Feather Mites

[hypopit]

Hello

I recently got myself a big, very hairy Gypsy cob. Tons of feather, right from the back of his knee and covering his feet. I have three other Hairies who have much silkier feather and just have the Dectomax injections twice a year for them. I have never had any mite problems with any of them, and I have had one 24 years. I have had a round of Dectomax with the new one, I had the first injection at his vetting, as I saw he had the mites when I went to try him. He is back to itching and stamping again a couple of weeks after the last injection, so not the joy I expected there.
I don't want to take his feather off and have been looking into treatments the last few days, all over the net. I read some really good reviews and results with Coopers Spot On, so I have bought a Tin. I know it is not licensed for Horses but neither is the Dog spot on, or spray that people use, and having read people have mixed results with the dog/cat spot on I thought I would just go get the big guns out and go for the Coopers spot on.
Can I ask the people who have used the Coopers spot on for feather mites, Did you put it straight onto each leg into the feathers? How much did you use for each leg? Or did you go for the spot on the withers or rump? and how much did you use? And did placing it on the body help with the feather mites? I feel going straight to the feather would maybe be best like the Dog spot on but I don't want to over do it.
Any advice would be much appreciated from people who may have used the Coopers spot on for feather mites, not for lice.

 

[OWLIE185]

I use a medicated shampoo designed for kids. I think it is called Sensosil but will check. I use it in conjunction with the injections

 

[PeterNatt]

The medicated shampoo is called Selsun and is available on-line in 150 ml bottles.

Heavy cobs suffer from hard skin just below the back of their front knee joints which can cause the skin to blow so if blown use salt water to clean and then apply Vaseline to keep it soft.

An injection of Dectromax Ivermechin can be given two to three weeks apart. It is not licensed for horses just sheep and cattle. It will kill the mites from inside.

Bath any blown skin with salt water in case there is any low level infection.
Apply Vaseline to hardened patches to rear of knees.

Clip feathers out (it just means you can see everything, and know treatment is really getting where needed).
Then wash each week for 4 weeks with Selsun shampoo (quite expensive, need about 100ml which is 2/3 of the bottle per wash – have since discovered that human shampoo Selsun contains the same active ingredient but even stronger and is cheaper!) You need to wet, lather and leave for 10 minutes, then rinse properly.
Towel dry legs until only damp.
Then put gloves on and rub into damp legs about 8 sprays of Frontline per leg. If horse doesn’t like being sprayed then spray onto gloves and rub into skin or just spray straight on to leg but make sure you rub it into the skin with your gloved hands. Important Get it down to the roots of the hair. Buy the big bottle (about £38.00) from your local cat/dog vets, they had to phone my equine vets to confirm it was o.k. for me to have it as it’s prescription only but much cheaper this way.
Then on the actual existing sores/scabs the vet gave me a steroid cream in an E45 base (as soothing as Sudocream but actually working to clear it up too), this cream is mostly used for mud fever, but works well here, cost about £35 for a huge tub. This can be applied daily as needed. Worth it – really clears up the sores.
Once all existing scabs/sores gone, only wash with the Seleen/Selsun shampoo every couple of months or even only a couple of times a year, if needed.

This treatment works in the following ways:
The Seleen/Selsun shampoo removes the habitat (the scurf) where the mites live and helps with the itchiness.
The Frontline actually kills the mites.
The vet Steroid cream clears up any long-standing sores.
End result = one very happy horse (no stamping, chewing or itching at all).

Clean and disinfect stables and fence they are rubbing on

Cavalesson liquid suppliment takes itchines away and then Diosect
Coopers Tritek 14, Coopers Fly Spray or Tritek 14 (Permetherin)
Barricade (For cattle)
Dectomax 14 days interval
Dermoline insecticidal shampoo and then cover with fat or vaseline
Diosect shampoo and Dermoline. Dry them then Front line. (Diosect is a fly repellent)
Frontline
Headrin head lice shampoo
Lice powder and back comb
Spot On (Pfizer)
Stamp Off
Sudocrem
Switch repeat 7 days later
Tea tree oil

Ivermectin horse wormer for sucking lice not biting ones Wash

Jason Tipper head of practice at RVC is a specialist on lice

Hope this helps.

 

[hypopit]

Hello Peter

Thank you for that post, I think I read a lot of that when I was searching for "cures" over the last couple of weeks. I have bought the human Selsun shampoo, it is on it's way. I have had the Dectomax injections and on this one they did not work. His infestation is not so bad, he does not have any open skin or sores.

From what I read around the net is a fair number of people had no success with Frontline (some did of course), but the ones that used the Coopers spot on for Cattle and sheep had great success from one hit of it, this is why I went the Coopers route, it seemed like less messing. A fair few people had success with using it for sweet itch too, which my kids pony has, so I though well it may help there.

The people that mentioned their success with Coopers never said how much they used, one did say they put a dose on each leg, others said they used it on their horses back....but all said it really did the job, quickly and lasted.
I'd like to nip it in the bud before it gets to any scab stage, this is why as soon as I bought him I had his first Dectomax at his vetting.
I like the idea of the Selsun anyway, as they all get scurfy in their feathers.

Thanks for your post.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Do have a good check that he is not got mellenders/sellenders rather then mites.

 

[hypopit]

Hi Suki

I have had a really good look, no scabs, no sores, nothing open or weeping at his heel or back of the knee or anywhere. Just stamping back legs and trying his best to pull his shoes off in the fencing...don't you just love the Hairy ones!!!