Help with colt foal please

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thatsmygirl

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I brought a coloured cob foal at weaning as I feel in love with him, he's not the best confirmation etc and was almost pushed out the field when i showed an interest in him, but he's found a mum who loves him.
Anyway he was riddled in lice, thousands of the little sods in his mane etc so treated with frontline as advised by the vets. He's still very itchy but can't for the life of me find any more lice on him and iv combed all the dead ones out. I'm brushing him everyday to get his stupidity thick coat out so I can hopefully sort him out and stop the itching. What I have noticed is where his coat is coming thinner his skin is very red,sore and scabby! Is this due to the lice or the frontline I used or has he got a form of dermatitis? It's not all over his body as iv dug deep but seems along his back, spine area which is where the lice and frontline were but the rest of his hair is coming away in little clumps like rain scold leaving yellow weeping areas. Iv got cream to put on the areas as I clear them of hair but I think he's going to be bold once his coat has dropped. Any advise? As I can't bath him until his coat is thinner and its warmer but he's itching like mad. It's been a blessing for getting his confidence with me as he shouts now when he sees me and asks for his itch ( pushes his bum in my hands so I pick away at his rump)
Also I'm feeding him at lib hay with just a handful of fast fibre with a vit supplement added but under his coat I can feel every rib, do I just carry on and wait for the spring grass? As he's going to be a very good doer so don't want to feed him up but also feel again once coat has gone you may just see how thin he is. Worming has all been sorted.
He's a sweetheart and trusted me straight away more or less. Oh and loves his stable and his thick straw bed, it sticks all over him :)
 
If the vet advised you to use Frontline then I'd suggest calling them and telling them that now the lice are cleared he has balding itchy red oozy sores and asking their advice.

FWIW my weanling has an ultra thick coat and is extremely itchy at the moment too, although I've not seen any uninvited guests on him.
 
The area where the lice was and frontline was put is red sore and scabby but not oozing its dry. The rest of him where the hair comes out like rain scold has yellow pussy spots where I pick the hair off,
 
Sorry, I'd go for the vet option too. Frontline is pretty powerful stuff and it sounds as though your poor little man may have a reaction to that AND another skin issue.

Good luck!
 
I think you need to change his diet as although I know you don't want to feed him up but the other side of the coin is he's not getting enough of the right things from his diet as it is at his age. He does need something better which in turn will help his skin become healthier.
I would give him D & H Suregrow which is a small pellet balancer especially made for all types of growing youngstock which gives them absolutely everything they need and you'd only need to feed something like a couple of mugfuls a day according to his size so it's not going to produce a pudding! It is also the cheapest balancer on the market (about £14.50) and does exactly the same job as those twice as dear.
If you don't fancy that, you could feed a decent NON alfalfa chaff or soaked grass nuts with a supplement and add brewers yeast for his digestion which will also improve his skin and hoof condition. Alternatively, look at a cool mix (shock horror, they're not all bad and suit a lot of horses!)which again will have everything added to it he needs. Along with ad lib hay and grazing he should be fine.
As to the scabs that are oozing when you pull them off, please don't as it will spread infection even further. They are better left to drop/rub off on their own accord as then it means the skin is healing from within. You can help by keeping them as dry as possible (but not hot under a rug if he wears one) and as his skin improves from a better diet you will find they begin to drop off quite easily as you groom him. Once his summer coat comes through it'll be a lot easier.
 
They sometimes need two treatments for lice, I wouldn't use frontline myself tho I use coopers spot on. If the scabby bits are only where the frontline went on, it sounds like it could be a reaction, however if it is in other places as well it sounds more like rainscald. Personally I'd consider clipping and rugging him and then you can wash him off easily. There is nothing worse than itching, and itching will prevent him putting on condition too.
 
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