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Q.
Source?
I know that our chickens have lice.
Could they spread it to the horses? Kay
A.
From my understanding, lice is "Species Specific."
Meaning people lice are only on people, chicken lice
are just on chickens, horse lice are just on horses.
Chicken lice may hop on you but will not stay as you
are not the right host. So, no, a horse would not
get lice from the chickens. Dena
A.
I believe Dena is right about the lice; however it
did spread to my other minis. Do any of your other
minis have it? I didn't even notice the other ones
had it until I realized that my one mare had it and
then when I started looking in all of their manes
and tails, sure enough. Coming from Nevada to
Montana, I didn't even know horses could get lice.
When I started noticing her having bumps and then
hair loss and scabies, she was even losing weight, I
went right to my mini horse books to figure it out
and the description seemed like rain rot. I'm not
exactly sure how I realized it was lice but I happen
to be working for an equine vet at the time and
asked him about it. He told me to get Permectrin II
and dilute it and wash them down with it. It worked
great, they were dead instantly and I did it again
two weeks later as a precaution, haven't had a
problem since. Of course I also wormed everyone too.
I still have no idea how they got lice though. Not
sure if this will help you, but I thought I would
share. Karri
A.
Since you mentioned using Permectrin for lice, I
thought I'd tell you my experience. My minis also
had lice this summer and I used the Permectrin with
great success except for one mare. She just kept
itching and scratching even though I couldn't see
any lice anymore. I soaked her down again after a
few weeks, but still she was just miserable almost
rubbing off the top of her tail and actually rubbing
her face raw. Finally I took her to the vet and he
said it looked liked she had an allergic reaction to
something and the Permectrin is the only thing I can
think of. She is looking better, but does anyone
have any suggestions on what I can use on the sore
spots and scabs she still has. Do you think the
Listerine and mineral oil mix would work? The vet
said to put on Corona ointment, but it seems to me
she still itches. I don't know how she would react
to a medicated shampoo and bath because she is a
little skittish. She hates spray bottles so I don't
think she'd like being sprayed with water. Phyllis
A.
I have been told that if you have a horse that lays
down a lot, they can get it that way, some way pick
them up from the ground? Didn't make sense to
me, but I've never had problems with lice until this
summer. My mini was sent to training and was
pastured with another mini; turns out that other guy
was looking for a home, so I brought them both home
at the end of training. I found nits on the
new guy, but not any lice. My vet and I
deduced that because my fly spray had "lice" listed
as one of the bugs it treated, that is why my mini
didn't get them from the new one, and why I couldn't
find live lice, only the nits, on my new mini!
The vets recommended continuing with the fly spray
and give the new guy a bath, scrubbing the lice area
well, and then repeat in 2 weeks. So, check
your fly sprays, and if it treats for lice, do not
do the powder also. Rhonda/MN
A. Depends on the fly spray.
LD44Z will kill lice. Living in MN where you
can't safely bathe in the
winter I've used it to treat lice several times very
successfully. I have one mare who gets crusty bumps
like you described in the spring when the deer flies
first start biting and another that reacts to spider
bites
in a similar way. Lewella
Solutions:
A.
Sevin powder takes care of that problem
A.
Another formula for lice, and its cheap is put 1/2
cup of pine sol in a bucket of water with regular
horse shampoo, wash the horse all over and let sit
for about 5 mintues. Then rinse. This kills them
instantly and makes them smell good too! Won't hurt
them, I've used it for years. Country Star Farm
A.
I wouldn't put the 50/50 listerine/baby oil on the
scabs, but I might consider baby oil, or any other
ointment. Rhonda/mn
The culture done on my
mare came back + for Dermatophilus (rain rot). My
vet says that this is a gram + bacteria. She is
coming out today and we are going to sedate my mini
so that I can clip her legs and she is going to give
her a shot of penicillin. I have read about rain rot
on the Internet and most sites say that it is a
fungus. I have been treating her with M-T-G. When I
washed her legs today it looks like the scabs are
starting to loosen. Am I making too big a deal out
of this? I'm a little confused that so many sites
list it as a fungus. One site described it as a
fungus but also suggested a shot of penicillin is
the best cure. Mostly I want to treat this before
she gets a heavy winter coat. I don't want to clip
her in the spring to find her covered in bumps. This
horse is kept dry so I'm really not sure how she
contracted it. She had a few bumps on her chest when
I got her. My other mare kicked her and left a
scratch which my have allowed entrance of the
organism that causes rain rot. I think with the vets
help this time I'll be able to handle future
outbreaks on my own.
Kay
Solutions:
Coming from what seems the rainiest place in the
world besides the rain forest...lol (Seattle
area) we tend to fight the moist eczema/rain rot
during the rainy season which is 3/4 of the year.
I've personally never seen rain rot on anywhere but
on the back side of the horse. When their
thicker winter coat becomes wet, it lies down
(mats), kind of packs and smothers the skin so that
it cannot breath. My understanding is that
bacteria may then develop from the moistness and
lack of air circulation to the skin. which then
causes the scabs and hair loss. This situation
has also known to be a good breeding environment for
lice.
