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something to kill adult Onchocerca? 19 CASE STUDIES POSTED-PAGE 58

Horse Care
#1281

Gaaaah, I read all of this thread last year and followed the protocol with limited success. Grey boy is still very itchy going into our summer, so DD’d 12 days ago again, but have just realised that the limited success could be because I used Imax Gold, which only has half (I think) of the active ingredients of Equimax. Even so, he went from no hair around eyes, ears face and some raw spots on his neck, to having all that regrow. He now scratches incessantly on one spot on his neck (which incidentally has a deep crease), and has ventral midline crusties in a couple of spots, a couple of decent lumps on midline, and unbearably itchy inside his hind legs and on his sheath.

Viz:

Equimax lv: 18.7mg/g Ivermectin and 140mg/g Praziquantel.
Imax Gold: 10mg/ml Ivermectin and 75mg/ml Praziquantel.

Am I correct that I still need to go Equimax on that basis? I thought that since Imax was Iv and Prazi I was okay, but not so?? sigh

#1282

I looked up the Imax, and it says

[SIZE=2]IMAX LV Liquid, when used at the recommended dose level of 200 micrograms ivermectin per kilogram liveweight controls the following parasites of horses:

Which is the same as on the label of Equimax

[/SIZE]This syringe contains sufficient paste to treat one 1320-lb horse at the recommended dose rate of 91 mcg ivermectin per lb (200 mcg/kg)

The Equimax has, for praziquantel

0.68 mg praziquantel per lb (1.5 mg/kg) of body weight

I can’t tell you how to calculate a comparable number for the Imax, but I bet it’s not far off. At least the ivermectin part is identical though.

#1283

[QUOTE=JB;3331037]
ivermectin and praziquantel have a pretty high safety rate, so yes, it can be double dosed. I have never heard of any reason to do so though (as opposed to the doubling of the fenbendazole in a power pack).

If you run into wanting/needing to do this again, can you try it with just a double dose of ivermectin? :)[/QUOTE]

Just for time frame: remember when ivermectrin first came out as an injectable wormer? About that time I had a mare with “Sweet itch”. Because of site infection problems with the injectable ivermectrin my vet had me give the injectable orally and at double dose. End of sweet itch. I cannot recall having come across sweet itch in this area since the popularity of ivermectrin use but did notice it on the wild ponies of Cumberland Island, GA.

#1284

[QUOTE=JB;4389025]

I can’t tell you how to calculate a comparable number for the Imax, but I bet it’s not far off. At least the ivermectin part is identical though.[/QUOTE]

Thanks so much JB - I remember doing a heap of research on it last year and thinking that the Imax Gold was an option, but second guessed myself this time around. :wink:

My new fellow has arrived with quite a number of NTW lumps of pea size and after double dosing last week has come out in lots more, hundreds of small ones down one side which feel like sandpaper when you run your hand over, and a whopper in front of the umbilical area. The worst ones are right under the saddle area and over his spine. They are due for DDing again in 2 days. The only thing I find odd with Mike (new boy) is that they don’t appear itchy??? Whereas the grey fellow is frantic.:confused:

#1285

Just wanted to pop in and say my horses are still doing great. I had NO bad issues this year. This same time last year (or a couple of weeks earlier) mine were a mess. I will continue to use this protocol on them.

#1286

Another case study -

4yo draft cross mare. Been wormed with invermectin (March) and Strongid (May). In early June, got itchy and little bumps all over belly, under chin and udder area. Scratching belly and tail. Chest started peeling skin - like a “burn”, but nothing had been used on the chest that could have caused this.

DD with Equimax over 2 weeks - within 4 weeks of first dose all bumps and itchies gone. Chest cleared up. No re-occurrence.

#1287

And another one

Sadie came to me three years ago May with mane and tail rubbing issues (and an attitude problem.) She was hivey, itchy, scratchy and bitchy. Also underweight. Also had lived where there are many more gnats than we typically get here. My vet recommended I dose her monthly with Ivermectin. I did for about 6 months, quit when vet’s partner said I could. This was in the winter, which is when she doesnt itch and rub. Next summer she rubbed her mane out again. Tail was a mess. Following summer (2008) she had better shelter from sun and bugs but was still rubbing mane and tail. I double dosed with Zimectrin gold, problem subsided somewhat, cool weather intervened.

This summer she has been somewhat itchy but she went into the warm weather with more mane and tail than she’s ever been able to grow. About midsummer I double dosed with Equimax. She has more mane and tail than she has had at this time of the year since I have owned her. Mane is practically normal for the entire lenght of her neck, and although top of tail is rubbed with broken hairs she doesnt have any seriously bald spots. She is still itching with some rubbed places on her face and upper neck but I think a couple months of monthly ivermectin will straighten her out (cold weather might not get here until November.) Next year I plan to hit with the double dose of Equimax when the weather first turns hot, then again midsummer and see if the rubbing actually goes away for good. It has been a bad year for gnats, too, lots of rain.

#1288

I have a call in to my vet, but while I sit here twiddling my thumbs, I thought I’d see if anyone else has had my same experience?

Three weeks ago I did a regular worming of Equimax on schedule (I have not been doing any of the double-dosing because I haven’t seen any itchiness, etc.).

Ten days later my mare is very stiff in the front legs (I know the number of days because I had made a notation on my calendar). I assume it’s the fall grasses and pull her up off the pasture and into the dry lot with hay.

This morning I’m grooming her and there are skinny bumps about an inch long lined up perfectly down her neck and also many, many round bumps all over her shoulders and neck.

