Have you guys heard of 'fly strikes'?

Question

Someone posted on general pets a while ago about fly strikes on a geldings sheath causing mild like colic symptoms etc.

It isn't fly bites as I was put in my place lol, so have you guys heard about this?

Answer 1

In the UK the expression is used for sheep and presumably other livestock. It denotes that the flies have laid eggs on or in a wound and maggots are present.

Answer 2

Yea a friend of mine lost a sheep to fly strike.
In the UK it means that the flies have laid eggs on or in a wound, or in the animals fur/wool and maggots are present.
Animals that seem most prone to it are sheep.

I think in other places people call it fly strike when flies bite the animal, but im not sure. I get this sometimes with my horses, when flies bite sensitive areas such as the ears and sheath area.

Answer 3

I agree with someone who said the flies can take chunks of skin out of the victim in a bite. This happens to my mules especially right where the breast collar sits on Nifty and in front of the udder on the donkey. I've not seen any eggs or hatchings from them but I wouldn't doubt that they do exist.
I have seen the colic symptoms in geldings from flies in general, we had one who was a real wimp when in came to flies and bites.
Interesting Q....

Answer 4

I have only heard of it in relation to sheep, when flies lay eggs in dirty woolly areas around the rear end and then start eating away at their flesh. (I'm in the US and we own sheep and horses). I suppose if a horse had an extremely dirty sheath it could happen...but that would cause problems a lot worse than colic symptoms you'd think.

Answer 5

I agree with the other 'UK' people here - British expression - means the flies have laid eggs and the eggs (usually in a wound), have hatched into maggotts (etc).......

And I think it's great the horsey 'Brits' can teach the horsey Americans some words and phrases too! Since I joined this, I've spent so much time looking up things from American postings - words and stuff that I have never heard of, then said '...so THAT's what it's called in the USA!!!!' You live and learn! With horses, you NEVER stop learning! .....I've learned a lot on here!

Answer 6

In the US, fly strikes refer to both fly bites and flies laying eggs on an animal - maggots don't need to be present.

In the US, some flies can actually take bites out of their victims - wherever skin is thin such as genitals, ears, underbellies, etc.

Answer 7

I have heard about it and seen it on a friends pet, but never on a horses sheath.
Its pretty disgusting and usually involves poor management of longer haired animals, but not always.
I dont see how it can happen on a sheath, without someone noticing it before it got that bad.

Answer 8

I never heard of it....... I grew up in a very large area of dairy's. Which now the city's made them all move out. In southern Ca. They have been pushing the animals out. It was the largest dairy preserve(so they said). But now the dairy's are just about gone, I think 2 or 3 left. But, We would get sooooo many flys because of the cows. But I never heard of it. Some thing to think about.

Answer 9

I have only ever heard of it with reference to rabbits. It's when the flies have laid eggs and they hatch and the maggots begin to eat the living tissue of the animal. Never heard of it happening to anything else. It sounds vile.

Answer 10

Ive never heard of it...thanks for the post. {STAR}