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  Discussion on Clostridium in the ground contagious to horses?
Author Message
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Oct 5, 2008 - 3:48 pm:

Dr.O. we are having a small but life threatening cases of diahrrea going on in our calves. We have been able to nurse 2 of the 3 back to health and the other one is still pretty sick.

This hasn't been normal calf scours (something we have never had before either) the vet thinks it may be clostridium c.

I just recently started letting the horses in one of the small pastures the cow/calves were in, would you suggest I remove them from it? Well actually I have! Could the horses contract this from the calves feces or the ground they pooped on? Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Oct 6, 2008 - 7:04 am:

Yes adult horses can get C perfringens Type C associated diarrhea.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Oct 6, 2008 - 7:05 am:

Dr.O. I want to rephrase that, I'm sure they COULD contract it, but would it be likely? After reading a little bit more about it, it would seem it lives in the ground anyway. I would like to use this pasture if it is safe.

My horses are healthy, but I do have a couple seniors.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Oct 6, 2008 - 9:17 am:

I called my vet and asked him, he said he didn't think I needed to worry about the horses being in that pasture. He said that clostridium is in the ground everywhere and that since my horses were healthy adults, the risk is low.

I looked in the small pasture I've been putting the horses in and didn't find any feces, Only one calf that got sick was in there and I THINK it was before her diahrrea started.
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