Horse Bottofly Infection | petmd

What is a horse botfly infection?

Parasite infections are very common in horses as they live naturally outside. One of the most common parasite infections is bots. Horse bots are bot-free larvae, Gasterophilus spp. There are several species of Bottofree that can affect horses. This is one of the most common parasite infections, but horses are generally unaffected and are easily treated.

Types of Gasterophilus

There are three species of gasterophilus that can affect horses.

1. G. Intestinalis: This is the most common and abundant horse bot that affects horses. They usually lay eggs on horse legs, abdomen, sides and shoulders.
2. G. Hemorrhagic: This bot fly is often referred to as a throat bot. Often, eggs are deposited on the underside of the neck and on the lower jaw.
3. G. nasalis: This bot fly is often referred to as a nosebot. It usually deposits eggs around the horse’s muzzle.

Symptoms of botfly infection in horses

Common signs of botfly infection include:

The most prominent clinical signs are associated with infections in the oral stage, including:

Clinical signs of stomach botofly infection include:

• Coli Pain Symptoms

• Symptoms of stomach ulcers

Causes of botfly infection in horses

The timeline for horse botfly infections includes the following stages:

1. Adult Botto Fly glues eggs to horse hair

   
   
   

2. Egg hatch

   
   

   • G. Intestine Hatching eggs for stimulation from horses/Licking eggs/Grooming hair

   • G. nasalis Eggs naturally hatch

   • The larvae head towards the horse’s mouth and enter the mouth

3. The larvae migrate into the tissue of the tongue, with periodontal pockets surrounding the molars and premolars, staying for up to 21 days

4. The larvae move to the stomach in the oral cavity about 4 weeks later

   
   

   • G. Intestinalis Attach to part of the stomach

   • G. nasalis It adheres to the pyrrolus area of ​​the stomach (opening from the stomach to the small intestine)

5. The larvae continue to develop and pass to the feces

6. Once in the soil, larvae develop more for about 3-5 weeks, and generally appear when adults fly in the summer or autumn.

Keep in mind that after this last step, the horse can be reinfected or infected for the first time, and the cycle begins again. Botfly can spend a total of 8-10 months in a horse.

How a veterinarian diagnoses a bottofly infection in horses

Veterinarians can diagnose Botofly infections through physical examinations, fecal examinations and gastroscopy.

• Physical/Oral Tests: On a physical examination, your veterinarian may be able to find botfly eggs stuck to your horse’s hair, or ulcers and pain in the horse’s mouth in an oral exam.

• Fecal test: Bottofly larvae may be observed in feces.

• Gastroscopy: The veterinarian passes the range with a small camera from the horse’s nose to the stomach, allowing visualization of the horse’s stomach and botfly larvae that may be attached.

Treatment of botfly infections in horses

Deworming

Appropriate The anti-worming protocol can prevent your horse from developing major internal diseases caused by botfly. In most cases, Ivermectin This is the perfect dewarmer for bot-free use. Autumn dewormers with botides help to reduce the burden on larvae leading to winter. For current demilatory programs, please discuss with your key veterinarians to ensure that you are providing the best prevention of botfly infections to your horse.

Egg removal

In addition to a regular deworming schedule, botfly eggs can be regularly removed from the horse’s body using a small comb, such as a bot knife or a flea comb. Remove eggs from your horse before he ingests, so that they do not access his mouth and digestive tract to continue the life cycle.

Environmental Management

Fertilizer management can also play a major role in any parasite management program, including botfly. Regularly removing fertilizer from areas where horses are generally standing, whether it is a paddock, a habitat, or a food stall, can help reduce the spread of bot-free. It is not recommended to spread fertilizer on pastures that are grazing by horses.

Recovery and management of horse botfly infections

If your horse has acquired a Bottofly infection, it is important to reach out to your main veterinarian to determine the severity of the infection. Mild infections may be removed with changes in management and deworming. Prescription medications may be required for moderate to severe infections with oral or stomach ulcers.

Botfly infections can lead to the following conditions:

Precautions are similar to treating botfly infections, including:

• Maintain proper anti-worming protocols all year round for your horse

• Examination of your horse daily to monitor bot egg signs

• Keeping the environment free of fertilizer

• Proper fly control and prevention to minimize flies