Strangles Tests & Treatment

We are appealing for help to assist with the costs of our continued veterinary screening & treatment of the 9 residents on our rehabilitation yard due to our recent Strangles outbreak. All 9 ponies have had the first round of blood tests and nasal swabs & we currently have 4/9 ponies who have tested positive or are now exhibiting symptoms. Further tests need to be carried out at 3 weekly intervals these will also include guttural flushing for all positive ponies, with a minimum of 3 negative consecutive tests before a Pony is ruled clear of infection.We have just had our first bill from our vets which totalled £1111.53 this includes preliminary tests and treatment of our first exhibiting case. The cost of each blood test & nasal swab per pony inc. visit, sedation etc breaks down to £99.50! This will rise significantly with guttural flushing procedures. This is devastating for a small charity like ourselves & we desperately need help to fund these ongoing tests and treatment. This is without our monthly winter care costs of providing accommodation, feed, bedding etc for 23 rescue residents in total. It’s a terribly cruel blow at this time of year & a huge worry to our future. We have managed so far to raise enough to pay for this first bill thanks to the kindness and generosity of our supporters but will have to find a minimum of this each month for the next 2 months at least for treatment! Please help us to fund this ongoing treatment and allow us to keep up our valuable help and support to ponies in the future.