I'm ready to just give up, I'm feeling so gutted

[muckypony]

So my shetland foals are almost 7 months old and I've had them 7 weeks. Last week I found that they had lice - they weren't that bad, just had very itching bums. My vet advised my to get some Deosect, so I ordered it but it didn't come until Monday (today). So during that time to ease their itching, I used some louse powder. It eased their itching a little but there were still some live lice, they were very itchy again this morning. I picked up the Deosect at lunch time and applied it after work about 6pm.

I did a little patch on both ponies and both were fine. So I started on Acer first as hes been the most itchy of the two. I did his whole body the best I could and moved onto Calypso. Just after I had done Calypso's bum, I noticed Acer getting quite aggitated around his flanks. I went and had a look and all looked ok, check his rump especially as that was the best place I could see them and all I found was dead ones.

I carried on with Calypso and Acer got worse and worse, kicking out and almost sitting on his bum. I had a real good look and on his flank there was broken skin (I don't know whether this was there already or whether he had done this while itching after I'd applied the Deosect as he was literally eating chewing himself), I was horrified and called my vet immediately as I thought he was having a bad reaction. He told me to stop and wash his flanks with warm water, but I'd already done his whole body... I washed it off and 20mins later he was still the same. I rang round lots of friends who told me it was likely that the Deosect had irritated the lice and made him a bit stingy. I kept an eye on him (all the while Calypso was ok, no itchier than he was before) and he was getting worse. So I gave him some pony nuts so he would keep still and I could have a good look and to my surprise, the area he was itching so vigorously was absolutely covered with live lice. My poor poor pony

My first thought was I had to kill the lice as that was surely what was making him so itching there, but didn't want to apply Deosect as there was broken skin. So I put some louse powder on - 20mins later it had done nothing. So I thought I can;t possibly make him any worse - so I put some Deosect on and watched his skin closely.

The skin did not get any worse over a 45min period and the itching is slightly less severe than it was. I walked him around a bit and he's eaten some chaff. I've left them eating their haynet and still itching their flanks and armpits. I am so upset, I'm just ready to give up Anything I do just seems to be making them worse and I'm so worried he'll rub himself raw by the morning. Surely if he'd had a bad reaction to the Deosect, it would have been all over his body? I just don't know what to do.

Anyone who has got this far... Thank you. Any advice or experiences you can share would be much appreciated right now. I feel like such a terrible owner, my boys really did get dealt a bad hand having me buy them

 

[Bexy_86]

Sorry I dont have any experience with lice, so I cant help you there.

But it sounds to me your boys had a bad hand before you got them, and now they are in your care they have a good hand, you are doing everything you can for them, dont get your self down, you have done everything you can, I will ask my friend what de licer she used for her horse and get back to you.

*fingers crossed* for all being ok in the morning

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Don't feel like you are a terrible owner - you're doing your utmost and it is horrible to see them miserable like that.
I moved my lad into a field last year with two others whom I didn't realise had lice...so can understand how you're feeling...felt a bit gutted
ANYWAY...louse powder had no effect - only Coopers fly and lice repellant worked for me - quick blob on the neck and base of tail and within what seemed like minutes - no itching, no horrid creatures and end of situation.
You can get coopers from your vets.
Hope you get it sorted, chin up in the meantime - the awful owners are the ones who leave them untreated or don't even bother to check to see if they've got them in the first place

 

[Elsbells]

Oh dear, poor you and poor shelties.

I don't know about horses and lice, but with feral cats that I have deflead there is always a big reaction, esp if there is a heavy infestation. This is because as the critters die, they bite!

Things will be better in the morning as the Deosect will do it's job overnight.

 

[TrasaM]

Sorry can't offer advice but it sounds awful. Poor chaps. I've seen lice in cattle ( and kids yummy yuk) but not in the horses so far. It sounds horrible. Let's hope they have eased off by morning.
I do remember once putting flea treatment on a cat and the fleas went on a biting frenzy before they died??

 

[Bexy_86]

Coopers Fly and Lice Control, she was also told frontline for dogs could help

 

[Cheiro1]

There are injections you can have to kill them if external applicants don't help

Fingers crossed the Deosect has worked in the morning

 

[goatbabies]

Such a shame, poor wee dudes, but stop blaming yourself!

I know they're only babies but could you clip them? I've also used neem oil in the past for lice and it was fab, you could maybe clip them then use this?

http://www.naturallyequine.com/articles/neem.shtml

 

[Shooting Star]

aww bless the poor little baby but really you are doing it for his own good.

Deosect is great stuff but is very strong, I know when I've used it (not for lice but fly protection) even following the vets very precise instructions there has been a reaction but it did calm down after an hour or two and nothing with fangs dared to come within a mile of my boy for weeks afterwards.

Fingers crossed for your little lad and hopefully he'll be much more comfy in the morning once the biting monsters have gone.

 

[mystiandsunny]

You're not a terrible owner, you are doing the right thing and it will all be fine when the little bugs are dead and your boys are pest free. Last resort, clip them so none get missed, but one way or the other they will go and it will be fine, honest!

 

[amandap]

Oh, poor you and poor foals. As above, don't feel bad you are doing your best to help them.

The dying lice will make them very,very itchy if it's a bad infestation. Try not to put the deosect on any sores though. I'd wash those sore areas tomorrow with warm plain water and try and get a good look at them. Use a syringe to flush them if that's easier. I suspect the sores are from previous rubbing. x

 

[Fii]

I expect he had rubbed himself a raw patch before you put the deosect on, then it got into the sore and stung like *******!!
Am i right in thinking the shetlands have really thick coats? If so you may have to clip them first before applying anything to kill the lice!

