Bug bite that left a "hole" in the skin

[12345]

My horse, who seems to be very sensitive to summer bugs and generally gets a few lumps and scabs in the summer no matter what I do (unless I treat her with steroids which I prefer not to do) came in the other day with one of these sores on her face/cheek. I just assumed it was the same as all the rest, open sore with slight puss and then in a day or two would scab over and dry up and within a week the scab would fall off and her hair would start to grow back...this bump got worse, started as an open sore that weeped, then it did scab over a little but was still red and losing hair. After about 5 days I cleaned off the scab really well and saw that it looked like she had a hole on her cheek. I cleaned at it some more trying to get anything out of the hole, but nothing appear but clear fluid. Anyone have any recomendations on how to treat this? I have been using warm compresses and then just alcohol to clean it and icthamol when she goes out. I don't know if there is still something in the hole or not.

thanks

[Bank of Dad]

My horse gets tick bites like this, and I washed with hydrogen peroxide to clean it well, then use Animax for a day or two.

[Brian Purrington]

My horse, who seems to be very sensitive to summer bugs and generally gets a few lumps and scabs in the summer no matter what I do (unless I treat her with steroids which I prefer not to do) came in the other day with one of these sores on her face/cheek. I just assumed it was the same as all the rest, open sore with slight puss and then in a day or two would scab over and dry up and within a week the scab would fall off and her hair would start to grow back...this bump got worse, started as an open sore that weeped, then it did scab over a little but was still red and losing hair. After about 5 days I cleaned off the scab really well and saw that it looked like she had a hole on her cheek. I cleaned at it some more trying to get anything out of the hole, but nothing appear but clear fluid. Anyone have any recomendations on how to treat this? I have been using warm compresses and then just alcohol to clean it and icthamol when she goes out. I don't know if there is still something in the hole or not.

thanks

Sounds like a spider bite. Ya might want to have the vet look at it.

[Dune]

Sounds like a spider bite. Ya might want to have the vet look at it.


That's what I was thinking too. I've seen some brown recluse bites that got HUGE and left huge holes/dents where the skin went necrotic. :(

[Brian Purrington]

I have seen a few this year as well. None that I can remember last year.
Might have something to do with the amount of moisture the east has had this year.
I don't know if the recluse is a NJ "native" but other spiders can cause a 'simliar' wound.

[matryoshka]

Do warbler flies infect horses?

[Brian Purrington]

Do warbler flies infect horses?

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/warblefly/

Seems as if they can be affected.

[fernie fox]

yes warbles can affect horses,although they normally come out along the backbone,they can emerge anywhere.

Nasty little buggers they are.

[CarolinaGirl]

Sounds like a spider bite to me. Had a horse get one on his neck once.. took awhile for it to clear up and he lost all the hair around the bite (it did grow back). It looked nasty for awhile though. Oddly I had a spider bite around the same time that I had to get antibiotics for lol.

[pines4equines]

Just a thought, do you think by her applying the icthymol, she's not allowing it to dry up? Maybe it's drawing too much?

Maybe just use a tiny amount of Swat to keep the bugs off, then wash at night and dab on a light amount of Listerine. Light enough that if she throws her head, it won't go in her eyes. Just as an antiseptic wipe but let the wound dry out over night.

[Brockstables]

FWIT, I got the same kind of bite on MY leg, have no idea what got me because I certainly would have squished it good. My leg swelled, and the tissue around the bite blistered and sloughed off (none too pleasant).
I was on Keflex and used Silvadene twice daily. Took two weeks for the bite to go away. YIKES.
I second the vet recommendation on this one! :no:

[hopashore1]

Spider bites are basically the catch-all for anything "unknown" -- in humans and animals. I would really hesitate to diagnose it as such just based on those symptoms (even staph infections such as MRSA are misdiagnosed as spider bites, more frequently than people should be comfortable with!) . I would be more concerned that there was some sort of deeper bacterial infection, foreign matter in the wound, abcess, or parasite. Is the skin around the bite necrotic, or still alive (even if red and irritated)? Is it hot to the touch? Does she have a temperature?

[12345]

thanks for the input. The tissue seems to just be red and irritated not necrotic. I will check her temperature in the morning, she seems lively and like herself. It doesn't really seem to be hot either.

[matryoshka]

The reason I wondered about a warbler fly is that they excrete a substance that inhibits healing. It requires veterinary attention. Sounds like a call to the vet is in order anyway.

[Duramax]

I also think it sounds like a warble (actually a type of bot fly). My dog had one a few weeks ago. I ended up popping a macaroni-noodle sized worm out of the hole! :eek:

[BuddyRoo]

I would also be thinking possible cuterebra (from fly).

[Dune]

Does she have a temperature?

