The last 4 months has seen a surge of horses with pigeon fever infections in central California. Unlike recent years, the cases appear to be more severe and the horses are taking longer to recover. Signs of pigeon fever abscesses include swellings on the chest, abdomen, and a variety of other locations. In some horses, the infection spreads internally (liver, lungs, etc.). These horses can have fevers and weight loss. If you have a horse with sudden weight loss and/or persistent fevers, please give us a call to discuss ways to diagnose this problem. There are some simple and easy blood tests that can provide a lot of information.