Hooray! 
So this Wed will be Day 14 since my 3 were DD’d with Equimax. I noticed the red spots that were in the same place as the nasty sores on my boarders gelding going away after like 3 or 4 days. Things looked great until about 4 days ago. Now they look worse than ever. Esp my mare. Shes losing a bunch of hair on her face, esp on the jaw right in front of the bone, areas along her flank, and near her withers.
Whats even more strange is my gf, that I posted a question about, “jm”, DD’d 3 of her horses and last Wednesday did the Ivermectin and her mare has the SAME exact hair loss areas as my mare on her face.
I was just going to do the Ivermectin this Wednesday but its looking like I may need to do the Equimax again.
So if this is just killing the babies… how can you ever get rid of the adults? Do they eventually die off in the fall? What exactly do they eat? The tendons in the neck?!
Is it common for them to look worse before they look better? I feel so awful for my mare. She looks horrible and is SO itchy!
Many posters have reported a “getting worse before getting better” result. Just plan on doing the 2nd DD.
Yes, adults do eventually die…just like everything eventually dies.
Feel free to offer a soothing bathe or salve (Caladryl is good) while double dosing to offer external relief.
Some folks on this thread said the adults live 10 years, but I found reference to “only” 7 years.
Hi! My vet just diagnosed my mare with this today. He recommended single dose ivermectin once a week for 4 weeks. I gave her first dose to her this evening but since finding your thread would like to DD with Equimax. How soon can I DD with Equimax since I just gave her the single dose ivermectin tonight? Thanks!!
FINALLY my two worst offenders have STOPPED rubbing necks and tails. FINALLY. After years of pulling my hair out to stop the incessant scratching…it is ended. <insert clapping hands icon>:)
Two of mine did perfectly on one double dosing- stopped their scratching immediately. However, the other two had a chronic, longterm issue – scratching their necks and chests and butts on everything and anything. This had been going on for years. It took three double dosings to finally bring all the scratching to a close.
It is now mid-summer when the scratching should be at it’s peak – yet they are standing quietly in their stalls, sleeping or eating. Their last DD was two weeks ago. I keep checking on them, but there are zero signs of any scratching or rubbing anymore. They used to do it incessantly even as I was standing there. It drove me insane, trying every product under the sun to protect them from themselves.
Nada now.
I think I can now breathe. 
[QUOTE=gothedistance;4253819]
Two of mine did perfectly on one double dosing- stopped their scratching immediately. However, the other two had a chronic, longterm issue – scratching their necks and chests and butts on everything and anything. This had been going on for years. It took three double dosings to finally bring all the scratching to a close.[/QUOTE]
So, you did a third DD? Did you do the third DD two weeks after the second DD? Has anyone else done the third dosing (TD)?
After the second DD, my mare has stopped itching/scratching everywhere except her face. After the 1st DD, she stopped scratching her mane and tail, and the gnarly scabby thing under her belly healed after three straight years of having it! She never “erupted” like others have talked about, but she is definitely not itching everywhere anymore – just on her head/face. I’m wondering if a TD would clean that up…
If it’s a “mild” case or where the NTW symptoms are appearing for the first time, then the weekly Ivermectin should work. However, if it’s a bad case or where the horse has been dealing with it for many seasons, do the Double Dose protocol.
[quote=gothedistance;4253819]FINALLY my two worst offenders have STOPPED rubbing necks and tails. FINALLY. After years of pulling my hair out to stop the incessant scratching…it is ended. <insert clapping hands icon>:)
Two of mine did perfectly on one double dosing- stopped their scratching immediately. However, the other two had a chronic, longterm issue – scratching their necks and chests and butts on everything and anything. This had been going on for years. It took three double dosings to finally bring all the scratching to a close.
It is now mid-summer when the scratching should be at it’s peak – yet they are standing quietly in their stalls, sleeping or eating. Their last DD was two weeks ago. I keep checking on them, but there are zero signs of any scratching or rubbing anymore. They used to do it incessantly even as I was standing there. It drove me insane, trying every product under the sun to protect them from themselves.
Nada now.
I think I can now breathe.
[/quote]
Yay!!! Please do the “Case Study” version for us if you would pleasssssse!
Many folks that had horses who suffered from “sweet itch” year after year, reported having to use a third double dose. Others went to weekly ivermectin after two double doses during gnat/midge season 
I have done 3 DD. And I did mine once at 10 days instead of 14. The itching/off feed/physco horse was more than I could take past that.
And you know what? He got immediatley better.
This year we are doing monthy Ivermectrins during midge season. And I have a totaly different horse. Fat, shiny, happy.
It had been a long, painful road.
Posting the DD “Protocol” again…
This thread is so huge, it’s hard to digest everything, and the case studies on page 58 show so many different ways of doing the “Double Dose Protocol” (many start with Ivermectin DD?)
So I thought I’d copy/paste the original recommendation. Thankfully, I had saved it by sending an email to myself This thread is HUGE, but so awesome:
Protocol Is:
Double Dose Equimax. Wait 14 Days. Double Dose Equimax again.
If symptoms still persist, single dose Ivermectin weekly for another three-four weeks until non-symptomatic. If symptoms still persist, though, double dose Equimax again.
