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MirandaToo
Silver Member
England
381 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 9:11:45 PM
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Just wondered whether anyone's horses have had mites or if anyone knows anything about them?
Ponio has been soooo itchy and now has reached a stage where she has some bald patches starting to appear on her face and ears  . I've just been told the horse in the next door paddock has feather mites - is it possible that these could have spread to my girl or do they stay just on the feathers (assuming mites will spread from horse to horse)?
Also does anyone know of any treatment. I tried googling and from what I can see there isn't a licensed horse specific treatment.
I'm thinking I will have to get the V.E.T. out..... but seeing as ponio is scared stiff of them I'm reluctant if there is something I could buy over the counter. Will try and get into vet for a chat at end of week, but if anyone has any advice in the meantime that would be great!! Thanks!
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Fee
Platinum Member
2601 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 10:03:16 PM
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Think it's more likely to be lice. The vet can give a jag for them, which isn't expensive and they repeat it 10 days later for the hatching ones. I think mites and lice can be carried from horse to horse and mites are the harder ones to get rid of.
That said, mine have scratched away their faces and there's no sign of crawling beasties, just the flying kind! And my inability to bath them due to the horrible weather! 
Fee
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Fee
Platinum Member
2601 Posts |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 11:20:42 PM
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| I have one constantly rubbing herself on anything she can, the worst areas being her neck and top of rump, she did not do it last year i washed her in a medicated shampoo a few weeks back and it did get better but she has started again, because she is rubbing near the mane i did think sweet itch! I will give her another shampoo and get some sweet itch stuff and see, i was thinking of getting a waterproof fly rug as the weather is so bad as my other horse already has one, i think you can see mites in the coat, maybe with all the wet condtions its making them itch more who knows. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 08:08:40 AM
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| MirandaToo, I commented on a similar thread the other week about the possibility of mites (I used to breed them as part of a job so I know a fair bit about them), they are right on the edge of human vision so in a horse's coat you wouldn't see them. A few months back in TAM there was a page about an itchy horse that was transformed from misery, I believe they used a shampoo/wash of sorts. I can try and find it if you're interested, I keep my TAM back copies (sad eh..) |
    
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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JESSIEMAE
Gold Member
England
872 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 09:09:12 AM
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Hello Miranda
My mare, several years ago, contracted 'red mite' from some battery hens that we had rescued. She rubbed herself raw in some places, I got the vet out and he gave me a product called Switch. All I had to do was rub this onto her coat and it absorbed into her skin. Treatment was a complete success. Good luck.
Liza x |
Edited by - JESSIEMAE on 11 Jul 2012 09:09:56 AM |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 11:18:52 AM
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My friend has a cob that gets *mites* in her feathers and our vet treats them sucessfully with Frontline that they use on cats and dogs for fleas, ticks, etc etc.
Think she uses the spray and not the little packet that you blob on
the back of the cats/dog necks.
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
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Kerry Wilson
Silver Member
United Kingdom
280 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 12:28:54 PM
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| I've been told Frontline spray works on some horses with sweetitch Although it isn't licenced for horses, or chooks- I use it on my poultry, its great for red mite, NFM etc. |
       
pics-GAS Skala(Ventican x Strelitzia)with Sambist filly/GAS Strelka (Monitor x Strelitzia)/GAS Stella (Pogojii x Strelitzia)/GAS Saffala (Ffatal Attraction x GAS Skala)/GSD Indra/my show chooks-Wyandotte bantams
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MirandaToo
Silver Member
England
381 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 4:13:32 PM
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Thank you for all the replies 
Sorry, I'm being really thick  ...... Kes, you bred horses or mites??!!! If you could find me any more info that would be great .
I'm sort of edging towards mites as have treated for lice and keep checking for them, with no luck. I'm fairly sure it's not sweet itch, but could be wrong. Just doesn't look like sweet itch that I've seen.
Poor thing has now started scratching her mane with her back hooves so is starting to rub it out  and she is just starting to get bald patches and look a bit like a well loved teddy bear !! But she must be utterly miserable if she is itchy all the time.
I don't think the weather is helping as it is so damp and humid. Any more info on products would be fab |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 4:26:09 PM
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MirandaToo, I'd love to say I bred horses I bred House Dust Mites. I used to work in the Microbiology Dept. of a Pharma company who manufactured allergy vaccines. As well as breeding mites I grew moulds - sounds lovely doesn't it!! Hopefully I never brought my work home with me.....
Humidity is what mites love most, that's why they come alive in your bed when you sleep (good luck sleeping tonight now I've told you that!!) But contrary to popular belief, they have no teeth, they don't bite. About 70% of asthmatics are allergic to them and most don't know it.
I will PM you the info later on today :) Carole. |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 7:46:48 PM
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| MirandaToo, have PM'd you :) |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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Topic |
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Can feather mites spread to body?
