Summer, sun, sunshine – for many, it's the best time of year. However, even in our latitudes, temperatures are increasingly reaching tropical levels. And with them come annoying insects. The following tips will make life easier for your horse in summer.
Horses overheat much faster than humans. Prevent heatstroke, sunstroke, or heat cramps:
Insects are most prevalent during the summer months. They are not only a nuisance for your horse, but their bites and stings cause pain and itching. Insects are also involved in the transmission of various diseases.
Flies prefer to sit on the horse's head, around the eyes and nostrils. They like to lay their eggs in manure and dung heaps, as well as in open wounds, which also serve as a source of food. The germs transmitted in this way can cause inflammation and disease.
The bite of horseflies is painful. Horseflies are considered carriers of equine infectious anemia (see corresponding article) and skin fungus (see corresponding article) due to their intake of large amounts of blood. They are particularly attracted to sweat.
The botfly lays its eggs on horses' legs or belly in summer, where the first larval stage develops. Licking and rubbing cause them to enter the mouth and then the stomach. There, the larvae can burrow into the mucous membranes and cause inflammation. From spring onwards, they are then excreted in the feces and the cycle begins again.
Black flies are common near streams and rivers, as they lay their eggs in flowing water. They resemble flies. The females suck blood from the ears or belly of horses. Their bites not only trigger allergic reactions such as summer eczema (see corresponding article), but can also cause dangerous toxic shock.
Midges are another cause of summer eczema. When they bite, the females secrete an anticoagulant that causes severe itching. They bite horses on the mane and tail, and less frequently on the belly.
Mosquitoes are also triggers of summer eczema. The bites of the females cause severe itching and can lead to wheals in cases of massive infestation. Due to climate change, the risk of infection from mosquitoes is expected to increase. Among other things, they transmit West Nile fever (see corresponding article).
Deer flies attack deer, roe deer, but also horses and humans, clinging to them, breaking off their wings and sucking blood. The bite causes considerable pain and severe itching. Severe skin rashes in the form of pustules and edema can occur, as well as severe inflammation caused by transmitted bacteria.
Most tick specieslive in tall grass and get onto horses from there. Their bite is not noticeable and causes only slight itching. Ticks transmit bacteria and viruses, which in turn cause various diseases such as babesiosis/piroplasmosis (see corresponding article), Lyme disease (see corresponding article) or, more rarely in horses, TBE. More and more tick species are spreading in Central Europe.
Stinging flies are mainly found near cattle farms and prefer to bite horses on the belly and legs. After their painful bite, they consume large amounts of blood and are therefore carriers of equine infectious anemia (see corresponding article), among other things.
Fly rugs offer good protection against various insects. Rugs with neck covers and belly flaps are recommended for sensitive horses. The particularly fine-meshed eczema rugs also protect against black flies and midges. As these are mainly active in the morning and evening hours, the best time for eczema sufferers to go out to pasture is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. or at night. Additional fly masks protect your horse from eye infections transmitted by flies.
Insect spray in spray bottles or insect gel for application act as repellents: they repel insects without killing them. However, the effect is only short-lived and varies in effectiveness. Various essential oils are used as natural repellents. Artificial repellents are more effective but also have more side effects.
For particularly sensitive horses, you can also obtain insecticidal wash emulsions from your vet.
Some feed and feed supplements contain garlic. The evaporation of essential garlic oils through the skin is said to reduce insect nuisance.
Worming at the end of November/beginning of December with preparations from the avermectin group is considered effective protection against botflies, as this kills their larvae in the stomach. Eggs laid on the horse's legs can be effectively removed from the skin with water and fruit vinegar.
Ticks should be removed immediately with tick tweezers or a tick card to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Make sure that the tick is removed whole and disinfect the bite site afterwards.
Various horsefly traps are available for purchase and can be set up in pastures or paddocks, with varying degrees of success in reducing horseflies.
Good stable and pasture hygiene generally helps to further reduce the number of insects.
Dogs are pack animals. They need clear structures and consistent rules to feel comfortable. Your dog should know its place in your family from the very beginning. A dog that obeys well is socially acceptable. Your fellow human beings will appreciate this. And you will enjoy being out in public with your dog more. Loving but consistent training is the basis for peaceful and stress-free coexistence between dogs and humans.
As the name suggests, this is not a separate disease, but rather a complex of various manifestations of inflammatory changes in the mouth and skin of cats.
They're back again in late summer and fall – fall mites. They cause allergic reactions in animals and humans, with severe itching and skin inflammation. Find out how to recognize them, treat them, and, ideally, prevent an infestation here.
Tympany refers to the accumulation of gas in internal organs; accumulations of gas in the intestines are colloquially referred to as flatulence. Due to their special digestive system, guinea pigs are relatively prone to tympany, which can sometimes be life-threatening.
Rabies is a viral infection that has been known for thousands of years. Most mammals, including humans, are susceptible to it, and it can also be transmitted between animals and humans (zoonosis). The infection caused by the rabies virus almost always results in fatal brain inflammation. Rabies is a notifiable animal disease in Germany, which means that even suspected cases must be reported to the competent authorities. Germany has been recognized as free of rabies in non-flying animals since 2008. It continues to occur in bats.
Blood in the ear, which primarily occurs in dogs with drooping ears, refers to a specific type of hematoma in the outer ear. Affected dogs display a sudden swelling and warmth in the ear. In most cases, an underlying disease is the cause of a bloody ear. It is therefore extremely important to have your dog examined by a veterinarian in order to successfully treat the underlying disease and the hematoma itself.
Named after Swiss ophthalmologist Johann Friedrich Horner (1831–1886), Horner syndrome is not a separate disease, but rather a complex of various symptoms affecting the eyes of dogs and cats, all of which are caused by damage to the sympathetic nerve.
Fleas are small, blood-sucking parasites found worldwide. Their enormous jumping ability allows them to move quickly on and between their hosts. This can lead to veritable flea infestations. The most important measure is prevention.
Dirofilaria are long threadworms whose larvae are transmitted by various species of mosquitoes. Depending on the species, they colonize either the skin or the large blood vessels of the lungs, and in severe cases, the heart. This is why they are known as heartworms. Dirofilaria and the mosquitoes that transmit them are mainly found in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe, and North America. The disease is brought to Germany by travelers and through the importation of dogs from abroad. Due to the climate-related spread of mosquitoes to the north, it is becoming increasingly important.
This feverish infectious disease is one of the most common tick-borne diseases in dogs and is not always easy to diagnose. It causes fever, joint and muscle pain, and lameness. In Germany, the pathogen is primarily transmitted by the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus), with an average of one in three ticks infected.
The Maine Coon is an impressive cat breed: large, muscular, and with a friendly, people-oriented nature. Its powerful build and thick coat make it a real showstopper and an ideal companion for people who have plenty of space and even more affection to offer.
FORL stands for feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions and is a very painful dental disease in cats. Almost every second cat is affected from the age of five. Even for veterinarians, FORL can only be detected with the naked eye in its final stages. X-rays of the teeth provide clarity.
