Lice again!!!

henryhorn

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Joined
23 October 2003
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10,500
Location
Devon UK
www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
Well I've never seen lice in the summer before.
A couple of the yearlings aren't doing as well as I expected so caught them today for a worming with pramox, and gave them a throrough check over at the same time.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I found lice on two of them.
Living out all year round within a herd we do get lice through the winter, but I have done some of the horses no less than four times this winter in an effort to eliminate them. I used the powder which seems standard.
This week I am going to make up some deosan and spray them with that , in the hope that fixes it.
Anyone any other ideas? I did wonder about stitching a cattle tag into their manes in the hope it releases the insecticide slowly onto their bodies..
It must be the mild wet summer I reckon giving good breeding conditions for the lice, the remainder of the horses seem totally unaffected (lice always seem to go on the weakest members, young or old)
Oh for the days of the old louse powder which with one fell swoop killed the bugg***s stone dead....
 
Can't edit but have just found a vet site that states the lice are breeding really well this summer due to the cooler conditions similar to winter..
Am currently investigating pour ons, we have used cattle fly repellants in the past but can't recall which do lice as well.
Anyone else tried the pour on fly repellants?
 
Ive not tried the pour of fly sprays, but one of the other girls on the yard has something by the vets... think its called detromax or something along those lines, which is supposed to help with lice/mites and itching. It seems to work for her mare, who can usually get very itchy in summer especially being black.
I Know its not a flyspray but it could be worth researching further?
 
Hi Hun ... get yourself a bottle of Frontline from the vets (the stuff you do dogs with). Treat twice - 10 days between each treatment ... voila - no more fleabyjeebies
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I had a newbie in two weeks ago and it was difficult to tell if she had lice, so the vet advised me to de-louse her anyway. He told me to use the Lincoln Louse Powder, which says 'not for animal treatment' It's only supposed to be used on bedding etc. However, he has been advising it's use for over 30 years and never come across any problems. We trust this vet utterly.
Lots of people use Spot-on, a pour on repellant, I think it may be for cattle.
 
The stuff they call louse powder is totally different to what it used to contain, which is now banned. I've tried coopers and it hasn't worked, but probably this wet weather washed it off several times.
I think I'll have a go with a pour on as the yearlings are still pretty wild so spraying won't be easy. I haven't used it on young horses previously only older ones for fly protection, so I hope they don't have a reaction.
I doubt I'll ever rid the place of lice, their eggs rub off on trees etc and in the itching places like walls, but if I do pour on all of them it should stop the life cycle for a while at least..
 
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