I would like to know if there is any danger of top dressing feed with rabon larvicide. I need to know it this could abort or cause sterilization.
Jos
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 08:55 pm:
There has been no research that indicates abortion associated specifically with feed-through fly controls, but there has been much that indicates that organophosphates (which are the ingredient used by some of these fly controls) cause abortion. I am also aware (personal communication) of clinical evidence that suggests a link, and it is my understanding that the FDA has initiated, or is looking at the initiation of, research into the connection.
Marty
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 06:59 am:
What about topical repellants. Are there any issues there?
Jos
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 12:40 pm:
One should always be aware that there is a possibility of drug absorbency through the skin, so do not put compromising drugs in the repellent! Pyrethrins - the standard family of repellents - are not an issue, but there are cattle insect repellents that contain organophospates, so they would be.
jos what about fly control for a foal? what can you use and how soon? my foal is only 4 days old and i've seen a few annoying flies. is it safe to spray momma as long as i avoid the udder?
We have been using Rabon in our feed now for a good 10-15 years and never had any problem with abortion or miscarriage. We find that using rabon in our feed(we have it added to our feed receipe while mixing--- no top dressing needed) has given us alot of added protection on the farm. When we visit farms of friends we then really notice the additional fly population. We really like using the product. The product can't be fed to chickens, so don't add it to your feed if you feed your chickens the same grain as your horses -- our chickens are locked up away from any horses
One can use suitable equine commercial fly repellants on foals, or one can make one's own that contains 2 parts vinegar, 3 parts water, and 1 part Skin So Soft (an Avon product), all the ingredients of which are pretty innocuous.
As I noted in an earlier (2003) post above, there was some research initiated by the FDA that resulted in a suggestion that a warning be added to some product labels that the product was not suitable for use in breeding animals. There was also a significant law suit wherein the plaintiffs were awarded US$1,007,500 against the defendants Farnham as a result of damages incurred because of the use of an organophosphate feed through fly control in their animals. Our personal feelings, in view of the documented evidence behind the problems with organophospate use in the pregnant mare, is to steer clear of it in our broodmares.
All I can say is that we have successfully used "rabon" for someplace from 10-15, and actually it should be closer to 18 now that I think about it. We started back around 1987. I would have to go back into our feed receipe and talk to my husband as he is the one with the percentages at which we add it to our mix. We do not top dress, it is add directly to our feed , it is minimal amouts like 4 pounds to a 1200 pound batch of feed (cattle feed was 8-10 for the same 1200 pounds of feed)--- We have never had a foal lost or aborted, never had a baby deformed, never had a reproductive problem. I read over some of the information , I have to say that I find some of the information so variable. How can you feed the same amount of grain, same amount of suppliments to all horses in all breeds and different weight catorgories,and having each horse digest and absorb its feed in a different manner, you are looking at a wide range of horse, breed, size, age , a horse at 11 and 23 is way to big a difference to use the same feeds and suppliments. There are way to many vairables in these two studies with way not enough horses. A grain itself can produce a nervous horse-- to much corn can do that. These two studies have to few horses to determine this kind of thing. We have ran about 25-30 horses on a product "rabon" no other items in the product but "rabon"-- its not a mixture of different things and we have never had a problem. That is like looking at the lost foals thing and the west nile vaccine and saying that west nile vaccine causes these difformities. I think for a study of this nature it needs to have alot more horses involved and situation with a whole lot less variables.
I will continue to use "rabon" in my feed with confidence.
I also use the west nile vaccine and have not had a problem. It was scarry to give the vaccine for the first time , but it was alot harder to loose a horse to the west nile virus.
Kim
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