Feather mites... AGAIN!

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Sophiecollins11

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I've owned my cob for a year and 3 months now and we have recently got our third case of feather mites...

He had mites when we brought him so we followed advice to get the dectomax injections which we did and they went away but we were not told the correct information for prevention after the injections so they came back in September last year when we had another course of
The jabs and have been using pig oil and sulfur since but they have come back for a third time worse than ever!

My question is has anyone used deosect to get rid of mites as don't feel like dishing out over £100 again... And for prevention does changing away from straw really help stop them coming back alongside pig oil? He has always been on straw but would shavings make a difference?

I am currently not willing to take his feathers off until the end of the summer if at all possible due to regularly showing but I am planning to take them off after my last show of the year to start from scratch over winter. But I will of course put his welfare above any shows If needed!

Sorry for the long poat but basically wil deosect kill the mites and will shavings help try prevent them returning again?
 
Mine had mites when he came back from being on loan where he was on straw. He was treated and was fine for a while. He then went out in a herd of 16 horses and got them again. He was treated for the second time and had no issues at all for over a year. Then he moved and went onto straw and they came back. I moved yards and off straw, treated him and we've had no issues since.

So my experience is, that straw is a total no go, but also if they are out with other untreated horses then you have no chance! The last time he had them he was fully clipped out, so that seemed to make no odds to him
 
Deosect will not kill them permanently. The problem you will have with all the feather is not being able to get anything wet next to the skin. Part of the management for mites is to keep the feather clipped. That was what the vet told my friend for her cob. They get very hot under the feather in summer too which does not help the itching. There is a powder that might help if you want to keep the feather. Diatomaceous earth I think it is. It kills the mites so you apply it weekly to kill the new ones that have hatched.
 
Keep off straw would be my advice and keep going with pig oil and sulphur applications..I know someone who made a paste of the flowers of sulphur applied it to feathers wrapped in clingfilm and bandaged overnight..washed off next day and no more mites apparently.
 
Just to say in my experience bedding may not make a difference. Over the years my boy has been on straw, shavings, and now card and has had mites on and off on all these types of bedding. I don't doubt straw may offer a really cosy habitat for mites but .....
Also I have done clipped legs and not clipped over time, but have had mites in both situations. Taking them off 'to get to the sore bits' means that flies can get to them too.
 
Shavings made no different to my horse. Bed totally cleared out over summer and stable disinfected, horse has had loads of dectomax treatments, diatothingy earth,and shampoo and still scratches, he has clipped legs. Makes me tear my hair out when I see him scratching yet again.
 
Is the problem definitely mites? Could it be somthing in his feed that is causing his itchiness? Molasses in particular.
If it is mites then apologies for the question it's just that I don't think mites are always the cause. Could the vet do a skin scrape and see if mites are actually the problem.
 
Having tried just about everything, including injecting with Dectomax, it seems that this year the problem is dreadful. By giving each horse a 12ml jab, it seems to have kept them at bay, or 'sort of'!! We've been treating every 2-3 weeks and administer the injections ourselves.

Our horses are on shavings and aubiose (one horse on each). We bring the horses in every morning, to get them out of the flies and because they're knee-deep in grass! We've noticed that immediately upon being brought in, they start foot stamping and when they're turned out they immediately chew at their heels, and often lying down to do so.

My vet assures me that Feather Mites don't live in bedding. Well that's as maybe, but I'm not convinced. I made up a solution of Alpha-cypermethrin at the rate of 50ml to 5 gallons-ish, and with a watering can with a fine rose, both stables were given about 5 gallons of the mix and over and in to the bedding. Upon being brought in the effect was immediate with foot stamping and gnawing at their heels stopping immediately. The cost of the chemical was about 40p per stable!

Now it may only be anecdotal, but I'm wondering if we haven't sorted the problem. Whether A-c can be used legally and in the bedding, I'm not sure, but so far and touch wood, the results 'appear' to be remarkable.

Alec.
 
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