness epidemic, and some areas are therefore voluntarily quarantined, which means no shows or any movement of horses.

 

There is also the risk of working them in these circumstances as they could be incubating the virus which takes about two weeks to manifest itself, and hard work during this period will make the illness far worse.

 

So we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place till the first frosts and I therefore commend those people who are holding back with shows until the winter as they are showing respect for the safety of their equine friends.

 

Roosje Van Amersfoort

 

On getting this mail a very good friend that stopped of to help Kyly with teaching her new horse to box, told us that here horse has AHS.

 

Now as my owner knows this lady for many years and when she say that her horse was injected every year all most to the day boy you can bet it was so.

 

Hi Hony
 
As you know, Imp has AHS. Just to let you know that she seems to be holding on and has not given up fighting yet. Apart from the conventional meds she is on eco heal and eco lung. These do seem to be beneficial and she has so far made it to day 5, the big day according to most vets. She certainly has not taking on this horrific illness lying down. She is a tough old girl and she is fighting her way through. Her eyes are the most hard hitting sight. You can't help but feel for her. She is looking perky today after a quiet day yesterday of re-gathering her strength. My girl, I look up to you and wish you a speedy recovery. To all the other people out there with horses with AHS, Be Positive! Give your horse the courage to fight. They deserve it and need all the encouragement you can give them. They do so much for us!
 
Best wishes to everyone
Louise and Merry Imp.

 

 

The bottom line AHS KILLS, but if every one that owns a horse would stop being stuben and work as one then just maybe we can get to stop this KILLER.

 

More Comments from good friends

 

Hi Hony
 
I can't stress enough how important the message you are sending out about AHS is, my daughter's instructor has just lost her 9 year old talented gelding, who was about to go Elementary in adult dressage. It is the most tragic tragic thing to happen to any horse lover. Just think of all that work let alone all that love you put into your beloved friend! Put up in the stable those insect spray machines which send out a spray at a programmed time, it is just another aid which can assist.
 
Do you know how many deaths there have been so far in Gauteng?
 
I know of two deaths near 4 Ways stables and our death was near GHS.
 
Many thanks
 
Sally

 

 

Good morning Hony
 
Thank you for the email.
 
I know in the Grahamstown, Bathurst, Adelaide, Port Alfred and Kenton on Sea area we are counting round 60 cases and you are so right, not even half the cases are being reported, it is so scary, I visit my boy everyday holding my breath that I'm going to find him still okay, some people are using fly spray and stabling, but still you are helpless, you cannot prevent this disease, South Africa is not taking this seriously and us horsey people have to just sit back and watch this disease kill our animals. More and more game farms with zebras are in the eastern cape (and are in the above mentioned areas). I cant help but wonder if our zebra friends aren't to blame for this major outbreak this year. Maybe I am very wrong, but it seems the game farms are getting richer and we are getting heartbroken and hit hard by this disease. I also cant help but wonder if there isn't more we could be doing....there has to be!
 
Kind regards
Debbie

 

Hi Hony,

 

You might need to send out the AHS Trust contact details– I wouldn’t have a clue where they are!

 

I agree totally that people are not reporting ALL incidents of AHS.  They should let the State Vet in Pretoria know,  both fatalities and recovered horses.

 

We have had 5 horses sick,  two of which (foals) didn’t make it.  It seems that treatment is only for symptoms (Finerdine for anti inflame,  cortisones, diuretics, vitamins and calcium are what I know of so far) but the most important thing is keep the horse cool,  rested, don’t let them stress (maybe keep a friend with or nearby?)  Restrict water greatly.  They mostly eat,  right the way through,  so keep that Lucerne and food on the go.  They seem to need the energy to recover.

 

Some horses run temperatures – we had one of 42!  Some are so sick but absolutely no temp at all,  we’ve had that too.  Company and NO STRESS seem to be the greatest help,  with everything else as a support.

 

We all tend to think that most people are aware of the need to keep horses in between 4 & 9.30,  because of the insects.  Not so.  I have met some people that were totally unaware of this,  of dipping (daily) spraying for insects etc.,  Maybe put out a clear advice? Yes,  I know you have a web link but a lot of horsey people aren’t all that good on computers,  so consider just a short informative newsflash.

 

This is only the beginning,  have you heard about the farmers who treat AHS with IV of Formalin?  Horrific. Lets get everyone to be more aware. Cut that grass near to stables,  get the automatic aerosols of repellant going.  Watching your horse die with this illness is horrible;  it’s a dreadful way for a horse to die.

