• Horses in Florida typically do not need to be dewormed from May to September. It is too hot for egg transmission.
• Remember to keep fresh water available at all times and remove stagnant water from areas where animals are kept. (Read information about pythiosis.)
• Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) can become worse in summer months. Clinical signs include coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or decreased performance. Call us or your veterinarian if your horse displays any of these signs.
• Summer heat can lead to fungal eye infections that can be expensive and time consuming to treat. UF offers complete eye care for your large animal.
• Skin infections and allergies are common in Florida’s tropical climate. The UF dermatology service can provide skin testing and personalized allergy vaccines.
• Horses that suffer from anhidrosis (non-sweating) need special care during the hot summer months. Call the UF Large Animal Hospital for information about managing anhidrosis.

We have experienced a recent increase in horses being admitted to the UF Large Animal Hospital with a diagnosis of cutaneous pythiosis, an infectious disease caused by the pathogen Pythium insidiosum, which leads to granulating skin lesions. The pathogen thrives in swamps or marshes but can live in any body of water that does not freeze. However, pythiosis can develop despite good management and housing.

The most common place for a lesion to occur is on the lower limb, but horses can develop lesions in other places on the body. Any area on the horse that is exposed to Pythium insidiosum can develop pythiosis.

WARNING: These photos contain imagery that may be considered graphic in nature and may not be suitable for all audiences. Click to view before and after pythiosis photos.

How do horses get pythiosis?

• Drinking water with Pythium insidiosum in it
• When the pathogen enters a wound that is submerged in water that contains Pythium insidiosum

What does this mean for Florida horse owners?

Florida’s marshy environment, in addition to its natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, leads to standing water which makes it a prime area for horses to get pythiosis. Florida horse owners are encouraged to remove standing water from pastures, move horses to a different location, or fence off ponds or other bodies of standing water to prevent horses from becoming infected with Pythium insidiosum. This becomes especially important now with hurricane season nearly upon us.

Early detection and prompt veterinary referral to a facility that can treat pythiosis is extremely important for the best outcome. If you have any questions or suspect that your horse may have pythiosis, contact your veterinarian or contact the UF Large Animal Hospital at 352-392-2229.