Its lice

Jan 20, 2020
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I've been posting for just over a week since arrival of our first pony on 25th Jan. He was sold to me with rain scald, so I was aware he had some scabs on his hindquaters. Hed been half clipped before being brought over to us and when he arrived he had some new small bald patches on his neck and under his chin. Progressively, his itching has got worse and worse to the point that he has rubbed some bald patches on his forehead that are large and sore.

The vet cane out and found lice and feather mite. He had a detrimax injection and I was given deosect for lice. Patch test today and in the meantime I used gold label 'Get Rid' powder. I just really want to ease his itchiness before he does himself any further injuries. Has anyone one else had experience of horses rubbing big sore patches due to lice?

The vet said that if itching continued when lice and mites are gone, it could b20200201_141936.jpge allergies and they would look at testing if needed. This was his neck when it started off
 
I dont think you said he was itching when you posted before and going bald or i might have suggested lice. It is the right time for lice we are on high alert looking for bald patches on our cattle at the moment. They havent started rubbing yet but as soon as they do we will be treating them. I think you said you were stabling so quite likely if hes toasty under the rug. Mites will be a bit more tricky to get rid of. Have you checked his feather for any patches. Be sure to pull up the feather regularly to check.
 
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YES! :( We've just had the vet out for 2nd injection, and they've just had their 3rd sponge down with stinky stuff. Luckily, Hogan wasn't too bad - I was quick off the mark when I saw a rubbed patch on his face, but the YO's elderly boy still looks terrible. He's rubbed really badly, and has a massive bald patch on his face, and more under his rug. We had them tested for ringworm, which came back negative. Has the vet tested for that? It wasn't deosect she gave us, it's a foul sulphury smelling wash that you mix with water and sponge right into the skin. Hogan seems clear now, but I'm not convinced B is.
 
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Poor pony and poor you. I hope the deosect does the trick and everything clears up quickly, and I'm glad you found out what the matter was. Your pony will be happy to get it sorted as well, I'm sure!
 
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Ah yep, Hank seems to be prone to lice, he got them every year for about 4 years and being a very fuzzy Shetland it was kind of tough to treat properly so I often ended up partially clipping him to give me good access down to the skin, so you're ahead of the game there :) Deosect has always worked for us, 2 or 3 treatments every 2 weeks as it only kills the adults but they will have already laid eggs which will hatch at about 4 weeks so you def need the follow up treatments to get them too. Thankfully he didn't get them last year and **touches wood** no signs yet this year either, though I am keeping a close eye on him.
 
Just remembered name of the stuff the vet gave us for lice - lime plus dip. I'm keeping whats left for his feathers, as apparently it's good for those as well. However it smells like it's been farted from the bowels of hell. :oops:
 
Do people ever get lice from their horses in modern conditions?
In the BBC documentary on the refugee Jewish children in Windermere, the boys were in some sort of powder spray.
Because in camps they got typhoid from lice.
 
Do people ever get lice from their horses in modern conditions?
In the BBC documentary on the refugee Jewish children in Windermere, the boys were in some sort of powder spray.
Because in camps they got typhoid from lice.
We asked our vet and she said no.
 
Do people ever get lice from their horses in modern conditions?
In the BBC documentary on the refugee Jewish children in Windermere, the boys were in some sort of powder spray.
Because in camps they got typhoid from lice.
Horse lice and human lice are different animals, you cannot be cross infected.
 
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Thanks. Today he seems far less itchy and hasn't done any new rub patches. I patch tested deosect and that's fine so will apply fully tomorrow. Been using the Get Rid powder in the meantime and I guess the mite injection will be starting to take effect now too.

I've kept him de-rugged even tho it's gotten as low as freezing as I figured hed get bitten more if he was warm! I'll follow up weekly treatments of deosect a few times. Have told other owners on the yard and they're threating their ponies too.

@Huggy No they didn't mention testing for ringworm - is it same symptoms? He was wormed mid-Jan but not sure what they used x
 
Thanks. Today he seems far less itchy and hasn't done any new rub patches. I patch tested deosect and that's fine so will apply fully tomorrow. Been using the Get Rid powder in the meantime and I guess the mite injection will be starting to take effect now too.

I've kept him de-rugged even tho it's gotten as low as freezing as I figured hed get bitten more if he was warm! I'll follow up weekly treatments of deosect a few times. Have told other owners on the yard and they're threating their ponies too.

@Huggy No they didn't mention testing for ringworm - is it same symptoms? He was wormed mid-Jan but not sure what they used x
They get bald patches with ringworm, but maybe the vet just didn't think it was that.
 
Ringworm isn't a worm it's a fungal infection, so wormer won't treat it :)
Top tip for getting rid of lice is to treat your brushes, rugs and any wooden things he could have scratched on as well as the pony :) the eggs can get left behind and reinfect them. I normally just use the tack shop brought powder for all those bits :)
 
Ringworm isn't a worm it's a fungal infection, so wormer won't treat it :)
Top tip for getting rid of lice is to treat your brushes, rugs and any wooden things he could have scratched on as well as the pony :) the eggs can get left behind and reinfect them. I normally just use the tack shop brought powder for all those bits :)
Thanks @Jessey - I'll sprinkle the powder over everything x
 
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