Why do people think ivermectin horse wormers kill lice? Where have they got this idea

[thatsmygirl]

As above really out off interest. I had a talk with a rep on wormers yeserday and bought this subject up much to his interest. So if you have been told this what's the thought behind it as to how it works on lice?

 

[Penny Less]

I used it for a shetland that was covered with lice, Im sure I read it on the net somewhere and it worked!

 

[nativetyponies]

I think this is where the confusion lies monsters

ivermectin comes as a paste wormer...and a powder/liquid de-louser.

its not always called ivermectin though

 

[ceiron]

ivermectin kills head lice, chicken mites/lice and certain other lice/mites.

i am not sure of the levels though, so some wormers may be effective for lice.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Ivermectin in the form off a pour on or injection yes will kill lice in cattle but in the form off a horse wormer no, as the drug goes into the horses stomach and will not aborb out so has no effect on lice.

 

[BigRed]

My local feed store, where they sell wormers, told me that a wormer would also kill lice. I have to say I did not believe them. I did have a wormer injection from the vet which worked, but the little buggers came back because I foolishly did not have the second jab !

 

[nativetyponies]

Ivermectin in the form off a pour on or injection yes will kill lice in cattle but in the form off a horse wormer no, as the drug goes into the horses stomach and will not aborb out so has no effect on lice.

That is what I've always been led to believe

 

[Enfys]

Why do people think ivermectin horse wormers kill lice? Where have they got this idea?

That would be my Vet then

I also use a little item, simply called "Dusting Powder"

 

[JumpingJack1]

I thought it said on the box but I probabley just made that up

 

[china]

Ivermectin in the form off a pour on or injection yes will kill lice in cattle but in the form off a horse wormer no, as the drug goes into the horses stomach and will not aborb out so has no effect on lice.

^^^this! in injection it is very affective, people just get confused about wether its injected or wormer paste.

 

[thatsmygirl]

It was quite interesting as the rep off a worming company asked if we had any questions after our talk so I bought this question up, he thinks it is because off the cattle pour ons and injections that people think if it's ivermectin it will kill lice but not horse wormers and no horse wormer states so on the box. If they could find a way off the wormers killing lice they would cash in on it. The way he put it was the wormer goes into the horses stomach and does not in any way absorb through the wall off the stomach so how would it be possible for the wormer to kill lice? It's not. Even the moxidectin wormers which does absorb into the gut wall would not be able to touch lice at all.

 

[blitznbobs]

My vet... told me that it kills biting insects but not sucking ones..

Oh and it works on humans too...

Blitz (human dr)

 

[thatsmygirl]

My vet... told me that it kills biting insects but not sucking ones..

Oh and it works on humans too...

Blitz (human dr)

When the wormer can not be released though the gut wall how do you think it would be possable to kill biting insects? And sucking lice would be no different to biting insects. The worming companys are working on making such a product in the form off a wormer but nothing works yet.

 

[Kaylum]

Not sure where the ideas come from but the vet told me to worm every 10 weeks with a ivermectin wormer to get rid of leg mites not lice. These are two totally different pests.

He would not give my horse the injection as it was not licenced for horses so told me to worm. That came from my horse vet? So not sure.

 

[blitznbobs]

When the wormer can not be released though the gut wall how do you think it would be possable to kill biting insects? And sucking lice would be no different to biting insects. The worming companys are working on making such a product in the form off a wormer but nothing works yet.

How does it kill incysted liver paracytes and blood born paracites then?

 

[thatsmygirl]

I don't know the in's and out's as it all got very complicated but it's moxidectin wormers that do the inhibited and developing stages off encysted small red worm as that wormer does absorb into the wall off the stomach. The company was 100% certain that there produces do not treat lice as they make/trial and sell their produces but assured me they are working on it as it would be a money spinner. No cattle injection is not licensed for horses so can't use it but that's what we need something along those lines. If they can do it for cattle why not horses

 

[glenruby]

One thing you have said that si wrong is that you cannot use the cattle injection as it is not licenced. Yes, under the cascade you can use it - if treating for MITES as there is no licenced treatment for mites in horses. I would assume that since the likes of Deosect are on the market to treat lice in horses then Dectomax cannot be used for that purpose.

