Need Advice for LICE :(

[MountainWoman]

I agree with MistyRose about using dog products on horses without checking with your vet. I also learned lice can be brought about by stress which is probably why my filly arrived with them from the stress of being shipped and leaving her companions.

 

[chandab]

Thank you everyone for all the help it is greatly appreciated. The dust said it had to be applied with a bag? I didn't see one at the feed store and they are tremendously unhelpful there so I opted for the dog spot on treatment and will be cloroxing the heck out of my combs (Thanks Joanne).

The dust bag is for cattle, they fill the bag and cows will rub on it, thus covering themselves in the dust. For horses you just sprinkle it on; if I don't get a shaker can, I wear disposible gloves and sprinkle it down their back then rub it in to their coat.

 

[albahurst]

I might add that the Durasect II was advised to us by an equine vet. It worked very well and was safe for us to use. I would not use anything not labeled for horses unless a vet tells you it is ok.

 

[markadoodle]

Lice powder, veterinary shampoo, scrub, scrub, scrub with betadine.

Best of luck

 

[cretahillsgal]

I've dealt with it a couple times. Wash them with Adams Flea & Tick shampoo. Worm them with Ivermectin.

Repeat 2 weeks later with exact same regimine.

Then 2 weeks after that do it again.

Of course clipping helped alot too. They dry quicker without all that shaggy hair.

 

[Tapestry Minis]

I did consult my vet about the dog spot on stuff before I applied it. He had some Equispot and the ingredients were exactly the same (% and amount to give) as the dog stuff. The only thing that the container said was not to use on cats. They were dewormed with ivermectin on the 23rd of Feb and I dewormed them again yesterday with Equimax and applied the spot on treatment. Will repeat in 2 weeks with the spot on as per vets instructions. I was able to take a bug into him so he could verify the type. He also said he had a fly spray that is labeled for lice and we will use that after the next application for continued prevention.

Just want to Thank everyone again for all the tips and advice. Good to know all of this for future reference

 

[horsesdances]

I have found with horror that our minis are scratching because of lice!!! I treated them with the dust but it is so hard to get it to the skin with their super long winter coats. Still to cold to shave. I think about uAbsrobine Ultra Shield fly spray. Any one had good results with it? One is still itchy, ho long should I wait before using a spray? the recomended 14 days? thanks

 

[dannigirl]

We don't have horses coming or leaving here on any sort of regular basis except to go to shows and we still seem to have at least one or two with lice every spring when we clip. We have about 30 to clip each year. One thing that was not mentioned is to clean the stall and treat for lice. Where ever your horse is living will have lice and if you don't kill them and follow up for the eggs, you will get reinfested. I usually use a spray of whatever I have on hand that will kill lice and repeat every couple of days for a couple of weeks to get the problem totally out. I have used clorox, fly sprays and the blue stuff that hair dressers use to disinfect their combs--can't remember the name of it, but comes in a concentrate to use an ounce for about 12 to 16 oz spray. From beauty supply stores.

 

[Barnmother]

To my horror when we body clipped our first horse of the season we found what I believe are lice down in his elbow area. Way, Way to cold to bathe here, really too cold to body clip but we had done his head and found little scabs so were suspcicious that something was going on! This is the first time I have ever had lice! Makes us all itch just thinking about it.

Anyway found some pyrethrin .25% at the local feed and fuel. (They don't have much thank goodness they had one can of this!) Stripped stalls, powdered floors, powdered clipped horse. He had been itching a lot on trees and the like, no wonder! Anyway I can't clip my one mare, heck you can hardly catch her (she came to me that way before anyone suggests a fix) I did however manage to powder her mane and down her back without too much of a fight. I did manage to powder the yearling filly without much issue and kind of rubbed it in her fur. Those three all run together. I powdered the mare on the immediate other side of the fence also.

I suppose I should powder the other two horses that reside in the other pasture even if it has not cojoining fences. It is possible that my grandson (3 years old) used the brushes on them since he likes to help and we don't discourage his participation. These two are slated for body clipping next weekend

My question is...... how often should you redust? And, do you have to do it all summer long?

Is betadine a good shampoo to use if we have a warm day to bathe him?

Can you worm with Ivermectin ( although I have twice in the last month already just my annual spring ritual) at the same time you are dusting them or is that too many poisions at one time?

 

[chandab]

My question is...... how often should you redust? And, do you have to do it all summer long?

