Ponies feathers seem to be falling out?

[Bubblepony]

We have several ponies who's feathers seem to be falling out and thinning on our yard. I saw one of them itch her feathers with her teeth but only for a very short while, otherwise they don't seem in any way super itchy, scaley, inflamed or red in any way. Just the feathers pulling out if you run your hands through them. Could this be some sort of microscopic mite? Nothing is visible with the bare eye, no black flecks but clearly something is causing this? :rolleyes:

[Bubblepony]

any advice or ideas what so ever? :confused: :(

[chunky monkey]

I would strongly advise you have a word with the vet, especially if its happening to a number of horses. You can't see Chiropratic Mites to the naked eye. But the vet can do skin scrapings and examine under the microscope. Try worming with an ivomecin based wormer. The vet told me to try eqvalan wormer. Give the horse two doses, together. One dose irritates the mites only. Two doses should kill them. Mention this to your vet and see if he agrees. Oh and also I was recommend to use a bottle of frontline spray. The flea spray that they use for cats and dogs. That is supposed to help.

I was reading up on the NHSdirect site the other day about mites and it says that then burrow under the skin, oh err. Have a look on there it gives some interesting reading. I know its human website but treatment such as cleaning bedding also applies the same if you have the horse stabled at all.
Have you noticed any foot stamping, if its the back legs the horse might stand against a gate and bang against it. Front legs they tend to mouth and chew.

But seriously speak with you vet.

[Equine_student]

my ponies feathers used to thin out over the summer, so maybe they are malting the the rest of there coat.
i think if it was mite they u would notice the itching a lot more (my pony got straw mites once and wouldn't stop itching!) but if you worried about it being mites try washing them in a antibacterial shampoo. if ** still worried maybe just ring the vet and ask for advice.
just trying to save u vet bills!

[Bubblepony]

Thank you! no, this isn't just ordinary malting. As i said i saw one pony have a quick itch of her feathers with her teeth but nothing that remarkable. Can it still be mites or some microscopic nasty even if it isn't that itchy?

[Portia]

The other thing you might check for is bot eggs ( i saw 2 flying around the other day - huge great b*****rs); the eggs seem to itch like mad, ponies may have scratched sufficiently to pull loose feathers.

[Laura2184]

Is the field they are kept in muddy? Prince gets this when it is muddy, its as if his feathers have been shaved off, I asked about it on here a while back and was told it was bog burn, the mud making the hairs weak and breaking off, Prince itches them sometimes and they are flaky but not scabby or sore like mud fever. Its very strange.

I washed Princes legs in hibiscrub and chopped all his feathers off and have been putting sudacrem and some itch stop cream stuff Ive got.

Laura

[Alfies-slave]

Sounds like lice/mites. Don't waste your money calling out the vet. worm with Equest and dose with louse powder. Repeat luse powder in 2 weeks time to catch whatever has hatched in the meantime. The Equest will kill anything in the skin.

[Portia]

Just to add;
Theres a brief comment in this months 'your horse' (issue 299 p13) mentioning itchy heels, in two heavily feathered horse, that had proved resistant to all manner of treatment. Writer states she used noromectin sheep drench directly ( ie topically rather than as an oral worming medication) onto the legs, horses were comfortable within 12 hours.

[Bubblepony]

But we have NO itching! :confused:

[domane]

Have a read of this BP, see if any of it seems familiar.....

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99192&highlight=feathers+burn

I think there might even be pictures in the link within the thread....

[Joyscarer]

What's the dosage for Frontline?

[Bubblepony]

Thank you for the suggestion. our turn out is perfectly dry and one that it is happening to doesn't even get turned out. its such a headscratcher.

The vet is checking it out but is also confused as the afflicted horses have nice healthy pink skin underneath and no obvious signs of creepy crawlies or funguses or the like. they are fed balancers in the correct amounts so it shouldn't be a nutritional issue. frustrating! :(

[ANN H]

The vet told me that 90% of feathered horses have heel mites but that they can be kept at bay with Eqvalan wormer. I use it for 3consecutive weeks at the b/g of October, which also acts as part of her worming programme.