Lice, oh my!

[moonpieface]

I just discovered Salty Dog has lice. Ugh... That explains the fence rubbing and the rolling around. I was putting on his halter to take him out to graze and thought i saw fleas. I couldnt get him to stay still, he knew he was getting out, lol. I decide to get some of the leftover lice combs I have fun our girls battle last year. I used it on his neck and sure enough its lice. So here are my questions:

1. Can we get lice from Salty Dog? My head is itching at the thought!

2. Whats the best and or fastest way to get rid of the lice?

Oh man, I had another question, but my 3 year old distracted me. Oh well, I'll think of it later.

 

[chandab]

No you can't get lice from your horse, lice are host specific.

there was a recent discussion about lice and how to treat. HOpefully, this link will work: http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?showtopic=128290 If not, the discussion is still on page two of the forum.

 

[moonpieface]

Thanks! I haven't made it to page 2 yet, and I was going to do a forum search as well.

 

[Riverrose28]

worm with ivermectine, and spray with fly spray, then give a bath and spray again.

 

[Barnmother]

I just went through this ( makes me itch thinking about it too). I wormed with ivermectin and applied lice dust that was 0.25 Pyrethrin. We haven't seen anymore, but, it would be time for the next round of eggs to hatch so we wormed again and dusted again last night at 10 days. I will repeat the dust again in 10 days. I found the dust easy to apply even to those with long winter coats by "fluffing their coat" to get the dust down to the skin I applied all the way down their backs. I did manes. under manes and with caution to avoid eyes, their forelock and finally their tails. I might of been a little heavy handed with the powder but they didn't seem to have any adverse affects.

I powdered ALL of my horses, figured there was no sense in doing anything else. Even though some are not within touching distance, my grandson sometimes help brush and mixes up the brushes so there was a chance!

I noticed the the itching stopped by the next morning and I haven't caught anyone rubbing on trees since the day after the first treatment. Except the yearling filly in the 104 degree day that we had and I am sure that was from shedding.

No people cannot catch horse lice they are species specific. It does however cause you to be sure they are crawling all over you, even though they aren't.

I also stripped and burned all bedding from the stalls, dusted the floors and then bedded with pine shavings which someone told me helped to repel them.

i washed all brushes in Nolvassan Disinfectant (it is blue like the use in the salon and barbershops) rinsed them well and then soaked them in a pretty strong solution of bleach and warm water. I allowed them to air dry by our woodstove.

Good Luck, they will be gone in no time.

 

[susanne]

Lice are species-specific, EXCEPT in the case of poultry lice. These chewing lice can and do survive on horses. This is one common way horses not exposed to outside equine can come down with lice.

Neither of these lice will live on you for more than a few hours -- if that.

 

[moonpieface]

I went to Tractor Supply Co. and they were out of powder or dust. I ended up getting Permethrin 10 Livestock and premise spray. I read the label and instructions, you dilute it drifferently for different purposes. I also got some Shapleys MTG I plan to use it after the lice is gone.