feather mites - how to remove crusts from knees?

Marnie

Marnie

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My cob mare suffers from feather mites. They don't appear to be causing her to itch (at the moment!), but the backs of her knees are very 'crusty'. I have trimmed the hair from them (can't clip her, long story) and tried to wash them but she wasn't having any of it - she is a big mare, around 16.2, and strikes out. Has anyone any ideas about how to remove the crusts? I did wonder about poulticing them for a couple of hours to try and soften them. I also wondered if pig oil and sulphur would soften the crusts? Any other ideas??

Any help much appreciated!
 
Use frontline spray to get rid of the mites, to get rid of the scabs i would soften with dermisol cream for a few days and then wash legs and then frontline spray them, hopefully you wont get them anymore.
 
There is a cob on my yard who suffers from this... except the owners are never sure if it is mites or mudfever... can anyone tell me what to suggest to them?
 
U can get the horse an inection from the vet becarefull scabs and frontine might be very sore . I would get a inection . They can do it twice but the cob i had got rid on the first one .
 
My cob gets this, its a build up of grease. Cut the back of the knees as short as you can. Get a rubber curry comb, and scrub like mad with diluted hibiscrub. Should get rid of it.
Try giving her a large bucket of chaff to take her mind off.
 
Jack gets this but vet says it not to do with mites, 'cos Jack has the annual injection for this. Soften with cream like sudocreme and then wash with hibiscrub. It realeases the worst of them, but they always come back because there is some sort of grease gland sited behind the knee.
Jack gets very sore if I fiddle and pick at them, so i think if its not causing any harm then leave it alone until you need to spruce them up before a show or when bathing.
 
This is a pick of the back of her knee, does it look familiar? Sorry, it's not really clear!

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My cob gets this, I use fungatrol (think thats how its spelt) cream from equine america. apply liberally for a few days and the crusts wash away.
 
Seconded. It may take a number of applications the first time, but then it just needs a bit put on occassionally to control it.

Anything greasy would probably have a similar effect in softening it for gentle removal. I can understand her being stroppy as it presumably really hurts if you try to remove the hardened white yucky stuff before it softens. Once it's been dealt with she should become better to handle in respect of this in future.

It took several years but we now have fully clear back of knees with no new flare ups and no problems about handling this area.
 
Agree - don't fiddle with them unless really necessary. My boy has these behind both knees, and used to be really bloody, the near fore especially so.
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But since he went on 24/7 turnout, although the scabiness has reduced (nature's protection, I think), there's been no blood at all this winter.
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Can only be constant exposure to fresh air.
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Aqueous cream to soften the scabs, apply daily and slowly massage off the scabs as they soften. Just going through the same thing with my boy. I'm not using straight forward aqueous cream but one with extras added by the vet but I'm sure that it would work on its own if you don't have sores to deal with as well.

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Mallendars
Common in hairy legged horses
Soften with an ointment, so that the crusty skin comes away. NAF Hoof to Heel or Aromaheel are good.
Then gently wash in warm water with a dsah of Hisiscrub
One crusty thickened lumps are clear, pig oil with flowers of sulphur as a leg and feather dressing will protect against mud fever and Mallendars. ( Sometimes they get simlar on front of hocks, then tis called Sallendars.
Not caused by mites or mud fever, but same types of hairy horses are pre-disposed to it.
 
My boy had the injection a few weeks ago as he was so very itchy and constantly stamping his feet and it has worked!
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As for the scabs I brush out as much as possible and after shampooing spray on mane detangler I find it makes the scabs brush out more easily and his feathers look fab
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I agree with LCobby sounds and looks like Mallendars to me (my mare gets it to). I've found the only way to control it is to keep the hair in the area short and liberally apply Hoof to Heal (by Barrier Health). This softens and loosen the crusty skin, so you can tend treath the sore skin underneath.
 
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