Itchy feathers...what could it be?

[popdog]

I bought a hairy cob last week, he has full feathers and they are itchy and driving him crazy. I washed his legs today with a standard mites/lice type shampoo from the local tack shop. I'm not sure if that will do the job?

What could be causing the itching - lice or mites??? I can't see anything living in his feathers, he's a bit scurffy but not terrible. I've never had a feathered horse before, are they likely to get mites or lice in their feathers and what should I treat it with?

I also thought about using 'Head and Shoulders' shampoo for the scruff...would that be a bit bonkers? I really want to keep his feathers and would hate to clip them off so any advice would be much apreciated...thanks :)

[Marusenka]

Hairy cobs do seem to be prone to getting mites in their feathers. My last share horse had them and her owners insisted in clipping off her feathers- it worked but she looked a bit daft without her feathers in my opinion. Now i have my own hairy i am determined to keep his feathers at all cost.

There is an injection they can have that is supposed to be good at keeping them at bay.

Also frontline flea stuff works a treat but as it is only licensed for cats and dogs it can be a bit tricky to get hold of.

I'm sure others have some other suggestions- i wash my hairy's feathers regularly in anti bacterial stuff and really scrub them- it keeps them nice and white and we have not yet had any trouble with mites etc but his feathers aren't very full yet so i anticipate we may have some trouble when they grow a bit thicker

[martini55]

It could be lice/mites. Can you feel any scabs? It could also be mudfever.

[Iron Maiden]

It could be mud fever or mites, or it could be a coat changing thing. My old cob would go insane with leg itchiness when his summer coat was coming through. Fortunately it wouldn't last long, but if I tried washing his legs it got loads worse. Feeding evening primrose oil seemed to make him more comfortable.

[popdog]

Definitely not mud fever, I've dealt with that nightmare before. He is not scabby, just very itchy.

I'd also heard that there is an injection that works (apparently it's only licensed for cattle) and I'd also thought about Frontline. My vet is pretty good and will get me anything needed to treat a problem. I've asked her to come out on Tuesday and give him a general MOT, so she might advise on what to do.

His coat is coming out in handfuls at the moment, so maybe it could be a coat change thing (hopefully). I just feel sorry for him as he lies down so he can bite his itchy legs.

Thanks for your suggestions :)

[TaffyJay]

Hi pop dog
I have used the injections and they do work at getting rid of mites its called dectomax, they were done every 6weeks and i frontlined in between last scrappings showed he was clear of mites and is definatly less itchy. Would be worth asking your vet to see if they think this might help and get on top of it before it gets to bad!!! clipping definatly does help as you can see whats going on and the shampoo and frontline can work its way to the skin rather than sitting on hair! Hope that helps!:)

[Walnut]

There's a really good shampoo called Dermoline which is good at getting rid of mites etc Then you could bruch baby oil through them (as long as its not too warm) to keep them dirt free.

[popdog]

Thanks for the responses...the vet is coming tomorrow so I'll have a word with her about dectomax injections.

The shampoo I used yesterday was Dermoline so maybe it will work! I might have a go with the baby oil too ;)

[TaffyJay]

let us know how you get on!!:)

[gingeremmie]

I only needed one injection of dectomax to stop my cob itching his legs, but I should really have had 2. They only kill living mites not eggs so the first kills the live mites, then the eggs hatch and the second jab kills the baby mites before they can lay eggs, so breaking the cycle. At least that is the theory but like I say I was lucky and got away with one jab. Also I changed my cob onto shavings as apparently mites live in straw.

[popdog]

The vet came out yesterday and said to try treating the itch with frontline spray first. She said that it usually works.

If the frontline doesn't work she'll be coming back to give him a dectomax injection.

Thanks for the advice :cool: