Most horses seem to develop immunity to pinworms as they mature. Pinworms (Oxyuris equi) do little harm to the intestine, but when the females lay their eggs near the anus, they produce severe itching that causes the horse to rub bare patches on the rump and tail.The adults burrow into the neck (nuchal) ligament, where they may cause inflammatory reactions. The larval stage of the worm, transmitted by biting midges, migrates under the skin and may cause itchy dermatitis on the face, neck, chest, withers, forelegs and abdomen. Filarids ( Onchocerca spp.) are not intestinal parasites.The larvae may cause damage where they attach to the stomach wall. Then they attach themselves to the wall of the stomach, before turning into grubs that pass out with the feces. When horses lick the eggs, the larvae hatch and embed themselves in the tissues of the mouth, before they emerge and are swallowed. Botflies ( Gasterophilus spp.) are not worms, but the larvae of a species of fly that lays its eggs on horses.These parasites tend to be less of a worry-because they are rare, they do less harm, or because horses develop immunity as they mature. Other species of large strongyles may damage the liver or other internal organs. Their activity may also create blood clots, which may inhibit circulation to the intestines. Several species can appear in horses, but the most damaging, Strongylus vulgaris, migrates through the walls of the abdominal arteries, weakening them and leaving them prone to rupture. Large strongyles, also called bloodworms, are rare in horses today but can cause significant harm.In some cases, tapeworms may lead to serious colics and issues such as perforations of the intestines and peritonitis 0.
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