Lice....

[Keri]

My mini gelding has been scratching like crazy the past month or so. He's scratching patches of hair off. I checked him over and over for lice, but couldn't find anything. And he was always sensitive to the touch. So I figured some type of fungus. In the 10 years I owned him, he always lost his hair in patches and would loose it late in the spring/summer. So today, I finally found lice. Not the answer I was looking for.

But I just wormed him with fenbenezole today (sp?) without the knowledge of lice (found them afterwards). So how long do I need to wait in order to give him ivermectrin?? I dusted him and will have to go to the feed store to get more powder to do the rest of the herd now. And I wormed the whole herd.

 

[Indy's mom]

Hi Keri. I'm not sure on how long you have to wait to re-worm but I bet you don't even have to wait, they make those wormers so safe but maybe ask your vet.

My gelding had lice a few years ago when I bought him. I did the Ivermectin in 3 doses, 2 weeks apart AND dusted him and that took care of it! I also wanted to add that you might not need to dust your entire herd. My gelding was in with my two mares and they never got the lice!! Someone told me that the lice prefer some coat colors to others and that maybe that's why they didn't infect my mares. Sounds ridiculous I know but I have no other explanation!

My rescue mare I think also just had lice although I never actually saw them. (no she has not been in with my others, not even at the same farm). She was rubbing herself raw constantly! I did the Ivermectin with her and it didn't do the trick. I have since dusted her and finally she seems like she's not scratching anymore! My guess is that she had the biting kind of lice not the sucking kind. Yuck, they are so gross!!

Good luck!

~Tammy

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Tammy, I was wondering how your itchy girl was doing. Glad to hear you got a handle on it.

 

[Indy's mom]

Thank You Marsha, she seems to be fine now thank goodness!!

~Tammy