How can mites in horses be treated? Find out how this problem affects horses and ponies.
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations Guide to Treating Mites
Heel mites cause an itchy condition called chorioptic mange or ‘itchy heels’. Affected horses stamp and chew their legs or rub them to relieve the itching. Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye. They live on the surface of a horse’s skin and feed on flakes of dead skin. Sometimes the crusts they produce move – like walking dandruff.
Treatment is tricky, as mites are widespread – and other horses nearby may be harbouring mites even if they don’t have any symptoms. It is therefore important to look out for the early signs of the problem. If there horses are housed together it can be necessary to treat them all to prevent the problem from recurring.
The treatment is usually to wash a horse’s legs with an anti-parasitic shampoo. A special shampoo that gently removes dead skin is helpful, as it allows the active ingredients to get to work better. It’s important to repeat after 10 to 14 days to catch any mites that hatched since the first application. An oral treatment of ivermectin wormer at the time of the first shampoo helps to kill the mites.
If your horse is stabled, keep the environment clean. Make sure bedding is removed and the area disinfected after each stage of treatment –or else your horse could pick up mites again. Straw can be too abrasive for horses that have sore legs, and it can harbour mites, so consider swapping to shavings or rubber matting.
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations are here to help you with a collection and cremation services for horses – we cover the counties of Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire within a two to three hour drive, as well as offering a nationwide horse collection and cremation service. We give you the opportunity to grieve as our equine end of life service takes care of practical arrangements for you. For more help or advice contact us on one of the following:-
Leyland Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Warrington Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Southport Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Wigan Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
St Helens Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