 

Good luck with a most important topic,  I hope that rest of our horses make it through but it seems that the odds are stacked against them.  Time to take out mortality cover!

 

Dobbin

 

Hi Hony

 

EK bid elke dag dat my perde teen AHS bewaar sal word, en my gebede word verhoor. Ek weet egter van sewe perde, vier in Cullinan en een in Pretoria Wes wat dood is daaraan. Daar is ook ‘n vul in Brits ernstig siek. Laasgenoemde twee is beide perde wat ek aan mense verkoop het.

 

Groete

 

Annalie

 

Hi Hony,
 
In 1 of the letters written by a horse owner - I quote:  "This is only the beginning,  have you heard about the farmers who treat AHS with IV of Formalin?  Horrific." 
 
I would like to commend on this.  In the first place it is not FARMERS that use this but reputable VET'S and speaking of experience every single horse that I owned older that 6 months have been treated by my vet using Formalin in the last 5 years and they all pulled through!  I have seen the results over and over.  If your beloved horse is lying down and busy dying I am sure you will do anything in your power to try and save him.  As far as I know by using this method there is no permanent damage of after effects to your horse.
I know of many horse owners and breeders that have lost their beloved horses by using calsi tad etc. but since they tried the Formalin mixture they have not lost 1 horse.
I suggest that this person contact the vets and discuss this matter with them so that they can get all the pro's and con's before commenting further on what they think is " horrific" but a life saver in some owners eyes.
 
I will gladly supply a list of Vets names (and State Vets that recommend it) that use this method.
 
Regard's Tertia
 

Hi Hony

Would like to inform you, that we have lost our 16 month old foal today due to AHS, we are in the Limpopo Valley area, ( SOUTH ARIC )close to the river, and have had other cases before, out here.

 
Thanking you
Tersia KOEN

Hi Hony

 

I am situated in the East of Pretoria and 2 of my horses has had AHS.  One very mild case and last week a 3yr old that was affected badly.  We gave him Calcitad (which support the heart), Formalin + water mix (which seems to make the virus weaker and aids the horses immune system to be able to fight it in a weaker state) and bute on Sunday.  Monday morning he started with Eco-heart, Eco-lung and Eco-heal.  10ml of each immediately and hourly 5ml of each.  This made the world of difference as he had fluids on his lungs by then.  On Wednesday he started lying down a lot and his tongue swelled so badly that he could not eat anymore – the vet gave his Salix which is a diuretic – 5ml IM – we repeated this again 10 o’clock at night to ensure a good night’s rest for him. We repeated the calcitad every day and finished off the Eco products.

 

It is now day 9 and he does not have any swelling – he is just battling with a swollen hind leg and huge weight loss.  This colt was gelded about 4 weeks prior and then got upper respiratory tract infection.  I think all of this lowered his immune system and gave the virus the ideal opportunity to attack.

 

We kept him quite and stayed with him 24 hours – grooming him with a towel and praying every day that he will make it.  I think that the Eco products definitely did play a huge roll in helping him but the only complaint is that the product is extremely expensive R300/bottle and that is not within everybody’s reach.  The whole episode must have cost between R3 000 – R5 000.  Although there is no limit on the amount of money that one can spend to save a live I do feel that the vets are using this window of opportunity to make a bigger profit as I am sure they must be up and down treating AHS cases.

 

A friend of mine in Onbekend also lost a hand-reared foal (just over 12 months) in the same week, and I know of another case just behind me – luckily caught in the beginning stages and stopped in its tracks with Calcitad, Formalin mix.   

 

Regards

Anel

 

Hi Hony

 

Please note below:

 

Just so you are aware, I have heard from numerous sources that the “H Vac” made by Alex Niven is proving fairly successful and can be used as both a preventative medicine as well as during a case of Horse Sickness.

Please be advised that we are in one of the highest risk areas here North of the Juskei, with numerous cases/deaths having been reported to date.

 

I have recently been involved in treating cases of this dreaded disease and having witness several horses suffering through horse sickness I can only urge you to try whatever is available on the market as a matter or course.

I wish you all the best of luck through this period.

Regards

PENNY E JAQUET

EQUIBENEFIT

 

Hi Hony

Another possible precaution is to use H-vacc from Dr Alex Niven - an immune system booster avail in inject able or oral form. At approx R40/horse, I think it's worthwhile!

There's also an immune system booster available from vets (I got mine from Hildegard Setzkorn) made from African potato which she reckons has been proven to help fight viruses. I have given it to a horse that spiked a fever, and give it on-going to my 20yr old mare.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards
Allison

 

 

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