Keeping the hair from becoming bedded down, yep,
good 'ole brushing, may even help prevent rain rot.
The horses coat acts as an insulator against the
elements and forms a dander on the skin. The
dander, I've read, is a vital element for protection
against the colder months but also is a contributor
to the bacteria problem of rain rot if air flow is
prevented. The longer and thicker the horse's
coat grows, the more prone to rain rot they may be.
The
type of bumps described earlier, I've experienced on
horses that had allergic reactions (hives).
One horse was allergic to Sweet PDZ, a non toxic
powder product made for putting in horse stalls that
eliminates odors. He broke out on his
stomach and legs on the side he typically lays on.
He received (was summer time) a medicated bath and
additional application of betadine solution for
several days, plus of course additional bedding
added to the stall to fully cover any remaining PDZ.
No other horses had this reaction.
I've also seen horses' skin get embedded with tiny
slivers of sawdust that formed into infected bumps
similar to hives (mainly on the side they lie down
on). Another had a series of bumps that what
we guessed were from spider or insect bites.
We
also routinely, even though the only lice we have
had were on horses we purchased from other farms,
dust our horses with lice powder/Sevin dust.
Mainly along the mane, backline and root of the
tail. This also seems to get rid of the itchys
from no-see'ums and other tiny biting bugs as it
also acts as a repellent to other insects.
Another product we use routinely is apple cider
vinegar. I know, some people say it doesn't
work, but you can ask anyone who visits our farm or
sees our horses at a show, they do not get flies
landing on them. If they do, they don't stay
long and you don't see them on their faces or even
hanging around their horsey piles in the paddocks.
It took about 2-3 months originally to see the
protection start to work and we never let up.
They get it all year round. One squirt from a
squirt bottle - (more may be necessary in really
high fly traffic areas-hotter climates) which is
approx. a tablespoon, per day in their ration.
You can't convince me otherwise. If you bathe
the horse however (which the washing of the skin
must eliminate the effect) the flies will be more
evident for 1 to 2 days until the smell on the skin
builds back up. I use regular fly spray during that
time if needed. Hope this adds more information.
Joanne Anderson
Q. Since we're on the fly
control subject, can I ask what fly spray you all
recommend? I have been using manna-pro and the equi-spot
in combination. But, I'm still having to apply the
fly spray every other
day. Is that normal? The spray says it should work
for 4 weeks. Thanks, Traci
A. Just my own personal experience and
maybe someone has found one that does but, I have
yet to find a fly spray that works longer than a day
or 2, no matter what the label says. I use fly
strips in the barn and spray each evening when I
feed with Repel-X. I also use "Natural" apple
cider vinegar, the one that is cloudy and has
sediment at the bottom of the bottle, in a spray
bottle and put about 3-4 squirts on their hay pile
when I feed. I do not have a terrible fly
problem here. I also have my manure pile quite
far away from the barn. Annette
A.
We have a lot of animals in a fairly concentrated
area. Our muscovy ducks take care of a lot of
the flies and fly strips take care of a lot more
with no poisons.
The
chickens keep the manure in the lots picked through
and we normally don't have much of a fly problem
even though we have the chickens, ducks, 9 horses
and 40+ dairy goats. But you have to keep
things dry! We've found that if water tubs run
over or you have a strange goat that likes to upset
them when they get low, then you have flies.
I've never found anything that will keep mosquitoes
or deer flys away for long no matter what the
manufacturer says. One year we tried a whole
bunch of things for flies for a 4-H project for one
of my daughters. We found that a herbal mix
that we made ourselves worked as well as anything
else we tried for the animals and that the fly
strips, there are some wonderful huge ones avalible,
worked better than any other trap or spray. Bev -
Dunlooken Farm
A. We decided to try fly
predators this year, ours are from Arbico Organic in
Arizona. We get an order
automatically every three weeks, 150,000 parasites
(I think this equals about 15,000 predators) and
have
between about 35 head, about half horses.
They have been really helpful, had almost no flies
at all until after July 1st, and now they are at
least
75% better than before. Haven't had to use any fly
masks or spray. I do hang a couple of the plastic,
fill with water fly traps in the barn and that seems
to keep up with the ones the do show up.
We really didn't have flies at all until one of the
predator shipments arrived while we were away for
the
week (little guys only seem to live so long at the
post office...), that combined with a few
thunderstorms has given the flies a bit of a chance.
The cost (about $200 for the April - Oct season)
seemed pricey at the time, but sprinkling them once
every three weeks compared with trying to get
fly-wipe on daily sure is easier, and I think that
the cost of
the fly wipe, masks, sticky strips, extra traps and
labor to clean the outside big pens more often
probably added up to more. I had tried just a
shipment or two a few years ago with little benefit,
but the auto-delivery seems to be the secret. Nancy
Sachs www.summertimefarm.com
A: We agree with
Nancy, we use Spalding Fly Predators at Unicorner
Farm and yes, they do work!
Q.
