Fleas

[stevielee]

I might sound a bit dim but can horses get fleas??

 

[Peanut]

I remember getting fleas off a horse once as a child when I lay my head again the neck. Whether they were "horse fleas" or another kind that just happened to be on the horse, I don't know but they were huge and bit like mad.

 

[CurlyWurlyRach]

yes!!!!

 

[star]

no! if you're going to answer a post like this, at least find out the right answer first! it would onyl take 5 seconds on google.

horses do not get fleas of any kind - no kind of fleas live on any kind of horse and that is 100% correct.

 

[CurlyWurlyRach]

oo am i thinking of lice...?

 

[stevielee]

Thanks just curiuos as my cat has got fleas and my mum said there of my horses but obviously not.

 

[becs]

I understood most fleas are akin to a certain species. Eg may hop temporarily onto others but generally just live on that species,eg cat / horse.

Horses' deep winter fur can attract parasites of all sorts. But the effective topical preparations like Deosect cypermethrin) are usually effective against many types of parasite.

 

[star]

I understood most fleas are akin to a certain species. Eg may hop temporarily onto others but generally just live on that species,eg cat / horse.

yes, but horses dont have a flea species. cats and dogs have their own species, as do hedgehogs, rabbits etc, but horses have no species of their own and other animals fleas dont find them attractive either, so they dont get fleas!

Horses' deep winter fur can attract parasites of all sorts.

i repeat - horses do not get fleas. lice, mites, ticks etc, but not fleas!

 

[Wally]

I have never even seen a flea on a horse. Cats and dogs get covered and bitten by hedgehog and rabbit fleas, as do I on occasion (ahem! cough cough) But I have never seen a flea on a horse's nose even grazing with rabbits and hedghogs in the area.

The skin must be just too thick for a flea even to consider a quick bite from.

 

[dwoodie]

Horses do not get fleas and as a matter of fact if you have a dog who has fleas, you can take your horse saddle pad and put it in his crate for him/her to sleep on and it will repell the fleas.
I always thought this was something my mom made up, but I tried it this fall and it worked.

Fleas actually live in dark places and just jump on dogs and cats to feed.

 

[becs]

Actually I was trying to express _doubt_ that fleas would spread from the cat to the horse, but obviously didn't make it clear.

I have never heard of fleas on horses either. But my second point was just that it's easy to treat any parasite on any pet - lice, flea whatever, so not to worry.