Lice!

[Callisto]

So the boys have got lice. I've wondered for a couple of weeks and been checking their coats, and then this morning I finally found one of the little buggers in the Section A's forelock. The Sheltie has such a dense coat I haven't found any on him, but he undoubtedly has them two.

So, Tack Room Gurus, what treatment would you recommend? The powders don't work any more, and I have been looking at Switch, but it appears to only treat sweet itch, although on a vet site, it was recommended as it contains permethrin. I have also heard that there is a cattle spot on that is really effective and that pour-ons burn the skin of horses and shouldn't be used.

Arrrgggg, it's all too confusing for my pea-brain to understand.

[Callisto]

two? I mean too.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Ive used switch for lice. Its great. The poor coloured pony we bought last year was crawling!

[Callisto]

Do you think the standard 250ml size will treat an 11hh and a 12hh? It is quite expensive, £27 on Nutrecare.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

I had a bottle that was £36 from the vet. I think it was more like 500ml, but it did all 5 of mine, more than once. I need another bottle now. Mine all have patchy muzzles and ears. Im hoping its just because they have huge wooly coats still, and my field it REALLY midgey. Im going to give the Switch a go just incase.

[Callisto]

Endless isn't it? If it isn't mud fever it's sweet itch, and if it isn't worms its bots.

[QuietTiger]

We've had success with Dectomax jabs and Dermoline shampoo baths - Dectomax does the sucking ones, Dermoline does the others. Repeast 10-14 days later.

One of our mini shits is currently being treated for lice - he came back from his loan home covered in the things, scratching like mad and really patchy coat - I've had to hog and clip the poor little bugger to really get at them!

[Callisto]

Both ponies need a bath. And dermoline is lots cheaper than Switch. Neither are really infested, so I may try the shampoo option first and then the Switch if they still have them.

[Littlebigbum]

If have feather can you trim them it will make it quicker to get rid off

[Callisto]

Can't trim the Welshie as he will be shown by DD soon, luckily he isn't very hairy. The Sheltie has feathers, but he is so woolly anyway that trimming his feathers would be a bit pointless plus he has been known to double barrel people who mess around with his back legs.

[Mothpop]

Ok, here goes?
Treatments for lice - most things kill lice the difference in products is what they contain and how you administer them. There have been lots of lice around this year ? no doubt the long winter has something to do with it.
Louse powders - great provided you're prepared to be engulfed in clouds of powder. Make sure you wear gloves and encourage the powder to the base of the hair coat.
Deosect - dilute and spray/sponge on. Fine if the weather is good but not fair if freezing cold or blowing a gale. Best used on clipped/thin coats for easy drying.
Switch - great for lice and easy to apply down the horse's midline. Easy peasy! Licensed for sweet itch as it's an insecticide.
Dectomax - ok for sucking lice but seems like overkill as there are many other products that don't need injecting or carry a (small) risk of a drug reaction.
Hope this helps

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

GAH! It would appear that my fuzzy felts have lice! I caught them all up for feet trimming and a groom the other day. They have started moulting, and have bald bits! Mainly round ears and in places where the hair is thin and the blood is close to the surface! I cannot see any lice but am going to treat anyway. The vet recommended coopers fly repellent plus. It's the same as switch, and switch is currently unavailable apparently! Louse powder is useless. Don't bother even trying it!
The coopers is meant to be spread on with a sponge, and I was a bit worried that I would spread it on and it would moult right off, so I rang the company, and spoke to someone who said that it can also be used as an ears to tail pour on, which is what I'm going to do.
The little buggers look awful! Poor DShetland gets very itchy when she moults anyway, and has managed to rub her face almost bare overnight!!! Grrr! You would hardly have noticed they were patchy until I started to brush them. They are moulting in clumps!

[Callisto]

. Bummer isn't it? I might try the coopers too. I had a look for Switch on Nutrecare and it was unavailable there - everyone must be buying it I guess, if lice are really bad this spring.

I looked at the louse power in Countrywide (can't remember the make - hydrophane maybe?) and it doesn't kill the lice, it merely repels them which is pretty useless really. The dermoline inecticidal does actually kill the lice and I bathed both boys yesterday. Thank goodness we have a walker so I could put them on there with coolers on to dry. Welshie was very pissed off with me because it was quite cold. I don't fancy having to bath again in two weeks if I can use a pour on instead, especially if this north wind continues.

[octanegirl]

Spot on for cattle. 10mls two weeks apart. Simples!

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Simples. If you can get the store to sell it to you without a holding number. Which ours won't!

[Callisto]

I've got some Coopers Plus now which killed all the lice and hopefully, will also help prevent the Sheltie's sweetitch. I put some more on both this morning (felt a midge bite fgs) so they both smell lovely and lemony now.

[burberryqueen]

Battles agricultural louse powder applied in a line along the spine from beneath the forelock to the dock. which reminds me i have to do that this afternoon, so thanks!

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

I really wouldnt bother. Battles is a pile of shite! Our coloured was treated with it repeatedly before we got her. She was absolutely heaving!

[burberryqueen]

ewww thanks....! will bear that in mind...

[burberryqueen]

right I used Battles as planned, and it seems to have worked...
Callisto i am not advertising this company but if you have a sweet itch pony please do try this product called Prize //www.equisoothe.co.uk

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Burberry, whatever you use, you need to repeat in fourteen days, and probably 14 days after that, to catch any newly hatched lice.

[chocolatecakeystuff]

Apparently according to dickhead farmer sheep dip is good for lice... not sure I'll be trying that one :-)

[OrlaKiely]

OMG the things I never knew about horses. This thread is practically in code! and they have FEATHERS?!

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

How about this then Orla...
A horses front legs aren't attached to the rest of their skeletons! They join the shoulderblades but the blades hang almost vertically and the only thing holding them in place is muscle and sinew!!

[newfavouritething]

Saggy, why don't you just use the holding number where your horses are?

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

It doesn't have a holding number. It's just a pair of paddocks attached to a house. And I'm we'll know as a horse owner in the only local supplier of cattle treatments, they know I don't have livestock.