Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Horse Parasites Prevention: Roundworms, Strongyloids and Botflies

Horses, like all other mammals large and small,
can fall victim to parasites. These creatures,
defined as organisms that live in or on and feed
off of another organism, can be found nearly
anywhere and can enter your horse's body with no
indication at all. There is virtually no way to
be certain that your horse has not ingested
parasites, but fortunately there are a number of
ways to tell if she does have a parasite
infestation.

To begin, it is important to know what the main
parasites are that are likely to invade your
horse.

Roundworms

Roundworms are also known as nematodes and this
wide reaching phylum has over twenty-eight
thousand distinct species. Horses are most
likely to encounter the nematodes called
ascarids. These worms are comparatively bigger
when compared to other common roundworms live in
the intestines.

There are several worries associated with these
worms. Given a large enough infestation, your
horse could end up with seriously compromised
nutrition. These roundworms will essentially eat
the mostly digested food that comes past them in
the intestines. Your horse will become weaker if
she does not take in enough food, and eventually
died if proper treatment is not rendered.

At the same time, a serious infestation could
also be the reason for the intestines blockages.
Your horse might display colicky behavior and
feeling uncomfortable with pain.

The larvae of these worms can enter the arteries
and make their way to the lungs and liver where
they might inflict serious harm.

Strongyloids

Also called thread worms, these nematodes are
much smaller than ascarids, usually reaching no
longer than two millimeters. While it is far
less likely that these worms will cause an
intestinal blockage, they are certainly dangerous.

These worms are rarely ingested, and usually
enter the body by cutting their way through the
skin, often while an animal is lying down. Once
they are in the bloodstream, they will move
around until they reach the small intestine.
Sometimes, it is not unusual for the threadworms
to leave the bloodstream in the lungs when they
are being coughed out. They access the small
intestine through the throat and mouth when they
are swallowed.

The damage these worms can cause is significant,
as they are fond of traveling throughout the
body. Once they are in the lungs, they display
symptoms similar to that of pneumonia, making an
accurate diagnosis more difficult. The accurate
way to detect the infestation is through fecal
testing.

Botflies

A botfly, unlike the other parasites mentioned,
is actually an arthropod. It is a winged fly and
its status as a parasite is derived from the fact
that its eggs are ingested and hatch within the
body of another animal.

Botflies infestation are most common from the end
of summer to the start of fall. During this
period, make sure you are more vigilant and
double check your horse's coat for small yellow
dots. These could be botfly eggs. One of the
only way to remove them is to scrape them off
carefully, if left alone, they will slowly and
surely burrow down into the skin. These eggs
might also be ingested when a horse rubs her face
on places where the eggs were laid.

Prevention

Preventing your horse from contracting parasites
is notoriously difficult. Because most parasites
are passed in fecal matter, it is essential to
keep the area where a horse may be, especially
where feeding and watering may happen, clean of
feces.

If you suspect that your horse may have worms or
other parasites, or if you have noticed worms in
the feces of your horse, it's a good idea to
contact your veterinarian about getting some
horse dewormer.

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