The Disturbing Truth About Neck Threadworms and Your Itchy Horse. Look on any ivermectin or moxidectin- based wormer packet and you’ll see a long list of parasites. Tucked in neatly at the end – it’s nearly always at the end – you’ll see the words Onchocerca Microfilariae, otherwise known as neck threadworms. Also known as neck threadworms, these critters vary in length from 6cm to 3.
Classification and external resources; Specialty: Allergy and immunology: ICD-10: T78.4: ICD-9-CM: 995.3: DiseasesDB: 33481: MedlinePlus: 000812: eMedicine: med/1101. Shop online for vitamins, skin care, makeup, supplements, beauty, hair care, health products and much more! Save up to 60% at drugstore.com. Astonishingly, they live in the horse’s nuchal ligament. Yes, the nuchal ligament. It runs the full length of the neck, from poll to withers, with a flat ligament part connecting with the cervical vertebrae. Apparently, most horses have Onchocerca. Monsoon Skin Care Remedies. Monsoons come as a welcome break from the summer heat but also bring a number of challenges for your skin. Dry and chapped lips, sore skin.For many they’re not a problem, but some horses develop a reaction to their microscopic larvae (the microfilariae). This is known as Onchocerciasis. Neck threadworms have a distinctive life cycle, but as is so often the case, the problem presents in different ways, depending on the individual. Diabetes Research And Clinical Practice Treatment Diabetes & Alternative Diabetes Treatment Diabetes Id Bracelets Treatment Diabetes & Alternative Diabetes Treatment The horses become itchy, mostly around the head, neck, chest, shoulders and underside of the belly. That’s why owners often make the understandable assumption that their horse has Queensland itch or sweet itch.(This article can also be found under: www. A quick introduction to neck threadworms. Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www. June 2. 01. 3. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine. Onchocerca is what’s known as a parasitic filarial worm (nematode). One reason these worms get relatively little attention is that they never live in the intestines. The microscopic larval form live in the horse’s skin, mostly around the head, neck, shoulders, chest and underside of the belly. It is the adult worm that later makes its home in the nuchal ligament. The problem is global and horses in most countries have been found to have this parasite. Unfortunately for those of us who keep horses in warmer, humid climates, it’s more frequent here. The biting insect that serves as a carrier is the Culicoides fly, which is also connected to Queensland Itch (aka Sweet Itch, Summer Itch, etc.). It’s an unfortunate coincidence of environment that leads to many cases of neck threadworms being missed, because they’re assumed to be Itch. Does your horse have “the itch” – or neck threadworms? It’s a humdinger of a thought. If your horse is itchy, something different could be happening to what you think is happening. Just some.) Your horse has neck threadworms and its inflammatory reaction to them has increased its sensitivity, so it’s now reacting to fly bites everywhere – in other words, Queensland/sweet itch has been triggered as a secondary response. Your horse only has neck threadworms, in which case they’re probably rubbing along the mane and particularly the base of mane, around the neck and face, under the chest and down the ventral line (under the belly), but not on the tail head – or at least, relatively little. Are you by any chance now thinking other horses you know? If so, they might be suffering from Onchocerciasis. There’s a lot of it about. So how do we identify neck threadworms? A pony with the Itch and neck threadworms. It’s Autumn and she’s stopped rubbing out her entire mane – it has grown back – but is still itching that tell- tale area in front of the withers. Her coat is raised in a temporary histamine reaction to the ivermectin wormer. Neck threadworms have a distinctive life cycle, but as is so often the case, the problem presents in different ways, depending on the individual. In my brumby Colo, it started with him scratching the underside of his neck on posts. That was about 3 months before I had an inkling it might be neck threadworms. How I wish I’d known what it was at that point, so that I could have nipped the problem in the bud. And I’ve heard of a local horse who suddenly started furiously itching his face, bang in the middle of the forehead, to the point that it bled. He had never been itchy before. These are the classic early signs, usually recognised by the owner only through miserable hindsight. Other signs include small lumps forming along the underside of the horse and on its neck and face, weeping spots, and a scaly crest to an area of the mane through rubbing. The base of the mane, just in front of the withers, seems to be party central where neck threadworms are concerned. The real nastiness of neck threadworms. The microscopic larvae can travel to the eye, although this is rare. It just gets better: the larvae can travel to the horse’s eyes, where they can cause untold damage. This cheering sentence from Scott and Miller’s Equine Dermatology sums it up: “O. Nobody’s sure how common this is. All I know is that I don’t want to find out the hard way. Consider this: in humans, a slightly different strain of Onchocerca infestation is known as River Blindness. Please remember this detail when you’re deciding whether to worm for neck threadworms or not. The very strange lifecycle of the neck threadworm. These worms have a complicated existence. They’re among the shapeshifters of the parasitic worm world, developing through several larval stages before reaching adulthood. The first stage microfilariae live in the horse, close to the skin. Their numbers are highest in the spring and decrease to their lowest point in mid- winter. They live in clusters, which is why you may first notice patches of scurfy skin where the horse has started itching. This is a reaction to the dead or dying larvae. Itching down the midline. Mine have itched neck and shoulders only – so far. Within the fly, the larvae then develop through a further stage (or two). They are then deposited back into a horse when the flies bite. The flies can do this for an impressive 2. Back in a host horse, the larvae then make their way via the bloodstream to the connective tissue of the nuchal ligament, which runs along the crest of the neck. Here they moult and develop into adult worms. The adults live for around 1. Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www. June 2. 01. 3. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine. No matter where the adult worms settle, the itchiness is caused by the microfilariae that aren’t lucky enough to be consumed by a fly and are instead left to die off. The next part’s really not fair. The more the horse itches and breaks the skin, the more the flies will bite exactly where the microfilariae are located, before transporting them to the same or another horse, to start all over again. Unsurprisingly, horses with most lesions have higher microfilariae counts – it’s a perfect ascending spiral of parasite- induced discomfort. The Onchecerca life cycle lasts for 4 to 5 months. Can we test for neck threadworms? The microfilariae can be identified in the living horse through a biopsy of the nuchal ligament. Published veterinary research shows you won’t get any indication within 3. Worming with ivermectin can lead to weeping spots in the mane. This photo was taken after they’d cleared, leaving bald areas. Sometimes the hair grows back white. A dose of ivermectin- based wormer is the quickest way to tell if your horse has them. If the microfilariae are present, the horse usually responds with intense itching – and I mean, manically intense, demented itching – around 4. It may develop weeping, gunky spots at the base of the mane. Unsurprisingly, he was also hard to handle for a few days. He was definitely sore at the base of the neck, where the weeping eruptions came out, and didn’t want to be touched there. I have to say that the scale of his reaction came as a shock to me, so take heed and be prepared with some soothing salves. What can we do about adult neck threadworms? Here’s the depressing answer: not much. But we can manage them. The nuchal ligament runs from poll to wither and links with the vertebrae. Yellow = funicular part, home to neck threadworms. What often happens is that the horse’s body throws down calcification around the adult worms in an attempt to isolate the foreign body. In some horses, you can feel a collection of pea- like bumps in the nuchal ligament. In the ones that I’ve checked, this was just in front of the withers. The slightly better news it that the worms are so fine and the lumps so small that it doesn’t seem to affect the function of the ligament, which is tough and fundamentally taut anyway. However, I’ve not yet knowingly seen a horse with a long history of neck threadworms – I’d be interested in doing so. Heavier calcification is usually most prevalent in horses in their late teens. It figures, as the adult wormers are older, and longer. Apparently they intertwine and live in small clumps. Mid- aged horses have mainly shown inflamed tissue around live parasites. In horses less than 5yo, the parasites can be present but there’s relatively little immunological response. So if your horse has suddenly developed itchiness at the age of 5 or 6, you could be looking at the presence of this parasite. Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www. June 2. 01. 3. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine. Managing the initial outbreak. Do you worm your horses? Do you want to reduce the itching at the cost of having to worm more? I know I do, but I realise that some people can’t abide the thought of chemical wormers, or their increased use. But here’s what you can do if you want to reduce that dreadful itching and virtually eliminate the possibility of eye damage. Unfortunately, there’s no single recommended protocol for worming against neck threadworms, so you’re in fairly uncharted territory. I’ve also read forum posts by US horse owners stating that a double dosage at fortnightly intervals is the most effective treatment. It’s usually around three doses, or until symptoms subside. One reason is that lower doses do not kill off enough larvae, allowing resistance to develop amongst those that remain. Wormers are certainly tested as safe at higher dosages, but again, horses are individuals, so always check with your *equine* vet first. How to Get Rid of Itchy Contact Dermatitis the Natural Way. For those of you who have been advised to moisturise the skin with a barrier cream or oil, I have a great recipe for you to try: Ingredients: 1 part beeswax granules. A few drops organic lavender essential oil. Melt the beeswax, jojoba, and almond oil together in a double boiler (or bain- marie) until melted completely. Remove from heat and wait a moment before adding the essential oil. The reason you don't add the essential oil during the cooking process is because extreme heat denatures the precious oils. If you like your balm to have more fragrance, add more essential oil if necessary. Start to stir the mixture to blend all the ingredients together. The aim here is stop the balm from completely setting into a hard block. By continually whipping the mixture as it cools, your balm will develop a lovely thick, mousse- like consistency. If you miss this step, the balm will completely solidify and it will be very hard to get out of the pot. The whole process should take about 5 minutes, depending on the quantity of balm you make. A very small amount of balm will take less time to cool than a big batch. Spoon the balm into a clean sterilized container such as a small glass jar. If possible, make sure the glass is dark blue or amber (easily found in aromatherapy shops or online) because it will protect the product from sunlight. Apply the homemade balm to the skin before bed every night and whenever you get the opportunity during the day. This is incredibly soothing for dry skin. The essential oils help to reduce inflammation and to fight infection. Please do the sensible thing by patch testing 4. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, I suggest visiting this website for recommendations of safe oils to use. Alternatively, you could omit the essential oils completely. Remember, if you are allergic to latex or nitrile gloves, moisturisers and barrier creams are a bad idea to use until your allergic reaction has subsided. This can take as long as 7.
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