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  Discussion on Treating lice
Author Message
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Saturday, Dec 25, 2004 - 6:55 pm:

Hello all, apparently the ponyskin foals that are at the barn I work at not only had strangles, ringworm, but now damlinia lice....

Wow what a can of worms, I was working on of the most beligerent babies this morning and she finally allowed me to touch her so she can finally be treated for the ringworm when I noticed hundreds of small bugs on her hair. I only notice as she is mostly white. I have positively Identified them as the damlinia lice. Poor thing is covered in them. I thought she just liked to kick and stamp her feet now I know why.

I read the lice article probably too fast. Could you explain to me how to do the organophosphate wash, and which kind is the best, please.

I'm assuming it is insecticide, which I am highly allergic to so will have to have someone else do it.

Can they be killed with a clorox bath which I need to do to rid her of the ringworm.

Member:
Ryle

Posted on Sunday, Dec 26, 2004 - 12:18 pm:

Ok, first with the ringworm: I wouldn't recommend using chlorox to bath them in as it is going to be very irritating to their skin and respiratory tract (breathing the fumes). A chlorhexiderm shampoo will also treat ringworm infections and is going to be much easier on you and them, but must be rinsed thoroughly. A chlorhexiderm solution (not shampoo) can be applied to the lesions twice a day instead of shampooing the whole horse if there are only a few lesions. Or you can use a betadine solution to treat the lesions instead of the chlorhexiderm. If the infection is covering large areas of their bodies, then you may want to talk to the vet about getting an oral medication to help clear the fungal infection.

Lice: Ivermectin dewormer and a pyrethrine shampoo (Vet Kem Flea and Tick Shampoo is labelled for use in horses) can be used for your lice problem. The pyrethrine is an insecticide, so you will want someone else to do the shampooing. Be sure to treat all brushes, blankets, etc for lice too. Lice may also be in the environment where the foals are kept so you may need to retreat. Seven Dust can also be used in the environment to help kill any lice that are not on the horses when you shampoo them.

If you do use shampoos on the foals, you can mix them 1/2 and 1/2 with water and put them in a spray bottle to make it easier to get the shampoo all over the horses and to keep from using more then you need.

Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Dec 27, 2004 - 9:00 am:

I agree with Cynthia, chlorhexidine and ivermectin would be my choices and much easier on you. Though ivermectin is reported to occasionlly fail, I have always had good luck following the regimen outlined in the article.
DrO
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Monday, Dec 27, 2004 - 2:30 pm:

I've heard of sevin dust, but i'm only familiar with the stuff used on gardens.

Is this the stuff you are refering to, or is there something different marketed for horses?

I thought Ivermectin wasn't that effective when dealing with chewing lice?
Member:
Ryle

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004 - 8:30 pm:

Sevin Dust is the same stuff for lawns.

I would try the ivermectin and see what kind of result you get. It's easy to come by and easy to administer, plus it gets the foal another deworming, so it's worth a try. If it doesn't get all the lice, you can always follow up with a pyrethrine shampoo like Vet Kem's Flea and Tick shampoo.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004 - 4:59 pm:

As reported in our article, there are reported failures with ivermectin, but in otherwise healthy horses I have treated damilina with ivermectin successfully following the recommendations in the article. It may help if you give the ivermectin on an empty stomach after a nights fast.

Seven, a garden insecticide, contains a carbamate and would probably be effective with once weekly applications for a month and fairly non-toxic but being a nonlabeled use I cannot guarantee safety. It should NOT be used in combination with organophosphates.
DrO
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Thursday, Dec 30, 2004 - 11:47 am:

My vet wants me to give an ivermectin shot,using penicillin as a carrier. When they use it on horses with ticks they fall off in minutes. I've never heard of it but, I've never had pests before.

What do you think, DrO?

I gave the filly the shot last night, put some spot control on her shoulders and butt, and sprinkled sevin on the bedding. Hopefully she will get some relief soon.

I need to bathe her for the ringworm crap but we are in the middle of a typical wyoming winter, I don't live far from the coldest spot in the nation. Any ideas?

