Cob owners help.....mites!

JMR77

JMR77

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Aug 26, 2015
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Hi all,

So i've noticed sum scabby patches on the backs of my boys hind legs (which seem to of spread further down left hind leg)....i think its being caused by mites as had a lot of foot stamping lately. He currently has very hairy legs but i am hoping to clip them soon (would this be advised? Advice needed on best treatment, methods and prevention.This is my 1st time owning a cob so mites are new to me. Help and advice greatly appreciated. One suggestion so far is to use pig oil with sulphur!
 
Some horses are more sensitive to mites than others, they seem to particularly like white legs;). You can get a injection called dectomax from your vet you will need at least 2 14-21 days apart, I do my own if needed but the vet will call to do this for you if you ask. Frontline spot on also offers some protection but neither dectomax or spot on is licensed for equine use so your vet will advise. Pig oil and sulphur is ok but you will struggle to get rid of mites with this I'd expect and he will no doubt be irritated and sore so not sure if he will enjoy being clipped either. I'd ring your vet and have a chat:) x
 
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tikkitti said:
Some horses are more sensitive to mites than others, they seem to particularly like white legs;). You can get a injection called dectomax from your vet you will need at least 2 14-21 days apart, I do my own if needed but the vet will call to do this for you if you ask. Frontline spot on also offers some protection but neither dectomax or spot on is licensed for equine use so your vet will advise. Pig oil and sulphur is ok but you will struggle to get rid of mites with this I'd expect and he will no doubt be irritated and sore so not sure if he will enjoy being clipped either. I'd ring your vet and have a chat:) x
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Thank you...i will wash his legs tomorrow night in hibiscrub to help them for now and apply sum cream to the sore/scabby area whilst i'm awaiting advice from vet...he is due out on 6th to do a 2 stage vetting as only have this boy on lwvtb at present.
 
Ok. I used to get dectomax for my lad but for such a stupidly irritating problem I thought there must be a way to sort this out without two vet visits and constant injections.
I bought spot on for my two large German shepherds (imaginary) and used one pipette per leg. Getting as close to the skin by parting the hair and spotting it all over his lower leg below the knee and especially in and about his heels. Then I waited ten days for any eggs to hatch and repeated the process.
I knew it had sorted it when he stopped stamping and then from five years ago onwards, after every farrier visit I immediately pig oil his legs with about half a fairy liquid bottle for each leg, massaging into the skin and not especially bothering with the feathers but the result is silky feathers anyway as the stuff soaks down over a couple of days.
I wouldn't pig oil until you're clear of the mites as it won't do much other than incubate the problem as far as I'm concerned.
And the first time you pig oil id make sure the feathers are clean and dry and not do it on a hot day (if you get one of those!!) from then on, I didnt bother washing.
I'm not a fan of clipping and managed to sort the problem without dehairing.
I've never had any problems since.
 
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It is probably what we call Scratches or Mud Fever.

It can be caused by viral, fungal, bacterial, or parasitic. This is a good article to help you understand the disease and how to treat.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/17703/understanding-scratches

Treatments vary but the first step is cutting the hair on the affected legs and fetlock. All that hair holds moisture which is a breeding ground for any of the things that cause Scratches.

It can spread like wildfire up the legs. The first time I dealt with it, I did t what it was. It was clear up the inside of both back legs before I knew what was happening. I had to call the vet for meds.

I don't pull the scabs unless they are ready to fall off. If it starts bleeding u dear the scab, the scab is not ready to come off.

I have one horse prone to Scratches. I don't have mud where I live. What I do have is very high humidity which is every bit as bad. I have already cut his winter leg hair. In another month, I will shave his fetlocks down to a crew cut and shave the hair down pretty good. I don't show, so I'm not worried about looks.

Good luck with whatever product you try. If you folks have Dawn dish soap, a thorough sudsy bath of the legs in it will help. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry, then apply your meds, according to the instructions.
 
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Flipo's Mum said:
Ok. I used to get dectomax for my lad but for such a stupidly irritating problem I thought there must be a way to sort this out without two vet visits and constant injections.
I bought spot on for my two large German shepherds (imaginary) and used one pipette per leg. Getting as close to the skin by parting the hair and spotting it all over his lower leg below the knee and especially in and about his heels. Then I waited ten days for any eggs to hatch and repeated the process.
I knew it had sorted it when he stopped stamping and then from five years ago onwards, after every farrier visit I immediately pig oil his legs with about half a fairy liquid bottle for each leg, massaging into the skin and not especially bothering with the feathers but the result is silky feathers anyway as the stuff soaks down over a couple of days.
I wouldn't pig oil until you're clear of the mites as it won't do much other than incubate the problem as far as I'm concerned.
And the first time you pig oil id make sure the feathers are clean and dry and not do it on a hot day (if you get one of those!!) from then on, I didnt bother washing.
I'm not a fan of clipping and managed to sort the problem without dehairing.
I've never had any problems since.
Click to expand...
So the spot on u used is it a treatment from the vets used for dogs....like a flea treatment?
 
