Has your horse been showing vague symptoms for some time, but manure tests keep coming back negative?
A worm aneurysm occurs regularly in practice but is unfortunately often not recognized.
What is a worm aneurysm?
The larvae of worms (in this case, small strongyles) are ingested by the horse. Once inside, the larvae migrate into the intestinal wall, where they can develop into adult worms that lay eggs, which are then passed out through the manure. This is a normal process and not a problem if proper worm management is in place.
Unfortunately, some larvae penetrate deeper through the intestinal wall and reach the blood vessels connected to the intestines. They can even reach the large blood vessels. If the larvae enter a resting phase to mature into adults, they may embed themselves in the vessel wall instead of the intestinal wall. This can cause irritation and inflammation of the blood vessels. When large numbers of larvae cluster in the vessel wall, it weakens and bulges outward — this is known as an aneurysm.
Symptoms
If your horse has been showing vague, recurring symptoms for a longer period, it could be a worm aneurysm.
It’s possible that manure tests are negative, while your horse still shows these symptoms.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis can be made via ultrasound, which can visualize the worm aneurysm (optionally supported by a blood test). It is important that a veterinarian establishes the diagnosis and treatment plan.
Source of this well-written article: Iris Buddenberg, equine osteopathy EDO and IREO www.irequineosteo.org
NL
DE
FR
.jpg)
