Ulcer/blister/chemical burn like wounds on mouth? *Pic*

EmmaJThompson

New User
Joined
8 August 2011
Messages
9
Location
Bishop Burton/South Shields
Visit site
botzz.jpg

ssbu.jpg



Has anyone had experience of these before or do you have any advice?
Currently texting the vet so should get a reply soon or tomorrow just wondering if anyone on here has seen this?

Thank you in advance :)
 
Sorry not much help but have seen it on a yearling and a mare at work, didnt bother them, caused no pain and seemed to heal by its self.

Sorry not very helpful.
 
botzz.jpg

ssbu.jpg



Has anyone had experience of these before or do you have any advice?
Currently texting the vet so should get a reply soon or tomorrow just wondering if anyone on here has seen this?

Thank you in advance :)

They look very similar to the sores you can get from Bot Larve if they burrow in to the lips.
 
They look very similar to the sores you can get from Bot Larve if they burrow in to the lips.

This.
Make sure your worming programme includes ivermectin at some point in the near future, but they will likely heal well on their own. Just keep them clean with some saline, maybe some topical protective cream if they are being attacked by flies.
 
Im not sure I have thought of this... but my horse is wormed properly! They appeared rather quick. Rather confused hopefully I will find the news tomorrow...

Unfortunately regular worming doesn't prevent botflies. The adult fly lays eggs on the horse's coat (look for small yellowish dots inside the forelimbs), the horse then grooms themself, transferring the egg to the lips, where the larva hatches and burrows through the lips, then heads down into the stomach to develop. Ultimately it passes with droppings, develops into a fly and continues the cycle. It is the burrowing stage that produces these lesions on the lips.
Worming will kill the larvae in the stomach, but not the eggs on the coat.
 
There are a few things that can cause these ulcers. I saw exactly the same thing last week. We didnt know the cause but certainly Bot larvae are one possibility. Another is that certain grasses have seed awns that are barbed and once the lip is spiked ,the awn is drawn in. Wild barley is notorious for this. The horse in question,s mouth is now healing up nicely.
 
We didn't see any signs either and have always wormed in winter for bots.
In fact my other neighbours pony had a lump removed from his shoulder earlier in the summer, thinking it was a growth but vet said that was a parasite larvae, we assumed he meant bots.
And my gelding has had some lumps on his flank for a few weeks which are now itching him like mad. I've taken some pics to post on here to ask if anyone knows what they are, I'm suspecting emerging bots but I've only ever seen one before and it was much bigger than these lumps. My gelding was also wormed last winter for bots. I never saw any eggs this year, but I have seen some many years ago when I used to scrape them off his legs.
How did you add your pics to your post?
 
i too have the same problem or very similar. vet has ruled out bot flys also. buttercups are present in field (now moved), she has no sharp edges on her teeth either. it is now quite hard around the edges but does not seem to bother her at all and has been there for several months. vet offered to do scrapings but suggested to wait and see if it goes away on its own x
 
There is a pic of these at the top of the vet forum in a post about common ailments and they said they were a type of herpes. My horse had one a few years ago and it soon disappeared and didnt affect him
 
these sores are not caused by bot flies (maybe it's an easy answer for a vet to give when they dont know the real answer but that is not what bot flies do - the horse swallow the eggs and they only hatch into larvae once in the horse's stomach where they then attach to the stomach wall. These lesions are usually caused by a local irritation from a plant such as buttercups or something in the hedgerow. my old boy gets them every year and every yr they heal up without any treatment.

 
Last edited:
i have since moved my horse to my own place since last post, i am extremely delighted to anounce that my mares ulcers have almost dissapeared, they have definetely been from the grazing she was on. my new place does not have buttercups- i beleive this was the answer as first thought, hope this is the same for you x (it only took about 6 weeks of new grazing to remove the ulcers she has had for the last 12 months) :)
 
Top