b'Vet continued from page 5By doing this you are building the population of FlyThe classic summer sore is Predators during fly breeding season. usually a firm, sometimes round HOW TO TREAT SUMMER SORESThe primary goals of treatment are to reducereaction in the skin that produces inflammation in the skin to allow it to heal and to stop the life cycle of the Habronema stomach worms.proud flesh and will often contain Usually, the horses shed the eggs in their manurehard, small, yellow granules. The to contaminate the environment. Some horses are shedders, but even a wormed horse can get summersores can be very small in the sores. This is because the larvae that cause the massive inflammatory reaction are already dead. It is theearly stages or can create very bodys immune response to the dead larvae that cause the intense itchiness and summer sore formation. large proud flesh reactions.Corticosteroids reduce the inflammatoryhydrocortisone, DMSO, and Wonder Dust (to hypersensitivity reaction, and antimicrobials treatcreate a "scab" over the wound). SWAT fly repellent secondary infections, usually a result of self-inflictedointment also works well. Wrap if possible, and biting, rubbing, and itching. Refractory lesions maychange daily. If the sore can\'t be wrapped, try to require extensive surgical debridement to adequatelyfigure out a way to keep it covered. A belly band can remove degenerative larvae within the tissue. be made out of towels patterned off the colic belly You should double dose with ivermectin, atbands used in aftercare for colic surgery. For the two-week intervals until sore is gone. Treatmentface, keep a fly mask on. If the fly mask doesn\'t cover usually includes larvicidal, anti-inflammatory,adequately figure out some way to extend it and for and antimicrobial components. Ivermectin hasones on the legs use vet wrap. commonly been used to kill both the adult worms in the stomach and the larval forms in the skinCryotherapy has also proven successful in some tissue. A single dose of ivermectin is generallycases. This involves the freezing of summer sores with sufficient to kill Habronema species larvae. But someliquid nitrogen. In the event of stubborn resistant horses don\'t respond or they become reinfected,summer sores, the answer is often surgery. Some necessitating multiple doses. horses need surgical intervention to remove all of the granulomatous reaction and dead larvae within the Any granules and proud flesh should be debridedsummer sore.and removed, and a topical lotion to kill the larvae and reduce inflammation should be applied. You canIf you see lesions like these on your horse, please call use a mixture of ivermectin paste, dexamethasone,your veterinarian for evaluation and treatment. Large Animal ClinicPart of the Animal Health InstituteExceptional Care for Horses and Farm AnimalsThe Large Animal Clinic is your source for comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable primary and specialty veterinary services for horses and farm animals.Working as a team, Midwestern faculty veterinarians and students use the latest technology to provide a wide range of health services, at our Glendale clinic or the clients premises.Call for an appointment:623-806-75755725 West Utopia Road | Glendale, Arizona 85308 www.mwuanimalhealth.com6 August 2023'