Pet peeve of mine: Is the temperature *abnormal* or doe he/she have a *fever*? Pretty much every living thing has a temperature of some sort. :winkgrin:

[goeslikestink]

strangles can leave holes in the faces cheek and neck areas bastard strangles attack the insides of a horse

i would cal a vet rather than guess

kayolin poutice is one you can use on facial infected sores ie abcesses as facial abcesses do leave holes with pus as you cant bandaged the face kayolin poutice is applied hot and directly on to the area

http://www.equine-strangles.co.uk/About_Strangles.asp

[matryoshka]

I also think it sounds like a warble (actually a type of bot fly). My dog had one a few weeks ago. I ended up popping a macaroni-noodle sized worm out of the hole! :eek:I've never seen one until after the worm came out. I've seen the damage and had to put down an elderly cat because of it. She was too old for anaethesia, and the vet said it would have to be scraped and stitched to heal. On a cat, those holes are huge. :no:

[matryoshka]

Here's the page on what BuddyRoo mentioned:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/f/FAQ_cuterebra.htm

It sounds like the warbler fly, but I'm not sure it is the same thing.

[monicabee]

I've had a human botfly myself - two, actually, after a trip to Central America. There was a telltale clue you can look for that I assume would be the same with the cutebra - the larvae breathes through the hole (that's why it is kept open) via two spiracles - basically like black antennae.

At the time this happened, I was working in a photo studio. I'll never forget our production manager leaping back with a yell after he looked with the loup (magnifying glass) at the bump on my wrist. So if you have a magnifying glass, take a peak.

If that is in fact what it is, your mare is probably not in too much pain until the larvae decides to expand its quarters - then you will want to step out of the way. However, I would go with a vet visit if this thing is not healing on its own. It could be so many different things, even a bone chip in there, though it doesn't sound likely in that location.

[CarolinaGirl]

Here's the page on what BuddyRoo mentioned:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/f/FAQ_cuterebra.htm

It sounds like the warbler fly, but I'm not sure it is the same thing.

Ok off topic here a bit, but I was watching one of those amazing moments type shows on tv. And some student was out in the wild doing graduate research with a bunch of other people. His back started hurting and he asked the other people to check it for him. He had multiple holes in his back with these things in them! I about got ill as there were showing them pulling them out of his back! He said he could feel the burrowing and trying to hold on as they were pulling them out. GAK!

[matryoshka]

Okay. Now I'm sick to my stomach. I saw a program where a girl had one in her scalp, and when the doctors shaved the area you could seen the skin move. Almost tossed my cookies. Anyway, the spoke of the importance of removing the worm without allowing it to excrete the non-healing chemical. I had to turn it off. I have a very weak stomach.

[BuddyRoo]

The larvae of several different species of fly can produce similar scenarios. The blowfly is most common in parts of the US...horses aren't usually affected...but they can be. I've removed 2 or 3 from horses when I worked in the veterinary field.

They're more often found in rodents..pet rabbits get them--and you have to be VERY careful when removing because if you damage the larvae, it releases toxins.

I don't think horses/people are as susceptible to the toxins though.

[asb_own_me]

These are worst-case scenarios (botfly, cuterebra)....my mare has a similar reaction to insect bites and especially tick bites. She's simply more sensitive.

I'm not saying not to call the vet - I just don't with my mare because I'm used to how her body reacts, I've had her nearly 10 years.

However, if you do have this checked out, and it happens again in the future, so yourself a favor and go to a local pharmacy and buy (or ask them to order for you) Hibiclens. Don't waste your money on any iodine based product or any alcohol based product. Iodophors are rendered inactive when they come into contact with organic material - blood, pus, any discharge from a wound. Alcohols are only working while they are still wet - once they've dried, there is no continued killing effect. Hibiclens' active ingredient is 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), which binds to the skin. When you rinse, you're rinsing off the inactive ingredients, not the CHG. It has persistent and residual effect, even in the presence of organic material. Don't use it on eye/ears/mucous membranes. If you want the whole rundown/explanation, PM me.

An aside, I gave my friend a case of Hibi this spring because she was complaining about the polo ponies' horrible rain rot. They were losing whole areas of hair and she couldn't get rid of the crud. She'd been battling it with Betadine, etc for the last couple years. It's all gone, hair's grown back, and the rot has stayed gone. Even during this nasty wet cold summer.

[Duramax]

Here's the page on what BuddyRoo mentioned:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/f/FAQ_cuterebra.htm

It sounds like the warbler fly, but I'm not sure it is the same thing.


Yep, same thing.

[12345]

thanks again for all the info. she does not have a temperature and the would area itself isn't hot and doesn't seem sore to her. I did call the vet just to be certain as this is definitely a different reaction than I have seen her have before. Will post back what the outcome is.

[Foxtrot's]

Ever heard of the hot bottle treatment (not offering advice mind you)!

[MintHillFarm]

Sounds like a spider bite. Ya might want to have the vet look at it.

My thought too. I would check with your vet....

[pines4equines]

Monicabee: Yuck! Now, I'm really nauseous. Did they squeeze it out or what happened?

[Dalemma]

Well bugs were bad this year here .....I had some pretty interesting bites....one was the size of a dinner plate others 3" in diameter one left a 1" diameter thick scab that appears like its going to take months to fall off as it is so thick.

Here are some pics

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s77/DalEmma2002/Jessiebugbite-1.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s77/DalEmma2002/DennyBite2-1.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s77/DalEmma2002/DennyBite.jpg

Dalemma