 

[Rebels]

One of mine picked them up from next doors feral ponies, I ended up bathing 9 including a daft yearling last January and as I washed the shampoo off I could see where they had dug in and were trying to escape. They had to be scraped off the horse who as predictably going barmy. Vile but OK by the morning. Nice new very tall fence has prevented further contact with next doors! I felt awful, like I had neglected them and that the lady in the feed shop would tell everyone that I had tO buy anti insecticide shampoo! Silly I know.

 

[Singing Dawg]

Its very difficult getting through the coat of the Shetland pony as it is incredibly dense so treating lice is not easy on them. When they are in full work and fully clipped you will not have this problem

I know someone who had the same bother as you and they used Spot On for it, its not licenced for ponies but they had it for their sheep and it did the job on all theirs with no bad reactions whatsoever.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Dont panic!
Yes, it will have stung like hell for the little blighter but its SO easy to miss a sore patch in a shetties thick yak-type coat.
Hopefully he'll be more comfy in the morning if not, phone vet and also rinse again with warm water & take plenty of towels to dry off after.

I use Coopers Fly if a prob - my mini arrived with a LOT of unwanted friends & it took 2 applications to get the worst of them gone & another 2 to completely irradicate them & not had them back this winter.

 

[cm2581]

I would suggest fully clipping them to give you any chance! I think there may be an injectable type of treatment also that may help. Poor wee ponies!!! Nasty wee beasties!!!

 

[hayinamanger]

Don't feel bad, OP, you are doing the best you can for the ponies. They have such dense coats, it's hard to treat lice topically. I have always used Cooper's Spot On for lice (on my vet's advice) it's not licenced for horses, but they do dispense it for lice in horses. You need 2 x 5ml doses, you just apply it along the spine from wither to tail, part the hair and dribble it on. I have used it for years and never had any adverse reaction. It is systemic, and will kill the lice in a couple of days, repeat in 3 weeks to break the cycle. Cheer up, you are going to have a lot of fun with these little chaps.

 

[Fii]

Oh and have a good hot bath yourself, they may not live long on you, but it isnt very nice to find them in your hair....I know!!!

 

[smac]

Oh poor shelties. Lice are horrid. We bought an unhandled yearling this year and he was riddled.

We tried deosect but his coat was pretty mank. So we clipped. This was horrid as u could see the lice jumping! Didnt worry what it looked like just hacked
Then smothered him in it. Turns out i never read instruction and put on almost neat !!! But it killed the ******s. We did 2 retreatments and no prob sine. I would def clip its not that cold

 

[Fii]

Sorry another and, you may have to change their bedding (if they are in) and give the place a scrub as well!!

 

[amandap]

Oh and have a good hot bath yourself, they may not live long on you, but it isnt very nice to find them in your hair....I know!!!

Oh no! I'll be itching all night now.

 

[TrasaM]

I dont think they can live on humans but they will latch on and bite, at least the cattle ones do..yuk!

 

[FfionWinnie]

As I said in the other thread, coopers spot on.

 

[muckypony]

Thank you everyone for you positive comments.

I would really love to avoid clipping them as they are so young I don't want to mess around with their own temperature regulation, but I think I might have to

To make things worse, I started a new job today which I really enjoyed, so I can hardly go taking days off to spend de-licing my ponies as I would have done my other job. And just to add insult to injury I somehow have 5, yes FIVE coldsores on my bottom lip... How unfair

I'm just hoping to go Acer doesn't eat himself to bleeding tonight. As for the bedding - I've been wittling it down the last few days as I thought I might have to chuck it and didn't want to throw a whole load of new stuff out. Do I chuck it out now, or in two weeks time when I have to repeat the treatment?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Clip
Dectomax injections are fab or pig oil may help
Gut the stable/shelter and spray insecticide everywhere.

Poor babies, poor you!

 

[Fii]

Are they out now? Stick rugs on and chuck them out, rugs may stop him doing any damage to himself! Then you can sort out the stable, once the lice are dead, you can wash and sort out the rugs!

 

[muckypony]

Are they out now? Stick rugs on and chuck them out, rugs may stop him doing any damage to himself! Then you can sort out the stable, once the lice are dead, you can wash and sort out the rugs!

They are in overnight, I don't trust the b*ggers to do a houdini in the dark through my 3 different fences

I don't have rugs for them either, I planned on the being nakey shetties forever, and now this! Although the way he was going tonight, I think he would quite easily get himself tangled up in a rug, poor little man

 

[honetpot]

Please do not get upset, lice love thick warm coats and its a bit like headlice in children not many people own up to it but your child got head lice from another child, mine always used to come back from PC camp with them.
Shetlands have very thick coats so getting the powder to the lice can be a problem but it does work. You have to remember to redo in a couple of weeks when the next lot of eggs hatch and you only need one egg for the little biltters to start again. I use cheap permethin spray.

 

[Fii]

They are in overnight, I don't trust the b*ggers to do a houdini in the dark through my 3 different fences

I don't have rugs for them either, I planned on the being nakey shetties forever, and now this! Although the way he was going tonight, I think he would quite easily get himself tangled up in a rug, poor little man

I have been thinking very seriously about getting a shetland to drive.......after reading about them on this forum for the last few years, i am now thinking they are the work of the devil sent here to make hard work and misfortune for all mankind!!

 

[WelshD]

Did you dilute the Deosect? When my vet prescribed it I was told to dilute it as its very strong neat

That was for fly repellent though, not sure if it can or should be used neat for other things but its worth double checking if you arent 100% sure