Whatca guys think?

[Black and Good]

When I first noticed this I thought it was Horseflys. But its only on that side. Thanks for you input. B&G

 

[branguscowgirl]

Worm larvae or she got in a bees nest?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Hard to tell by these pictures. From what I can see, and it is kind of fuzzy, they look like 'warbles' some call them 'wolves' or a type of worm larva. Comes from the heel flys. The eggs are laid, then get into the system, then through the circulatory where they migrate, usually along the back and shoulders and hips. They 'poke' breathing holes through the hide and they eventually come through those holes and their metamorphosis/life cycle is complete. They become a fly and start all over again.

Katherine

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Hard to tell by these pictures. From what I can see, and it is kind of fuzzy, they look like 'warbles' some call them 'wolves' or a type of worm larva. Comes from the heel flys. The eggs are laid, then get into the system, then through the circulatory where they migrate, usually along the back and shoulders and hips. They 'poke' breathing holes through the hide and they eventually come through those holes and their metamorphosis/life cycle is complete. They become a fly and start all over again.

Katherine

How do you treat for them?

 

[Workinonit Farm]

How do you treat for them?

Pour-on and/or injectable insecticides work pretty well. Where I am, in Virginia, the end of June into early Sept is the best time. Other parts of the country would have different times that are ideal and times that it shouldn't be done.

The times NOT to treat are because of the stage that the egg/larva has reached by that time of year and can cause health issues, depedning on where the little "bugs" are within the body of the cow/steer/bull/etc at that time. For example---if they are in the lungs or such and they die-off in that location, it creates respiratory issues and other complications.

A good fly control/preventive program can be especially helpful.

A friend of mine had a few on her horse, a number of years ago, and didn't know what the "little holes" were in his hide. I chickled and asked for a soda bottle, and used the bottle to "pop" the worm out of the hole! LOL I then showed her that you could 'squeeze' it out as well. They didn't bother the horse.

The warbles,larvae,worms/etc generally don't cause the animal much in the way of discomfort, its the heel flys, when they are in the fly stage that cause the most distress! They will run from them, those flys will worry the crap out of them!

The holes in the hides and resulting scars are more of an issue for the folks using the hides for leather and thus the hides are of lesser quality.

Katherine

 

[Lucky_P]

I'll admit that warbles was the first thing that popped into my head - but this is not the time of year when the larvae would be setting up shop in the subcutaneous tissues on the back - that's not until late fall/early winter.
Bee stings or response to horsefly bites is a possibility.
Gotta also throw out the possibility of lymphosarcoma - those bumps correspond fairly well to the location of some small lymph and hemolymph nodes that usually are inapparent unless inflamed or infiltrated with malignant lymphoma. But...I'd expect you to be potentially seeing lymph nodes enlarged at other sites all around the animal.

 

[Black and Good]

Thanks everyone for the input. I guess I'll watch for a while and see if they go away. The lump on her neck puzzled me as well. As I did work her in May but, shot was given on other side and she was poured. B&G

 

[Bigfoot]

You can put the mouth of a glass coke bottle over a wolve, and slap the bottom of it, and the larva will pop out like a zit. Disgusting, but cool to do.

 

[boondocks]

I'll admit that warbles was the first thing that popped into my head - but this is not the time of year when the larvae would be setting up shop in the subcutaneous tissues on the back - that's not until late fall/early winter.
Bee stings or response to horsefly bites is a possibility.
Gotta also throw out the possibility of lymphosarcoma - those bumps correspond fairly well to the location of some small lymph and hemolymph nodes that usually are inapparent unless inflamed or infiltrated with malignant lymphoma. But...I'd expect you to be potentially seeing lymph nodes enlarged at other sites all around the animal.

Lucky,
I was struck by the symmetry/pattern of the nodules. Does that lend support to the lymph node theory? (Have studied human anatomy in some detail but am a rank beginner at bovine).

 

[Lucky_P]

I've not really paid that much attention to placement - other than I know those nodes are there - and they're usually not all that prominent, except in cows that have lymphosarcoma. Additionally, that cow looks to be a bit thin - and most of those lymphosarcoma cows have involvement of the abomasum, as well as the entire lymphoid system - they often sort of 'go backwards' on you pretty rapidly at the end.
That said, if she is a lymphoma cow, I'd expect the corresponding nodes on the other side - as well as other peripheral lymph nodes - to be noticeably enlarged.