Thanks for your patience and help
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jan 1, 2005 - 8:26 am:

Ivermectin with penicillin is a new one on me and am not sure why not do this orally. You can medicate the areas topically with over the counter antifungal cremes or if there are extensive areas spray on betadine solution.
DrO
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Saturday, Jan 1, 2005 - 10:00 am:

We have had good results when dealing with extensive areas by getting the crust or scabs off and sprinkling Tinactin powder over the area and working it in with our fingers. If they are blanketed, we sprinkle the inside of the blanket too. EO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jan 1, 2005 - 10:21 am:

The tinactin powder is a good idea for large areas of ringworm, LKR, and probably more effective for ringworm than my suggestion of betadine. However ringworm does not often have large crusts and scabs. If these scabs have hair embedded you would be dealing with dermatophillus a bacteria which may be better treated with betadine or chlorhexidine.
DrO
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Saturday, Jan 1, 2005 - 11:30 am:

I know it sounds strange but we deal with what I call the track VD, it is girth itch and other junk that spreads all over them. When we get one home or I go to the track and treat it with the Tinactin, it gets rid of it for some reason and in a fairly short while. I do try to wash it down with betadine and then use the Tinactin. The stuff we deal with has scabs that I pick off and put the Tinactin cream on each spot so apparently something in the tinactin works on it. I can always wash with betadine so just use the tinactin and it still works. A puzzle to me. EO
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005 - 12:15 pm:

Thanks DrO for your time and everyone else.
The vet said the shot of ivermectine would be more potent and not break down as fast.
All I know is i have hundreds of dead lice. Yes!!!

I when I get some more time I will have to post some pics of the babies with the ringworm It is all over I would say it covers 50% of their bodies. It was confirmed by the vet lab as ringworm. One of the fillies is much better I bathed her in a dilluted clorox bath,put it on your skin first if its ok then use it, which I know nobody likes but it is so effective, but only 2 babies out of 5 are tame. As much as rescuing horses is a good thing it is not something to jump into lightly. Hopefully things really do run in sets of 3(Strangles, ringworm, lice) and we will be done with all this.

The tinactin powder is not a bad idea. Thanks

Anyways Happy New Year!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005 - 12:25 pm:

Me thinks these foals were very lucky to fall into your lap Cheryl. Don't forget that the ivermectin needs repeating as the "nits" (eggs) are not effected.
DrO
Member:
Suzeb

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2005 - 2:10 pm:

Wow Cheryl,
I would like to give you a HorseAdvice medal of honour for all the trouble you have been through with these foals .
My vet had prescribed some HIBITANE creme for a skin condition that my gelding had this fall/early winter. It does contain chlorhexidine for spot treating as giving a bath was out of the question in cold weather. How did you manage to give a bath, if you don't mind me asking?

Susan B.
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2005 - 6:08 pm:

I had a bucket of warm water and a large wash cloth and i dipped repeatedly in the water untill the affected areas were soaked and then I let it set for a minute and towel dried the foal. They resisted at first until i lightly rubbed the itchy spots with the cloth and then it was ok cause it felt good.

The two I bathed were a lot friendlier and smaller so I could manhandle them well the other 3, well I guess I will get there in time.

Member:
Chohler

Posted on Friday, Jan 21, 2005 - 4:41 pm:

DrO can lice be picked up from store bought straw?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2005 - 8:21 am:

While possible it is unlikely: the lice do not live long, several weeks at the outside, off the horse so the straw would have to have been in immediate contact with a infected horse before coming into contact with your horses.
DrO
Member:
Avandia

Posted on Sunday, Jul 24, 2005 - 9:26 pm:

I have discovered lice on my young filly. Last October she also had them. I used Tigavon and was allowing to do it every 12 months. I will have to do the heard of 20 horses but am worried that they like to groom eachother. I place it along the backbone behind the saddle area. Is there a better method or place for herds of horses.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jul 25, 2005 - 7:42 am:

Marcia, the article associated with this discussion has suggestions for treating them click on » Lice and Mites of Horses » at the top of this frame for access to the article.
DrO
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