Is betadine a good shampoo to use if we have a warm day to bathe him?

Can you worm with Ivermectin ( although I have twice in the last month already just my annual spring ritual) at the same time you are dusting them or is that too many poisions at one time?

I'd check the directions on the can, but I think the initial retreat is after 10-14 days, then usually once a month after that if its a continuing problem (sometimes just getting rid of them the first time is enough, as long as you treat the barn/paddock area.

I don't know if betadine would kill the lice, but it would likely reduce the itching caused by the lice and help heal the irritated skin.

And, I don't think I'd treat with ivermectin on the same day as dusting; it might be perfectly fine to do as one is oral the other topical, but too much chemicals at one time in my opinion.

 

[Sandy B]

I just experienced lice for the first time on my minis'. In 35 years of horse ownership I have never had to deal with this. I talked to my vet and they said regardless if it is "chewing" lice or "sucking" lice that to worm with Ivermectrin. Then either dust or apply a spot on treatment. So I dewormed them and went to my local feed store and found a permithian (sp?) spot on treatment that you applied small amounts along the mane, back, top of hip, tail bone and a small amount on the forelock (just like the Frontline for dogs). I confirmed that the lice that the girls had were the "chewing" kind. For several days afterwards, my girls itched like you can not believe and my vet and several other mini horse owners said that this was normal due to the lice moving from being poisoned.

 

[rimmerpaints]

I got a horse once full of Lice. I bought this powder from trator supply. I cant remember for the life of me now what it is called.It took a couple good treatments to get rid of it. It will get on all your horses and fast so I would treat them all but you wont get it.

 

[Barnmother]

All horses have been dusted. I will worm them all tonight. (I acually just wormed them less than a month ago) if nothing else I will know that I am not feeding any worms!

I just can't beleive we have lice! Like I said and many of you have agreed we have never had them and last horse to be added to herd was in August. I hate the throught that these little beggers have been running around that long. Most of my horses are dark and the new one a pinto, we found them on his white areas after body clipping. He has always been itchy since the day he arrived, tore out most of his mane last year prior to my purchasing him. lifted a gate off the hinges with rubbing last fall.

All are a healthy weight and certainly aren't under any kind of stress. They have access to a comfy barn and premium feed.

New rule at my farm is going to be, keep seperate for a month, worm and dust every 10-14 days after a good old bath in flea and tick shampoo. I don't care where any new horse to the property from to start with. I will also worm and dust upon returning from a horse show (this will be our first show year with the mini's). No more chances! I am sure they must of hitched a ride with him. His former owner didn't believe in vaccinations or worming. I guess I just missed the lice dusting before I mixed him into my herd because I covered all the other bases.

 

[minih]

In response to the question if you have to get rid of all combs and stuff used on said horse, I have had two horses come in with lice and I did not throw everything away. After bathing the horse I let it dry, wormed, then put on the powder stuff from our local coop, I then bleached everything including my wash room, got a bucket and soaked the brushes and combs in that. Must have worked because I have not seen any more of the little beggers since.

 

[Barnmother]

Guess I should of said I washed brushes in Nolvassan, then soaked for an hour in pretty strong bleach solution. Dried them all by the woodstove. Set up a seperate bucket for each horse now and until we have this all resolved. No sense taking any chances!

 

[Helicopter]

My donkeys had lice when they arrived. I dusted them with sulphur and put some in their food. Dusted for about a week or so. Yellow donkeys but no more lice.

 

[Barnmother]

Did a body check today and I don't see any creepy crawleys!

Horses all wormed. Brushes clean and bleached. Guess now not much to do by wait till next Tuesday (10 days) and powder again.

I will say as a side note, the one horse we found them on has been coming in at night with his tail well rubbed from anything he could plant his butt on. Tonight however, tail looked perfect like it had just been groomed.

We also changed back from paper bedding to pine shavings.

 

[Barnmother]

Update*** Ten days today and no sign of creepy crawlies anywhere. Dusted and wormed all the horses again and will plan to repeat in 10 days. We sure won't be feeding any worms! Other than an occasional rub on the trees but the ones that aren't body clipped (and I am sure that is from shedding) we no longer have frizzed up tails and rubbed manes. Hopefully we have a handle on this! At least I don't itch everytime I go out to the barn now since I haven't seen any more crawling around on my kids. (I know sympathy itching!)