She’s not itching but now I’m noticing her joints are puffy and swollen.

I don’t have a clue as to what I should do now, but I am waiting to hear what our vet says.

Meantime, do the lumps mean they have died? Do I still need to worry? Is the swelling also from the NWTs? Will it go away?

Thanks in advance. I’m worried sick.

#1289

Sure sounds like the critters are emerging through the skin. Now, not all vets are up on or agree with the prevalence of NTWs, so don’t be surprised if he/she says “hives, etc.”

I’d do externally what you need to do go provide soothing relief. I’d also hit her a double dose of Equimax. It won’t hurt and will help clear the critters from the body.

If there is no change whatsoever for the better, then you can safely be sure you’re dealing with something more nefarious that would need veterinary intervention.

#1290

I tried this protocol multiple times on one of my ponies but unfortunately it has not helped much. He still has large bumps on his neck and tail that react on
a cycle and it seems the stuff is coming up and out. The bumps get itchy
and scabbing and will bleed when he itches the scabs off.

He was DD’d twice early in the year and again in spring plus a single tube of
Ivermectin every 10days for 2 months per vets intructions I then wormed
monthly until July. I have not wormed him since then as I thought he may need to detox from so much wormer.

He was fine in Florida for a year then last December he started with this
a couple weeks after being vaccinated so I wonder if that threw his system
off. He’s just 2 years old.

I have had several cases of gnat allergy in the past and this is not that.
It definitely seems like onchocerca.

#1291

Progression or Regression??

We have been through the double dosing regime, and are onto the straight ivermectin now. Admittedly the first dose of that was late (waiting for delivery), but during the last few weeks Mike has developed what looks like sweet itch/Queensland itch all over his face - particularly around forelock, above each eye socket and less markedly below his eyes. He’s been knocking his face around a bit prior to the hair loss becoming obvious and I thought he was just being a teenager. I know now that it was itching.

Previously he only had the lumps and displayed no signs of itching. He came here from a cooler climate, so this is his first summer here and the bugs have been the worst I’ve seen.

Thoughts anyone?

#1292

How do you confirm that the NTWs have been killed off and situation is resolved? Is it lessening of symptoms or elimination of symptoms?

My horse has those pea-sized bumps, which don’t seem itchy to him; has rubbed tail and mane, doing it consistently but not excessively; and has had itchy area on midline, mostly by sheath. And seems to have developed an annoying habit, seemingly long-standing (certainly before I got him this spring), of getting whoever is grooming him to itch that area for him.

When I read this thread, his symptoms seemed to match up. Did double-dose Equimaxx; waited 2 weeks and did d-dose again. It’s been about a month since first double-dose.

Result so far? Less itchy on the midline symptom. Seems to still itch tail. One of the pea-sized lumps has gone flat and hair over it has turned white (he’s a chestnut). Coast seems better.

To me, situation is still unresolved. So, what is the next step? Wait for body to adjust to lack of worms? Or plan to d-dose again?

#1293

Double Dose Equimax again on Day 21. Then bi-weekly Ivermectin until after a hard freeze which will kill off the gnats :wink:

#1294

Add my herd to the list of successes.

Last year i tried this deworming to help my appy mare who, whenever pastured, had a bunch of bites on her belly, near her teats where her skin is bare, as well as on her chest- always gets an itchy hard lump by late summer, which i always thought was a result of her trying to scratch it. that summer it worked- sorta, but i was a little skeptical.

so, later in the fall i decided to go ahead and do eqt’s rather agressive deworming plan, which i had done for a friend’s horse with pretty amazing results.

this year, my horses, 2 of them, were pastured next to a creek. so many horses had little midge bites and whatnot- mine had nothing- i mean, not a single bite- and they stayed out 24/7 much of the summer- right next to that darn creek. In the past, appy mare would’ve needed some kind of body armor to protect her.

I used fly spray 2 times this year too- and thats it. had zero need to douse them with the stuff. i was and am still really amazed.

I had another friend’s horse with me all summer who had bites all over her, and was rubbing & biting herself raw on her belly- but her owner wasn’t comfortable and didnt want to use that much dewormer.

So, my newest boy is beginning the eqt regime this week, and we’ll see what summer brings. Thank you for this info, for this thread- it has really, really helped my horses.

#1295

Onchocercca in eyes

Can someone post what to do if there is a die off of microfilia in the eyes? Friend has elderly horse who seems to have weepy, inflamed eyes after the DD. He is on Banamine and a topical eye antibiotic. Should she follow up with the second DD?

#1296

Chocomare – your reply was to my query about how to tell if the treatment has been successful and if maybe not, what to do? (post #1279) So, do a 3rd double-dose of E’max three weeks after 2nd d-dose? (sorry, wasn’t sure about timing or if you were replying to my post!!). Thanks!

#1297

Yeah, that was me. BUT it is do the Third Double Dose on Day 21…so 2 weeks after Second DD.

#1298

Banamine is in order. Also ask vet about daily aspirin therapy (usually prescribed for Uveitis).

Definitely do the second double dose. Don’t leave NTWs in the body to wreak more havoc.

#1299

Thanks, Chocomare! Will do third double-dose of E/max 2 weeks after 2nd dose, which is this weekend, actually.

Just not sure re: day 21. Per my count, it’s:
dose #1: day 1; dose #2: day 14; dose #3: day 28. Does that make sense?

#1300

Yup, you got it! :yes:

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