 

[thatsmygirl]

U may be able to get the injection via the vets if he so wishes to give it to you but you couldn't go into a shop and buy it for a horse because off the fact it ain't licenced or tested to use on horses.

 

[Ravenwood]

I am a little confused about this as I am not a scientific type person but my vet did tell me that ivomectin based wormers (but called by a different name as ivomectin is not licensed for horses - or wasn't at the time) was good to use to help prevent ticks - we have an awful problems with ticks here - especially deer ticks that carry Lymes Disease.

So, is this true and which horse licensed wormers are ivomectin based?

 

[thatsmygirl]

I'm easy confused as well
equimax is a ivermectin based wormer ( may be spelt wrong, spelling not good) but the wormers such as equest paromox ( spelling again) is a moxidectin to treat the encysted.
We need a SQP to help here, must be some on here???

 

[moses06]

O.K I will domy best to anwer this - it's late and my brain is not at full capacity!!

Ivermectin has a limited action against sucking lice which feed on the horse's blood, it can be absorbed into the horse's system,it doesn't as far as I know just stay in the gut as it's licenced to treat neck threadworms (rare) and pinworm, neither of which live in the gut - it will also destroys oral stages of bots - Moxidectin is slightly different as it's fat soluble.

As to why it's not stated on the box - it costs thousands and thousands of pounds to get a product through approval and onto the market, and my thinking is that as lice are not a persistant problem in the way that worms are it wouldn't be worth the companies time or money.

And I can't understand the facination with pumping cattle lice products into horses when we have Deosect approved for equine used, extensivley tested as highly effective against lice (MITES are a different matter and best cleared up by a vet or pig oil and sulphur!!)

 

[sarahsnake]

I owned a 2yr old colt totally unhandled. he came to me with his coat bald in places and underweight. I used a wormer containing ivermectin and to my surprise also cured his bad lice problem

 

[celia]

I have also been told this by a vet and see no reason not to believe it. If I remember correctly it only works on the sucking lice as they feed on blood. The biting lice feed on dead skin so wouldn't be affected.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

The vet told me it kills lice too.

 

[**Vanner**]

I'm surprised none of the ivomectin would be absorbed I would have thought some was capable of crossing the intestine wall. The jab acts as a wormer so would suggest it can go across the wall.

I use the ivomectin wash for mites in feathers - it's brilliant stuff and IMHO much better than the injection or anything else.

 

[Goldenstar]

In my case from the vet.

 

[EPRider]

My vet used an ivermectin injection on a donkey with passengers. As most wormers are not licenced for use in donkeys due to cost he said he was able to do this. He did warn me before administering it that it would sting, and it did! He said the oral stuff would not kill the passengers.

The donkey got the belt and braces approach of antibiotics and antibacterial wash, as well, due to secondary infections in rubbed areas and very poor body condition

 

[Gingersmum]

Vet told me to use it, in fact twice with a 10 day gap. I had to use with external 'coopers fly repellent plus' worked perfectly !

 

[outhorsed]

Have just been advised by Liverpool university to mix Ivermectin with Vaseline to apply to a treated sarcoid to keep flies off it - so must have insecticidal properties?

 

[midnightthunder]

Well like many others I heard it or rather read it on the internet - along with much guff about the treatment of lice - my understanding was that if a horse had lice and was run down, elderly, underweight or ill and was wormed with Ivermectin then this would improve the body condition and help to kill the lice not certain of the accuracy of this as not a pharmaceutical rep or a vet. But as I said on another thread best and cheapest solution I know that does not involve any stress to the animal is douse coat with Ant Powder that contains Permerthrin (sorry still cant spell it) kills lice immediately or as an emergency if no ant powder available grab a jar of mayonaise smoother the effected areas allow to dry and then brush out both work and a damn site cheaper that propriertary medicines or an injection from the vet. Sorry OP deviated from your question.