Dandruff? / LIce?

[suen]

JUst recently noticed that our weanling gelding has a lot of dandruff flakes on tail and in the mane. Looked at teh rest of the coat (long already) and it seems clear. He is rubbing a lot on the tail area. Have been told could be lice? If so, what do I use to treat it. Its getting cold here in Kansas so bathing I think is out of the question. He has been combed regularly and well taken care of so don't know how he would have gotten lice?

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

You would know if its lice. Horse lice wont flake off and it looks like long rice grains white in color and you can see them move. We purchased a mini that had is super bad and didnt notice until it was to late as we bought him in cold weather. Honestly, we put plastic all over his stall to hold heat in and put in a few heat lamps and completely clipped him. As for his mane and tail, we used garden and poultry dust. you can get it at TSC for about $7. We put it through his mane and forlock and down his back (like a dorsal stripe) and his tail. We also blanketed him.

 

[suen]

thanks.... i've looked and looked thru hit coat and can't find anything. His mane and tail just look like dandruff, nothing moving, no nits. Just to be sure I am going to buy some Sevin dust and dust his mane and tail and see if that does anything.

 

[suen]

my next question then would be: what do I use for dandruff?

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

i cant remember if sven dust does lice? or if its safe for horses? Id ask to be sure. As far as dandruff I I think you're stuck with bathing :/ unless anyone has any other ideas about it. I bath at the end of summer before fall, before it gets cold and use a bedidine solution, 5gal bucket to about 2 tbsp of bed. DONT rinse, This is completely safe to do and leave in the coat. Its also an antibac. so its a double whammy!

 

[Charlotte]

http://store.landjfeed.com/store/product/6247/HORSE-LICE-DUST/

This isn't the brand I use, but has the same active ingredient.

Lice are very common in horses. Some horses seem to be bothered more by them than another horse is. I have seen lice in any color from white to black, but they are often almost impossible to see. They are very easy to kill and you don't need to bathe or clip. just dust with the lice powder all along the horse's top line from ears to end of tail bone. Don't get in eyes. do this according to the instructions on the product you use, but usually you will do 3 treatments spaced a week apart. The eggs the lice lay on the mane & tail hairs will hatch out so that is the reason to dust several times.

There is a type of lice that is a blood sucker so a dose of Ivermectin dewormer helps to eliminate that kind but in my experience most are the kind that respond to the dust.

After a course of treatment just watch your horse and others in the herd for signs of itching in case another horse is carrying them and your horse gets reinfected. It's not unusual for a lousy horse to have a lot of dandruf and also rub many sores on themsleves as the itching can be intense.

If lice was your problem you should see the itching stop soon after the first dusting.

I hope this helps.

 

[suen]

did a lot more checking last night and all I can see is dandruff. No lice, no nits. So... going to treat him for dandruff. Dry shampooed (with moisturizer) yesterday and looks better today. As dry as its been here in Kansas I'm not surprised at the flaky skin. Hopefully his mane and tail should start lookign better again.