Hoof Mites

Hoof mites is an affliction that affects many hooved animals. Small mites get into the crevices of cracked hooves and lay their eggs. The larvae hatch and suck blood causing irritation and lameness. They mature and fall out of the crevice into the grass ready to infect another animal. It can be difficult to treat and requires exposing the affected area and putting salt against the wound to dry out the area and kill the larvae. Good prevention is making sure the hooves don't become cracked in the first place. This affects the lamina or corium in particular. Due to the inflammation, the hoof becomes warm to the touch, and in very severe cases, the outer wall starts to feel soft. It is extremely rare for only one animal to be infected because the beetles live in the grass. At the very beginning of the infestation, the animal may appear fine. The adult beetles can't fly, but they can latch onto the hairs of animals in order to be relocated to new places. Thankfully, it is easy to get rid of the adults with soap and water. If the hairs are too slippery, they can't get a good grip and fall off. It's also easy to tell if an animal is carrying adult beetles because they're visible to the naked eye. During the summer, some inns require a farrier's bill of health to prove that an animal doesn't have hoof mites before letting them into the barn. Hoof mites are typically only a problem from spring through early fall. During the winter, the beetles find someplace warm and hibernate. They wake up briefly to feed on soft plant matter, but they don't breed and don't infect animals. For farmers, hoof mites can be a real problem, and it can be very expensive to treat an entire herd for them. Also, because the beetles live in the grass, it's nearly impossible to fully eradicate them. Some people have created sprays and pellets which are said to kill the adult beetles, but there aren't any reliable pesticides available.

Type

Parasitic