I’m near Salinas…
[QUOTE=carab;4210059]
I started to read the beginning of this thread and just don’t have the time to read all 60 pages LOL! So my question is, though I haven’t seen any no-see-ums here on the coast of California…my horse has shown these same symptoms…itchy tummy and mane…would I just assume he has these nasty worms? Also someone else mentioned that their weight tape was inaccurate so what is one to do?
Thanx[/QUOTE]
Carab, I’m near Salinas (in Gilroy) and my horses have been anywhere from Watsonville, Aptos, the peninsula, and now in Gilroy.
I did this for my Morgan mare who RUBBED HER TAIL TO A GROSS RAT TAIL (the dock) every year. Cleared it right up last year. I need to do it again though!
I did this for our Belgian draft who rubbed as well…but also had severe itching everywhere and the gross “lumps/bumps” on his topline, especially near the tailhead, but some on his withers/back. Cleared his right up too, last year.
So - even though we are in “non-buggy, non-wormy” Coastal California…it can still help!
Actually - it doesn’t hurt (no bad side effects) to try it…so why not?
BTW - LOVE your stallion!
Choco - I’m doing this again (consulted with my vet) my young horse is having horrible horrible problems this year.
I did the Equimax today and am reading the product insert right now. If anyone is currently doing the DD of Equimax it does say in the literature:
“Swelling and itching reactions after treatment with ivermectin paste have occured in horses carrying heavy infections of neck threadworm (Onchocerca sp. microfilariae). These reactions were most likely the result of microfilariae dying in large numbers. Symptomatic treatment may be advisable. Consult your vet should any such reactions occur)”
It also mentions colic as a risk but that study was a reproductive safety study and the mares were treated with a 3x dose every two weeks throughout breeding, pregnancy and lactation, up until the foal was three months of age. That’s a lot of equimax!
Wow. Just found this thread. Have read a lot, but not the whole thing yet. My poor gelding has been suffering during the heat for years. Would the NTW only show during the summer/heat? This seems to be the only time he suffers.
Have had vet out many, many times and have tried everything. Vet insists he has allergic fly dermatitis, but he looks just like the pix you have shown here.
Just went out and bought four tubes of Equimax and will start in morning. Willing to give this a chance for this poor guy.
His pasturemate has no signs/symptoms of anything, but do I have to treat her as well since they are together?
Update!
It’s been about 4 weeks since I did the DD on my guy this summer (note: I did the WHOLE thing last summer, including follow ups of ivermectin) and could not bring myself to do a second DD right now because we’re at the peak of our riding season and it’s so hard to try and ride him when he’s hot and itchy… anyway he has cleared back up to 95% and looks great again. Still seeing a shedding of the worm-dundruff in his coat but all the little bumps went away and he has stopped itching as badly. I was so bummed to see him in such bad shape again, but it was worth it to kill those buggers!!! Oh and wanted to note that I am in Southern CA where we have virtually no gnats… but this has definately worked for my gelding!
I believe the NTW’s are only active from April-September, that is why this is such a problem in the summer heat. Someone correct me if I’m wrong!
Yes, because warm months are when midges/gnats/no-see-ums are flying rampant, spreading Onchocerca everywhere they go!
[quote=horseshrink;4255064]Have had vet out many, many times and have tried everything. Vet insists he has allergic fly dermatitis
[/quote]
Alas, most vets just don’t know about these nasty critters and they repeat the Allergic To The Fly Saliva mantra because it is what they were taught in vet school. Read the documentation posted in the first 5 or so pages from previous veterinary studies that were done (some) 20 to 30 years ago.
[quote=horseshrink;4255064]His pasturemate has no signs/symptoms of anything, but do I have to treat her as well since they are together?
[/quote]
I’d go ahead and do at least one double dose on her too. She’s being bitten by the same critters, so get on top of them.
ChocoMare…Thanks for the info. I DD’d the gelding today. Feel very sorry for him, he is suffering so. Looks so bad I wouldn’t even post pix at this time. I’m excited this may work. Can’t wait. When do you think I could expect to see some results? Probably after the seond dose? Right now, I hate to even use fly spray on him knowing it MUST totally sting his open wounds bad.
After reading your post ran out and DD’d the mare also.
OK…So I jumped on this bandwagon without reading all 61 pages (trying to read 10 per day now).
Knew this had to be my gelding’s problem. I DD’d him on 07/22 (Wed) evening and then starting reading the posts. Noticed most horses having an initial or secondary reaction of some sort.
He is not having any reactions at all. No lumps, bumps, nothing.
Does this mean NTW were NOT his problem after all? He still looks horrible and is still itchy. I was so hoping this would fix him. I still plan on DD’d him again on the 14th day.
3rd double-dose
I had to do a 3rd double-dose of Equimax to finally get a reaction and OMG did she. She looked like she had leprosy or something. Her face was the worst but she had sores all over her body. She had some mild itchiness this spring and early summer and she had a couple of double-doses to stay on top of it. Now she is starting to rub her chest raw on whatever she can reach. I double-dosed her two weeks ago and nothing happened. I will DD her again today and wait and see.
