Feather Care Routine _ Help and advice needed

SamanthaToby

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Hi All,

What do you all do for your feathers summer and winter.

I have left mine for weeks and he started stomping so I thought I best have a look. I have bathed his legs with medicated shampoo, I thought he may have mites but a few people have looked and said that he hasn't. I have then pig oil and sulphur sprayed them and put cream on the small mud fever patch.

Its only when I bathed him that I saw that the insides are short compared to the rest. I'm gutted as he has such lovely feathers full feather most of the time. He is currently in the stable as no turn out but goes out for exercise in the morning and night.

I have tried over reach books on the back legs (someone on the yard said it may help to stop him standing on the) but I cant get them big enough. Brushing boots cant be worn all the time and he is doing the damage in the stable, I also don't think they come down far enough.

Its a tuff one as people told me to leave them and do nothing but by doing so they are a bit of a mess, but brushing them or putting stuff on them seams to make them thin out.

any route ideas?
any supplements or feeds?
any products?
 

Leo Walker

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Hes almost certainly got mites. The short hair is either him chewing at it, or bog burn. You cant tell if he has mites from looking. I used to treat them by washing in Dermoline. applying frontline. Applying deosect. Covering the feathers in neem oil. It had to be done on a fairly regular basis though. Other than that I left them alone
 

SamanthaToby

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Hes almost certainly got mites. The short hair is either him chewing at it, or bog burn. You cant tell if he has mites from looking. I used to treat them by washing in Dermoline. applying frontline. Applying deosect. Covering the feathers in neem oil. It had to be done on a fairly regular basis though. Other than that I left them alone

How often did you dermoline. I just put his foot in warm water with it in then set to scrubbing. When dry I then pig oiled.
Have you ever jabbed for it?
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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Not criticising, but pig oil & sulphur can be very very caustic, especially if your horse is the type with pink skin & white feathers. Just saying, as I didn't know either!

I use a product called "Mitey Feathers" by Traditional Horse Products. Its an oil, you can buy it as an oil or as the spray-on. I use both. How to apply? Well I just tip it into an old (biggish) yoghurt pot or something like it, and get a medium sized paintbrush and dawb it on that way!

After doing that, I use the spray.

The other product you can use which is much cheaper, is WD40!, but do patch-test any new product first for 24hrs. Be careful if using oils in the bright sunshine though as it can burn.

I really would recommend clipping; we did my big mare when the vet was here doing teeth and sedated anyway. Little'un (youngster) is a big ticklish around her legs so am working on that.

The other thing, that my vet recommends: is to get a Frontline spray and spray that in the bulb of the heel area every 10 days or so. I get this from VioVet, its the one marketed for dogs, they'll ask for the name of the dog - say something not obviously equine here!! - and you'd need the 1.5 size not the smaller one.

The other thing that might work is to adminster three doses of ivermectin wormer, each dose a fortnight apart. My vet says this sometimes works - but didn't with mine unfortunately.
 

SamanthaToby

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Not criticising, but pig oil & sulphur can be very very caustic, especially if your horse is the type with pink skin & white feathers. Just saying, as I didn't know either!

I use a product called "Mitey Feathers" by Traditional Horse Products. Its an oil, you can buy it as an oil or as the spray-on. I use both. How to apply? Well I just tip it into an old (biggish) yoghurt pot or something like it, and get a medium sized paintbrush and dawb it on that way!

After doing that, I use the spray.

The other product you can use which is much cheaper, is WD40!, but do patch-test any new product first for 24hrs. Be careful if using oils in the bright sunshine though as it can burn.

I really would recommend clipping; we did my big mare when the vet was here doing teeth and sedated anyway. Little'un (youngster) is a big ticklish around her legs so am working on that.

The other thing, that my vet recommends: is to get a Frontline spray and spray that in the bulb of the heel area every 10 days or so. I get this from VioVet, its the one marketed for dogs, they'll ask for the name of the dog - say something not obviously equine here!! - and you'd need the 1.5 size not the smaller one.

The other thing that might work is to adminster three doses of ivermectin wormer, each dose a fortnight apart. My vet says this sometimes works - but didn't with mine unfortunately.

Brill I will order some of the spray in. I have spoken to the vet an they say to keep washing in tbe shampoo I have twice a week.
In between spry that you recommend on.
They also say they will jab him an see if that helps. If they jab do I have to take all my best out? It's a good 12 months of deep litter an being has fallen into short supply up here for some reason.
I must confess I didnt know this about pig oil. He is my 1st hairy an I'm still learing a bit of a change from a TB.

Thanks for advice
 

Auslander

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Brill I will order some of the spray in. I have spoken to the vet an they say to keep washing in tbe shampoo I have twice a week.
In between spry that you recommend on.
They also say they will jab him an see if that helps. If they jab do I have to take all my best out? It's a good 12 months of deep litter an being has fallen into short supply up here for some reason.
I must confess I didnt know this about pig oil. He is my 1st hairy an I'm still learing a bit of a change from a TB.

Thanks for advice
If h has mites, you need to take the bed out, regardless of what treatment he has. Then you'll need to scrub and disinfect everywhere!
 

Leo Walker

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the injections really dont work that well anymore. I did them fortnightly for a 5 doses and it was still an issue sadly. I keep my mare clipped out and shes never had an issue with mites. The previous was lethal to clip so left hairy and it was an ongoing battle.

I treated roughly every 3 to 4 weeks.
 

tda

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I've bought some Mitey feathers, it has lavender and other oils, in a mineral oil. Been using it a couple of weeks.
I've also used Stinky Stuff which is mainly neem oil, but can't use that on pregnant mares
Neem oil is very strange, sets firm and even in a very very warm room it's still gloopy
 

w1bbler

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Can you mix sulphur into neem oil. Is neem better than pig oil? I have also read that baby oil does the same job
Pig oil & baby oil are roughly the same thing. I believe it's the sulphur in the pig oil that does the magic (I've had several cobs & never had one react, but always test first)
Neem oil is an insecticide so you wouldn't need to add anything
 

Leo Walker

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I used to rub the need oil right down to the skin and never had any issues. Always patch test things first though! I found neem way more effective than any other il based product :)
 
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