Tail rubbing can be a result of sweet itch or parasites such as lice or worms. Recently there have been numerous reports of tail rubbing in adult horses as a result of pin worm, Oxyuris Equi infection. These worms cause itching of the tail as the adult worms live in the rectum and lay eggs on the hair around the anus causing irritation. The worms are rearly seen as they appear only at night, however your veterinary surgeon can use a clear tape strip to collect the eggs from the skin around your |
There is concern that these worms may be becoming resistant to the wormers commonly used. This has yet to be proven and veterinary pathologists at Liphook in Newmarket are interested in examinging tape strips from affected horses, to detemine if resistance is developing.
The good news is that these worms do not cause significant damage or disease to the horse's gut, just a very itchy bottom. The sign to look out for is intense tail rubbing and damage to the tail or skin around the tail in horses that are not itchy elsewhere and not rubbing their manes as well.
If you suspect that your horse has pin worms, please speak to your vet, who will be able to advice you on the best way to diagnose and treat them.
By, Kate Southorn BVSc MRCVS