Mites

[MrA]

Ale is due his second injection for mites Thursday week and I'm trying to decide what to do before then.

The vet suggested in an ideal world I would take all his hair off including legs and preferably hog him. But then said that any rugs I used needed to be cleaned regularly because obviously the mites can survive on those.

He wasn't specific on how but I assume the only way to really make sure there is no mites is to wash them? But that's very difficult to do surely, do you have to wash them every day? I just can't get my head around how that works.

So another thought was that I leave the hair that is on him and hope that by then it's warm enough to leave him naked all the time. I could give him full access to his shelter back and just clean that daily with deosect/ disinfectant? I could then get all his rugs washed professionally and they will be clean for when he next needs them, hopefully autumn time.

Since his first injection he has definitely improved however he lost a small patch of hair yesterday. It seems consistent with mites as they are damaging the hair/ follicles hence it coming out.

My worry is that constantly putting rugs back on him is just prolonging the problem. If I clip and hog him he will need rugs for a long time yet!

 

[carthorse]

I would definitely clip otherwise you're leaving then somewhere to hide and won't get on top of them. And if you clip now when the summer coat is coming in he'll soon have some cover back, leave it and you may end up having to clip his summer coat and then rug against sunburn. Clip now and you still won't need rugs for long - at my yard there are very recently clipped ponies that are out in the day naked if it isn't raining or blowing a gale.

I'd buy a rainsheet which has no filling for the mites to get into and a couple of cheap stable rugs that you can wash and dry easily to put underneath it for warmth. Leaving him hairy but naked isn't going to put the mites off, they prefer pony and just use the rugs to hide in and lay eggs.

 

[MrA]

Hmm yes I am seriously considering it, sadly haven't been able to do anything this week as have covid.

Washing the rugs won't be possible at home our machine is too small. I'm also not sure he will be warm enough, he's a perfect weight right now which is great but does mean he's feeling the cold.

I also still feel like mites will lay their eggs on a lightweight, I could spray with deosect but it doesn't work on eggs. I'm a bit unsure really of how to approach this. Obviously I want the best possible outcome for him. Potentially could do a third or even fourth injection if needed too.

I also find it really strange that he's had both lice and mites having never suffered either in the past so I think I'll get bloods done when possible and if I change vets I'll get their opinion on it all.

 

[carthorse]

What size rug is he? If you get cheap stable rugs with a light dernier outer then generally they'll wash in a normal washing machine unless you're looking at very big ones. I would have thought you wouldn't want more than 200g even fully clipped this rime of year, even if it goes cold it's only for a few hours so give him a bit more hay to keep his internal heating going and compensate for the extra energy he may use.

The mites would lay any eggs in the stable rugs that you wash, a rainsheet isn't tempting to them.

Clipping right out then using a stable rug under a rainsheet is something I've seen done for years to deal with mites and lice. You may have doubts but I've never yet seen it not work and the horses are soon much more comfortable and healthier again. I know you have doubts but I feel you're looking for problems with your vet's advice because you don't want to clip and rug, is that fair on Ale though? The phrase "feeling losy" comes from how run down a louse, and presumably mite, infestation would make people feel.

You could ask them to test for PPID as a weakened immune system can make them more vulnerable, but priority has to be dealing with the current mites and getting him clear of them.

 

[MrA]

I've also heard good things about the strongest head and shoulders shampoo so will get some of that aswell to use regardless of what I end up doing with his coat

 

[carthorse]

That will help clear up the dandruffy dead skin they feed on but won't do anything to kill the mites or their eggs.

 

[MrA]

I know you have doubts but I feel you're looking for problems with your vet's advice because you don't want to clip and rug, is that fair on Ale though? The phrase "feeling losy" comes from how run down a louse, and presumably mite, infestation would make people feel.

I've already clipped and rugged him. What's worrying me is not being able to clean the rugs effectively.

 

[MrA]

He's 5ft 9 rugs but our washing machine could barely take a cooler as it's got a very low weight. I can wash them in the bath if needed, I'm not entirely sure how effective that will be but it can be done. But then how often do you wash them to get rid of the eggs because that is what isn't really making sense to me.

The vet did give me lots of options, he also said don't clip any more, continue with the deosect and make sure he is absolutely drenched in it, because deosect is effective against mites and combined with the injection that could be enough to treat him.