Has anyone out there had to deal with warts on their
horses noses/lips? I have a yearling stud cold that
has 25+ warts on his nose and lower lip. Most are
small, but he does have a couple that are fairly
large. It does not bother him at all, but they
bother me.::grins:: Does any of the
over-the-counter wart medicine work? I heard someone
say that you just have to let it runs it course
(warts are caused by a virus) and they will fall off
in due time. He is such a cutie (a bay medicine hat
overo) and the warts make him look like an old hag.
LOL Leesa
A.
I would try to pick one or two of them off, they are
caused by a virus. I have done this with quarter
horse foals/yearlings and that usually works. Good
luck.Mary Lackey Sundance Oaks Miniature Horse Farm
A.
We used to rub olive oil on them to help them go
away. Old farm remedy. Vets usually just say
to leave them alone. The baby warts anyway.
L.Day
A.
There is a product you can get at a health food
store called Grapefruit Seed Extract or GSE. Put
enough of that on the warts to cover it entirely,
including the base of the wart. It usually
works almost overnight for any I have had on my
horses. It kind of burns them off. Then
there is just a little dried skin and you brush that
off and they don’t tend to come back after either.
Good stuff! Stacy Oliver
A.
Back when I use to work with thoroughbred yearlings
getting them ready for the track we use to put I
think it was mineral oil on them a few times a day
and they would fall off on their own pretty quick.
Heather Walton
A. Use Cod Liver Oil
Lisa Davis
A.
Take a pair of pliers and mash or twist a couple of
small warts off. That will kick in the
antibodies to get rid of the virus. Mona Bateman
A. Okay, now I know why my vet
pinched one off of a yearling a couple of months
ago. the vet was doing his teeth say the wart,
pinched it off and continued on with the floating.
He never did get any more warts. I am a nurse, but
will see if I can do it. LOL Leesa
PINTOHORSES101@AOL.COM wrote:
Veterinary Corner
10/01: Warts & Aural Plaques
by Frosty Franklin, DVM
Edgecliff Equine Hospital
S. 1322 Park Road, Spokane, WA 99212 * 509/924-6069
Equine papillomavirus is the virus that causes the
development of benign, proliferative skin tumors in
horses. Microscopic evidence indicates that two
different clinical presentations occur in the equine
from the papillomavirus: (1) warts, and (2) aural
plaques.
Equine warts are small, gray to pink
cauliflower-like growths that are usually found of
the muzzle, around the lips, nostrils, and eyes and
occasionally on the lower legs. Warts can also
involve the penis and vulva. Lesions commonly
develop on young horses, 6 months to 3 years of age.
The lesions range in size from 5mm to 20mm and are
generally multiple in numbers. Ten to more than 100
warts are common. The incubation period is about 60
days. The warts reach maturity in 4 to 8 weeks. Then
usually spontaneously regress within 4 months. Some
cases may last more than a year. Cases that last
more than 2 years may suggest an immune response
deficit.
Warts are contagious. Transmission occurs by direct
contact (nose to nose) and indirectly via fomites
like fence posts and feed buckets. The virus remains
vial in the environment for up to 3 weeks at room
temperature. Yearly infection of young stock on
large breeding farms has been reported. Lesions on
the penis and vulva can result in transmission of
the virus by breeding. Affected individuals should
be kept away from the breeding herd. Disinfection of
the premises and equipment with lye, formaldehyde,
iodine, and chlorhexidine helps decrease spread of
the virus.
Diagnosis is usually based on the clinical signs,
history, and appearance. A large wart on the lower
leg might be confused with a sarcoid. If the
diagnosis is in question, a biopsy specimen may be
collected and submitted for histologic diagnosis.
Usually treatment is unnecessary. The warts are
harmless and almost always regress spontaneously.
Management practices to limit the spread of the
virus include insecticides, isolation of infected
individuals, and disinfection of feed troughs, water
buckets, and stalls.
Under certain conditions treatment is desirable. For
instance, when a large mass of warts are interfering
with biting or other tack causing a delay in
training. Surgical excision and freezing with liquid
nitrogen (cryosurgery) are often recommended.
Various topical ointments have shown some success,
however, compounds need to be very carefully applied
and the horse prevented from licking and chewing the
treated area. EqStim (immunostimulant) given
intravenously has had reported success in both
prevention and treatment of equine warts. Any
treatment of warts that creates an inflammatory
response may increase the risk of white hair and
skin depigmentation.
Aural plaques are clinically recognized as different
from warts. They are benign, raised, white to pink
lesions that occur bilaterally on the inner surface
of the ear. They respond poorly to treatment and do
not spontaneously regress. They were thought to be
caused by biting flies and are sometimes incorrectly
described as "ear fungus". Infrequently, these
plaques appear on the anus, penis and vulva. Aural
plaques can be found on any horse older than one
year of age. These plaques can become severely
irritated by biting flies and horses become very
defensive about having their ears touched.
Treatment with a soothing ointment, like Mentholatum,
to the inner surface of the ear can be helpful. I
have also tried the various
corticosteroid/antibiotic ointments like Panalog or
Otomax with a success. These ointments will relieve
the inflammation but the plaques remain. I am not
aware of a consistent treatment reported for aural
plaques.
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