Lollykay said:
It is probably what we call Scratches or Mud Fever.
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We call mud fever the same :) mites are tiny parasites that bite the skin, similar to lice.

Insecticidal shampoo will help more than hibiscrub :) dog flea treatment works, or cattle/sheep insecticide for external treatment (spot on), dectomax injections are a mectin anti parasitic....ivermectin is the type most commonly used with horses for deworming but it can also help kill of the blood sucking variant of lice and mites. At a push old fashioned louse powder will probably help kill them off and repel them :)
 
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If your confident giving injections or someone on your yard is the vet may prescribe dectomax injections that way you just collect and pay for the injection not the call out. They are very easy to give as you just pinch fat and then inject up into it. The dectomax isn't expensive it's the vets visit that would boost the price. x
 
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tikkitti said:
If your confident giving injections or someone on your yard is the vet may prescribe dectomax injections that way you just collect and pay for the injection not the call out. They are very easy to give as you just pinch fat and then inject up into it. The dectomax isn't expensive it's the vets visit that would boost the price. x
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Used to do nursing so cud prob give the injection myself as long as vet will just prescribe! Its just given like an IM injection by sounds of it x
 
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Thanks for advice going to get get sum insecticidal shampoo tonight and treatment for the mites...will try to treat conservatively if doesn't work will look at having the dectomax injections. Long night ahead washing, drying legs and applying all the necessary ointments to get rid of mites, help him with the itching and to soothe the scabby areas he already has....poor boy :(
 
JMR77 said:
Hi all,

So i've noticed sum scabby patches on the backs of my boys hind legs (which seem to of spread further down left hind leg)....i think its being caused by mites as had a lot of foot stamping lately. He currently has very hairy legs but i am hoping to clip them soon (would this be advised? Advice needed on best treatment, methods and prevention.This is my 1st time owning a cob so mites are new to me. Help and advice greatly appreciated. One suggestion so far is to use pig oil with sulphur!
Click to expand...

Pig oil won't get rid of the mites it will make an unpleasant environment for them. We clip our cobs feathers as much as we can to allow any preparations to get to work more effectively. Over the years we tried lots of things and the best one was a prescription only formula my old vets made. Sadly we have moved a long long way from them and can no longer obtain it. So when we landed here we tried Deosect which we bought from our new vets. It doesn't really work that well for us. She still stamps and later this week I have asked the vet to come and administer dectomax injections. He is coming to us anyway for our other horse so thought I would try them again. She had them a few years ago and they were okay but nowhere near as effective as the "secret" formula my old vets used! How I wish I could lay my hands on that stuff again!!!!!
I have never used pig oil with sulphur btw. Just pig oil alone, mainly because she has quite a sensitive skin and an ongoing condition linked to her Cushings and I was worried the sulphur may hurt her or be unpleasant in some way next to tender skin where scabs have been.
 
You need to know if it's mud fever or mites. You treat them differently. But either way, pig oil is used as a barrier to prevent problems not cure them. Never use it when the problem is on-going. You'll just trap bugs in.
 
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KP nut said:
You need to know if it's mud fever or mites. You treat them differently. But either way, pig oil is used as a barrier to prevent problems not cure them. Never use it when the problem is on-going. You'll just trap bugs in.
Click to expand...

I was just about to write this. Most heavy/cob horses with hairy legs will stamp their feet from time to time. This could be caused by mites, but it could equally be caused by mud fever, or simply itchy legs as the horse is malting. My shire x gets scurfy bits on his coat sometimes that he likes me to scratch, but he doesn't have mites. Horses with mites would be very, very itchy all the time.

If you are unsure, I would ask the vet for advice.
 
KP nut said:
You need to know if it's mud fever or mites. You treat them differently. But either way, pig oil is used as a barrier to prevent problems not cure them. Never use it when the problem is on-going. You'll just trap bugs in.
Click to expand...
Yea won't be using pig oil until whatever it is is under control
 
I've looked at the scabby areas again tonight and had a good prod and poke they don't really seem to bother him and there's no evidence of swelling anywhere in the legs. I've also checked hooves and hoof bulbs thoroughly on both bk legs no redness, soreness or scabbing anywhere to be found. So at the minute it is isolated to the tops of his legs between the bottom of his thigh and above his hock. I've applied an antibacterial cream for now but will give his legs a thorough wash in an antibacterial wash then apply mite powder to feathers once dried as a precaution. If no better in a few days will get vet in.
 
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