L is for Lice.

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Berkeley

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I posted something about 2 weeks ago re my horse itching. Numerous suggestions were put forward including the possibility of lice. I treated my mare son after with Cooper's Plus. The next day she was MUCH better. Now she's as good as new. Not itching at all. She has lots of scabs on her withers and back, so although nothing was confirmed by the vet, I am thinking it was lice. Can't think how she got it - hay? rugs? field?

I've got a nit comb and brushed through her hair - can't see anything other than a few dandruff bits which could be argued either way.

So, lesson learned. Coopers all the way!

Many thanks for your suggestions and helping me out on this one guys.
 
what sort of scabs were they? as my boy has a few random scabs coming up, although he doesnt scratch himself much, although whenever he goes in his stable or out in his field, the first thing he does is roll. He rolls quite a bit, but is not in any discomfort (not colic or anything like that) so my only thought is that hes just itchy ? :/ so how big were the scabs ? xx
 
I would say the hair came off in each area of about 50 pence piece and little scabs formed in that area. A tad like mud fever or rain scald which is why my yard owner thought it could have been that (it wasn't). The scabs were where she was itching herself raw. She would go to anything that she could scratch on. I think being rugged up all the time in this weather causes them to itch too. I kept her unrugged and inside for two days while I figured out what was going on. In the end it was a decision by process of elimination.
 
My Welsh A has been very itchy recently, not seen any scabs yet but she was trying to itch under her rug so I removed it and she had a good roll. She then spent the rest of her time scratching herself all over with her teeth. I assumed that it was just her being itchy under her rug (she had a good winter coat and a lightweight rug on to stop her getting soaked). My farrier suggested it could be lice, but I couldn't imagine how she could get them. The others don't seem to be affected.
 
i have never seen him scratching, but deff need to sort the scabs out, and he does rool alot.. so will have a read about it, and if it sounds okay, will give it a try
laugh.gif
thanks!
 
None of the others on my yard were affected either. Just my mare. Odd really. Could have been a numer of things such as the little blighters getting into her grooming brushes, or crawling in her rugs from the straw or hay. I have soaked and cleaned everything and bought a new turnout and stable rugs (any excuse!).
 
That's the one. Its a powerful fly spray and kills off lice. It was once prescribed for cattle but now they have formulated one for horses. Its super stuff. I have never used it before now. My mare is a TB so I will continue to use it as a fly spray in the summer.

Its not cheap though - £26. Worth it.
 
Yes that's it. It doesn't come in a spray so I emptied the last of my fly spray bottle and replaced the contents with Coopers. Then I sprayed it on her and rubbed it in with a sponge. It says to use a specified amount in accordance with your horse's weight, to be honest, I took no notice and dosed her in it!
 
Same thing happened to my friends horse recently and mine a few years ago. I suspected Ringworm and treated initially with Virkon S, it cleared up in a couple of days so no vet etc needed. Friends horse had oozing scabs overnight, treated with same and it dried up and went.
 
I think lice will come off the straw etc. I've had some rugs stored in our straw barn, been no where near horses and I've found lice in them. Had them all proffesionally washed etc before I put them on horses and seems to have done the trick!
 
You could be on to something there with the straw. The only qualm I have is that ALL the horses on the yard have the same straw and she was the only one who suffered.
 
Sometimes a particular individual is targeted more than another. For instance, some seem to get it every winter, but their stable mates won't. I had a pair like this & even when the lousy one went to my sister's (free of lice in the summer) he got them again the following winter & her others didn't. He was definitely clear when he moved. Don't know where they go to in the summer!
 
Lice are incredibly infectious from one horse to another. Or just borrowing someone else's grooming brush could do it. Or even moving your horse into a stable where the previous horse had lice! Don't forget you have to do the whole de-lousing thing again after about 10 days as the unhatched eggs are unharmed by products that kill the adults. If the eggs hatch out, bingo - you have a re-infested horse!
 
Active ingredient in Deosect and Coopers is the same. Coopers is easier to use as it is a spray and already diluted. But Deosect is concentrate so bottle will last longer.
 
i thought that my boy had them last year as he was itching and had scabs and hair loss but actually it was rainscold where i had put a mw rug on as it was so cold and we had the snow,i thought i was doing rite by keeping him warm where actually he was over heating,i put lighter rugs on and used dermolin cream on his bold patches,his hair came back really quickley and he stopped itching
 
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