What is a coggins and why is it needed?

Question

I was just wondering what exactly a coggins is and why horses are required to have it to do a lot of things. Thanks.

Answer 1

It is a blood test for Equine Infection Anemia.
Something for which there is no cure and no shots.
You are required to have the vet draw blood and have it tested for the disease. If the horse is positive a misquitoe can bite your horse and then bite another one and the other horse will or can get the disease.
It has variuos symptoms and is not cureable. Many times the horse must be euthanised.
It is important to have your horse checked for it we do ours once per year.

Answer 2

They've got it right. It's such a concern that if a horse tests positive the state will come out and test every horse within five miles around it. It is possible to create a quarentine but it's so impractical and since the horse can Never leave it most people must put them down. They would have to kept in a 100% insect free area completely screened in an double doored so not even a mosuito could get in or out. A couple years ago Michigan made it neccesary to test every horse that was going to leave the property, even down the road and back. Once all the horses were tested they went back to needing it for shows and going out of state. At least we found out it's not in the area.

Answer 3

coggins is sometimes called "swamp fever", it is transmitted by horseflies,deerflies, mosquitoes and just about any other blood sucking insect, it is very contagious to other horses for how ever far a fly can fly. and it can and will kill them there is no cure, u have to have a neg, coggins to cross state lines with horses . so they should be tested and if neg be vaccinated.,

Answer 4

Exactly. It is highly contagious and deadly. Horses that test positive need to be euthanized.