Liver Fluke

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
28,378
18,030
113
43
Suffolk, UK
Wonder if I could pick the brains of those with experience. I am still convinced something is wrong with Jess, she just isn't right, but my vet is at a bit of a loss as nothing really seems to fit.

She had 4 odd oedema's (belly, left fore (this one possibly from bashing her leg but I am not convinced), right fore and now the left hind has joined in) over the summer, has lost a lot of weight and although is gaining it back I'm surprised at how long it's taking (she's on double the amount of feed I have ever had to give her), has been flat/quiet for the 6-8 weeks both in the field and ridden, she colicked last Friday and although that seems to have cleared she is still pulling faces if I push on the left of her belly (she did go through a phase of this earlier in the summer too). I spoke with the vet yesterday who mentioned virus but said it shouldn't still be going on, we also talked heart problem but she isn't showing some symptoms you would expect so unlikely. Vet said she can pull bloods but doesn't really expect she will find much, and she is normally right.

My field is river fronting, the acre by the river is boggy year round and covered in sedge, the horses don't graze that bit. There is a wet ditch between there and the bit the horses are on, the next 2 acres. I did have cows during the summer of 2017. So
meone just mentioned​
liver fluke, but I know nothing about it.
 
No idea but a quick google took me to wesgate labs, apparently your vet has to prescribe meds for it, but the symptoms do sound similar to how Jess has been.
 
Kite_Rider said:
No idea but a quick google took me to wesgate labs, apparently your vet has to prescribe meds for it, but the symptoms do sound similar to how Jess has been.
Click to expand...
Yeah I read a few articles earlier, I'm loathe to waste my vets time with yet another call if it's not at all likely, but hoping someone with experience could say if they think it's worth making that call :) Being in the driest part of the country on free draining soil it may not be something our equine specific vets would have seen, my field position with the river is why I think it could be possible I guess.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kite_Rider
I've seen it in sheep. I do know the symptoms to look for with them. I have still got a couple who had it and are not looking so good because of it. Which means it's done long term damage.
From a sheep point of view. Jess isn't off her food. If she had it mega bad then she wouldn't be keen to eat at all. Think chronic guts ache. You've got them fenced off the boggy bit so again unlikely. Except if there are lots of slugs and snails in there bit of field. Also swollen/puffy face particularly look swollen under the jaw line. Ears dropping sometimes swollen. Once chronic they tend to just stand more and look hunched up. I've used combinex wormer in the sheep. There's another called fasimex (sp). One doesn't cover all the of the larval stages. I think it's the fasimex. Probably not licenced for horses, but might be worth discussing with vet.
We never had it, but since Ive been grazing my neighbours field (which has underground streams) with my sheep I've seen it for several years. It hit a few of the sheep quite bad. One of which looks like she's not cycling anymore as the ram still hasn't served her this year. One other sheep who had it does look like a bag of bones.
Sorry probably no help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Just thinking out the box. I know you love your research. Read up about cattle and sheep symptoms. Check whether it can transfer between cattle and sheep. I can't remember. Therefore transfer to horse. Also I know you poo pick but have they been on the same track all summer. Thinking slugs snails cycle if not rested. I know others have tracks which aren't rested but your is near water.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Ooh yes it's something to do with slugs and snails isn't it? I remember an advert on local radio years ago, warning of the dangers of having a dog in the garden near slugs or something.
 
Thanks @chunky monkey I will def do some more research. Jess is a stoic old bird and it would take her a lot to be put off her food, having said that, for the last 5 days they have not been finishing their hay nets, normally they get through 4 big ones a day, at least 2 or 3 have been left more than half full each day, they are shared between all 3. Of course, that could also just be that something has spooked them up under the trees and they aren't so keen to hang out there at the moment. They ate fine Friday and Saturday but I put all nets up by the gate so it was easy to do drive by checks after Jess' colic, so it could also be they are now objecting to having to walk down the field for hay :cool:
They have been on the same track all summer, the main one is basically just dirt, no grazing, but I did also open up a couple of extra legs with grass on periodically through the late summer/autumn.
 
Friend's horse had this. She said he was generally lethargic and lacklustre with a dull coat. She got the vets to take blood and check, which was expensive..... and she can't remember the treatment, sorry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Frances144 said:
Friend's horse also had it. Coat lacklustre (almost grey powdery), colicked alot. I was told fluke is difficult to find in poo samples but it doesn't do any harm to give a horse a dose of Fasinex. I have done that before.
Click to expand...
Thanks I'll ask my vet about it
 
I have lost sheep to it as the product we were using and were told it would do fluke didn't. when Rose was very ill, we were on moorland type land ideal for fluke and where we lost the sheep. At one point the vets questioned whether it could be that but in the end we put it down to alsike clover as we found a tiny bit of it blown in onto a walkway not in the field. She recovered but she was in hospital with liver biopsy and all that stuff, given 7 days to live at best but managed another 10 years. I have some stuff here for it - will check what it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back