He also said that the injections alone may be enough. It entirely depends on the type of mites he has and the infection rate. He did say in an ideal world yes to fully clip and if I had a stable I could fully disinfect daily it would be alot easier as I wouldn't need to rug.

It was minus 2 last night so it's a tough welfare call in my opinion and weighing up the options doesn't mean I don't want what is best for my horse.

 

[MrA]

I'm also confused because when cattle get mange I assume the farmer doesn't go and clip them all maybe they have better pour on products they can use too. It's a shame that there is nothing licensed for horses

 

[chunky monkey]

Iv got those white fly rugs im sure you know the ones. They are fairly thick so they provide some warmth overnight and protection from the sun. In extreme heat i dunk them in water or spray with hose before putting on. Although when extremely hot 27 to 32 range i did find mine sweating underneath so prefered not to use but then you need to protect from the sun and midges. So its catch 22.

I think a rain sheet and stable rug might make him too hot over night. Although you are taking off early morning.

In terms of washing. You could get them professional cleaned but i think it will cost a fair bit to do regularly. Round our way there are a couple of industrial washing machines at the petrol stations. So maybe worth having a look in your area.
Equally the vets get rugs washed that go in there patient kennels i would imagine it done by a professional company but you could ask who they use.
If you do them in your bath just get in with your welly boots on. I have in the past. You probably need a hot wash for killing the mites.

I have also used a large tub and filled with soap and water on muddy rain sheets. Jumped on top with my wellies. They are hard going though as they way a tonne. I wouldnt wash rainsheets too often as they loose the protection. Im lucky i have my washing machine now.

Id probably wash about once a month a fly sheet. I know during the summer months ive washed the fly rugs a few times anyway. Just because they get grubby where they roll and i think the smell attracts insects. Ive even taken mine off the horse, shoved it in the washing machine, gone for a hack, come back taken out the machine and put straight back on the horse.

 

[chunky monkey]

I'm also confused because when cattle get mange I assume the farmer doesn't go and clip them all maybe they have better pour on products they can use too. It's a shame that there is nothing licensed for horses

The problem with horses is there not thick skinned like cattle. Hence need rugs. Its a bit like goats and sheep. Goats need protection from the rain, either by rug or shelter. Whereas sheep can live out with neither.
My cattle are moulting like the horse. In fact they have less coat than billys got right now. Obviously there are hairy breeds of cattle. But pour on treatment like i did the other day on mine would soak through the hair easier than on the horse but for the wormer part to be effective it then needs to soak through there thick skin. Im not so sure or convinced that that part is effective but then i dont worm count the cows poo. It must work though otherwise it wouldnt be licensed for effective use.

 

[MrA]

He's really been feeling the cold, more than I thought he would, so I think without his legs and mane he will have to be in rugs with necks constantly. And then definitely a fly rug and mask all summer as no protection from a mane.

Can't afford professional rug cleaning regularly it's £20 each rug. I could try and find somewhere with big machines that would allow me to do them regularly but how do I fit this realistically around work etc. I imagine they need to be done often but I'm not really sure! Not even sure where I would be able to dry these rugs too.

This is why part of me would be very glad to be done with the rugs entirely and just try and sort him as he is now. That might mean more injections or another treatment, I've seen all sorts of spot on etc recommended. I might just ring the vets and try and talk about it with them before his next injection his due.

I still find it really odd how symmetrical his hair loss was, but at least it's all growing back really well, must be heading in the right direction surely!

 

[Jessey]

I think you’re at that point you probably do need to whip the coat off, could you get rugs washed at a laundrette? The one here does rugs happily tho obviously doesn’t waterproof them, that might make using an under rug the better plan and washing it once a week and just hoping the mites don’t make it into the top rain sheet.

 

[MrA]

I think I'll ring the vet and discuss it all with them Monday but thanks for all the input everyone

 

[MrA]

So I will still ring my vets Monday but my yard owner has agreed to take his back and face off Thursday and we will see about his legs on the day, she said maybe take them down to the knees or off all the way depending what we find. Oddly his legs are not at all scurfy and he doesn't itch them. But maybe we take off the other hair they all move to his legs

She also had the very bright idea of just putting rugs on top of his lightweight if he needs more warmth that way the thicker rugs will be safe from the mites and she has thin sheets I can use under the lw that even I should be able to fit in my miniscule machine!

So hopefully a solution that is manageable incase the weather is all over the place as it has been.