| Author |
Message |
    
Terri Berwanger
Weanling
Username: Terrib
Post Number: 45
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 06, 2006 - 01:31 pm: | 
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Sorry if this is long, but I want to get as many details as possible. I have an 8month pregnant mare who is losing weight. She has been out 24/7 until 2nd week in January. Had to start bringing her in because of weather and grass is at a minimum. When she came in I was delighted with the weight she had put on because she was always so skinny and in poor condition when I got her. I have changed nothing with her feed other then 4 smaller meals rather than two larger ones. She is actually getting a bit more feed now then before. She is on ad lib hay too. She seems happy and content in her stable and never seems stressed out. She also eats like a pig. She has more of an appetite than my other mares. She is uptodate on her wormers, and due one this week. Teeth are good. Also has a skin condition around her head. It's not lice, looks dandruffy and she is rubbing the crap out of it and has hair patches missing. On her back are a couple of bald spots too. She has been blanketed all winter so it can't be rain rot. She also had a nice bath before winter set in with anit-fungal shampoo. The only thing I can think of is the weather has been really dry the last 3 weeks and of course my mares have to roll in dirt. I brush them and stuff, but I was thinking maybe the rain keeps all the yucky stuff from getting into their coats. She is also very hairy and not losing much hair. My other two, who are due soon, are loosing hair like mad. I am just at a loss here and have no idea what to do. I am most annoyed about the weight thing. I do the best I think I'm doing by trying to keep their meals balanced, not too much protien, sugar at a minimum, ect. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Terri |
Jenn Van Horsen
Neonate
Username: Jennuwynn
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 12:52 pm: |
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Try dusting her with a lice product - I get one called Dri-Kill - I had a pony once that had free choice everything, he was out with my stud as a companion, and he started to lose weight and rub at himself too.
I tried everything, then called this one older vet I love and talked to him - he figured it had to be one of two things - it ended up being the cimpler thing, it was lice.
Little buggers had him a bot anemic, as they were the bloodsucking kind, but I could not find a trace of them on him anywhere!!
I wormed with Ivermectin, and dusted him with the Dri-Kill powder - you go right from the root of their tail up their backs and right up to the poll - I tend to run my hand along backwards through the hair so it stands up when I shake the stuff on, that way it gets right down to the skin - try that, I was plowing the food into my boy, and I was mazed at him still losing weight, and what got me was that my stud didn't get them at all!
Good Luck, hopefully it is just that.
Jenn  |
Lindros
Neonate
Username: Lindros
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 08:16 pm: |
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Deworming the mare with an ivermectin product will kill lice.
You should consider getting some bloodwork done! |
Terri Berwanger
Weanling
Username: Terrib
Post Number: 50
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:47 am: |
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Thanks guys.
Just dewormed her the day I wrote this post with Ivermectin. She had been previously done with Ivermectin 8 weeks before. As I was scared to use lice powder on a pregnant mare, we cleaned her up with some water with organic vinegar. She actually seems much happier, not itching, and picking up weight good. However, I will check into some lice products.
Asked my vet wether we should be doing and blood work and he just said see how we get on, and if she isn't improving he will do so. I have him coming next week to open a caslick anyway.
Thanks!
teb |
Jenn Van Horsen
Neonate
Username: Jennuwynn
Post Number: 8
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:20 pm: |
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I've used the powder before on all of them, I now dust them once or twice yearly because of the one time that one pony got them, and we still dont' know where they came from!
Glad to hear she is better, it must be a relief not to be so itchy!!
Jenn |
Emma
Breeding Stock
Username: Emma
Post Number: 147
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 07:12 am: |
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Lice eggs can stay dormat for around a year on things like wooden posts, trees and the likes. Anything that a horse can scratch itself on should be treated. Also if you have bought a second hand blanket you should make sure you powder or spray it for the little buggers. I have also noticed in my time some horses seem to get them yearly where other won't. I have a mare who is treated like a queen. She had done it tough before i got her and had lice, for the first 4 - 5years i had her she ALWAYS got lice at that time of year. I would like to say we have won the battle but now after 14years of owning the mare but I have to say we hit that time of year and I still check her daily. I find the horses and ponies who have been neglected at one time or another tend to get lice a lot easier, maybe they have a imbalance somewhere from being malnaurished even if they are now in good nick. |
Lisa Green
Nursing Foal
Username: Lisa
Post Number: 11
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 13, 2006 - 10:23 pm: |
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Hi Terri, I also had a mare last year who was close to foaling and we discovered she had lice! We had to be very careful with what you can and cannot use on a pregnant mare. We called several vets and product manufacturers, we were told to bath her and try to drown the lice. We did this several times and hogged her mane etc. and we found the human head lice combs great at getting the eggs and lice off (you just need to make sure you drown them in water so as they dont jump back on). We used a powder called 'Pestene' the maker assured us it was safe for pregnant mares!
Hope this helps! |
Terri Berwanger
Yearling
Username: Terrib
Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 - 12:24 am: |
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Did a bit of research and found that coconut oil based products actually suffocate lice. Some English woman was a teacher in a country where diets and bathing products contained loads of coconuts. She noticed kids never had any lice, did some research when she got back to England and this is what she found. Think I am going to try and bathe her in this and see how we get on! Better then chemicals. Plus it got kind of warm here so good opportunity to do so. Will look for the comb as well.
Thanks
terri |
Jennifer Demski
Weanling
Username: Jennifer_d
Post Number: 26
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 04:16 pm: |
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Terri,
I know mares that have thyroid issues sometimes lose weight and can drop hair. Probably not your issue, but if they are pulling blood have them run a T4. |
Terri Berwanger
Yearling
Username: Terrib
Post Number: 57
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 12:24 am: |
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Jennifer,
Thanks. I am going to do that just in case! |
