Huge fly bite lumps on the tummy - what would you do?

[Storminateacup]

My young horse arrived about three weeks ago from Ireland.

The last few days I have found huge lumps 'bout the size of a ten pence piece each on his belly which I think are fly bites. He had two on his neck which looked awful but went down within 24 hours. Trouble is he will not let me put fly spray on him or any gels as he is terrified of the smell. He is not very well handled and is very reactive even though I can tie him up to a post. ( he can walk around)
Also his feet are very long and he really needs trimming, but can only lift the nearside fore and the rest are a big no no.
Question is will the fly bites cause a problem or is he as likely to have been exposed to the same flies in Ireland, therefore should I just let him get on with it, or should I get the vet out to sedated him clean up a few minor wounds and grazes and get a fly rug on him at the same time and perhaps the farrier out too.
Or should I just ACP/sedalin him myself and clean him up, put fly rug on etc. He is on a worming treatment too ATM Panacur EquineGuard five days and the Equimax for the 6th day as he had a high worm counts so I wonder if the Sedatin/ACP would be contraindicated whilst being wormed.
I dont want to rush him as he is very wary and I don't want him panicing and running off. Before you suggest I bring him in, I have no stable either. I am working with him daily to help him become more manageable and ammenable to basic handling but I am concerned these problems are going to affect his long term health and future soundness.
Advice please

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare suffers from the nasty flies and she has a big bite on the underside of her tummy now. I bathe them with warm salt water and that seems to do the trick. With your baby I would be tempted to get the vet out and coordinate that with your Farrier so you can kill two birds with one stone so to speak. You could get him sedated and get his feet sorted and get the vet to take a look at the same time. I think it sounds like the only way to sort out his immediate problems. The rest will come in time as he settles down and gets to know you and his new home. At least that way you will know that the vet will only administer enough sedative to do what needs to be done and you wont be worried about the wormer.

Hope it works out.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Completely agree with Izzwizz, very good advice.

Also for future fly protection ask the vet about Deosect. You dilute it massively, and wipe it all over with a sponge (wear gloves). It can last for a number of weeks (depending on how rained on horse gets), under tum I would think could last up to a month. You can get it online cheaper than thru vet BTW!

It has a very different smell to fly spray, and also isnt a spray (unless you choose to decant the diluted stuff into a spray bottle). More chemically smell. To us the smell of normal fly spray might be preferable but horses dont work like that and the combination of different smell and wipe not spray could make the difference, added to which you dont need to keep bothering them with it all the time.

For me its been more effective than any spray, much cheaper and horse prefers wipe to spray.

You could even do it while hes sedated to do all the other stuff and get a really good coating on.

good luck!

 

[Bri]

I was just about to post this! Will be watching with interest. My horse is fine to be handled,but has lots of lumps all over his belly & is getting frustrated with flies - not sure whether to get a fly rug or not? Do they cover the belly?

The Deosect sounds good, will give that a try I think. IzzWizz do you use anything to prevent the bites? Or just bathe them once they start appearing?

 

[Izzwizz]

Bri - I just bathe them when they appear. I do put a gel around her teats as the nasty little critters get to her where her skin is more exposed and there is less hair. At the moment shes in a small paddock on her own recovering from a ddft injury and there is more wind so its less invaded with flies. She has a fly rug on, its the Amigo bug rug and I do like them. My friend uses the Rambo Sweetitch hoodies as her horse get sweet itch and they do cover the tummy really well if anyone wants to protect their horses more thoroughly. Wash and wear fabulously too. My mare is a grey so dont know if they flies especially like her. She was on box rest last year and got attacked badly in the stable even though it was skipped out very reguarly. If its possible to poo pick your fields that may help matters as less poo about usually means less flies. Just remembered that there is a fly rug made by Rambo which is supposed to kill flies when they land, rather like a suit of armour (material).. Nikwax also make a product to spray on rugs which has a similar effect, called Skitostop I think.

Hope that gives you a few ideas

 

[Toffee44]

Flair came in with these today have jsut rinsed her down with some hibiscrub. Fly sprayed her and turned her back out. Not sure if its stinging nettles or flies though. I have a batch of nettles in my field but thats it. I only say that because the nettles have flowered to same time as these lumps have appeared.

Friends gelding was like this 48hrs ago did that and they have gone down now. They were all over his belly and around his sheath.

 

[china]

mine gets them bad, he gets huge ones, i put global herbs bite cream on them (free sample i got) or aloe vera and they go within a day. i have got a mark todd fly rug which is fab, its really soft, covers everywhere including the belly and has abit by the withers that when he puts his head down to eat that the neck part doesnt ride up. its silver aswell so is good for horses that get sunburn! cant recomend it enough!

 

[Storminateacup]

Thanks for all the replies. i managed to get get flypor from the vet on him, on his neck with a rubber glove on a stick! ha ha, but he is almost unhandleable so i have the vet booked for sedation, plus the farrier and i plan to get some of the Deosect to cover him with whilst sedated. Hopefully i will be able to sedate him myself with the Sedalin after this for repeat applications.
He is an Appaloosa with quite a bit of pink skin everywhere. The lumps under the tum and round the sheath have gone down a bit, but then the weather has been colder. My fields are quite exposed so when windy as it often is the flies have a hard time flying about!

He also appears to have warts or black lumps just in front of his sheath and I am hoping they are not sarcoids but just muck and gunk. He has another on his axilla and until I wormed him he kept knocking the top off and making it bleed. Since intensive worming with Panacur Equine Guard an Equimax, ( he is still shedding bot larvae 4 days later in his poos -gross) it has healed up and he is looking healthier all over and being much more full of himself. In fact quite a little S***T if I am being honest!