How do you know if your horse/s have mange? How do you treat it?

Question

My horses have been getting itchy legs, some are missing hair on their faces and chests. This is not improving with the usual treatments of insect repellants, for flies.

There's a lot of ticks on the property, but it's not explaining these issues entirely. They are being treated for the ticks. They are treated with permoxin, which is effective in killing the ticks.

There's also Queensland Itch and Neck Thread worms, but this is also not explaining the pattern of itching.

They recently moved onto a new property and were transported via a float that transports other horses and to horse show. Meaning there's horses in the float that regularly come into contact with many other horses.

I've been researching on the internet and they seem to also have the symptoms of mange. I was wondering how to tell if my horses have mange and if so, how to treat it.

Answer 1

For tips for people other than getting Veterinary advice, I've discovered at least one of my horses has mange. It was something I was baffled by, as how did she catch it? We've had the worst bush fire disaster in our country in recorded history and it's forced all sorts of wildlife onto the property. One of the creatures seeking refuge is a wild dog. It is thin and covered in mange. Not well at all. So it solves the problem of how the horse contracted it. I now have to keep an eye out on the other horses. Some pictures of the mange.

Appearance

1 Face and neck view

She's lost patches of hair on her face.

2 Cheek and neck view

A good view of the mange.

3 Back view

Hair loss along her back. The yellow is a mixture of the sulphur and mite powder.

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Treatment

Wash affected areas with a solution of "malaban" (tradename), effective in the treatment of Sarcoptic Mange.

Applied a mite powder, also for the control of mange to the affected areas while wet and rubbed in.

Used a permoxin mix and sulphur to the solution to kill and repel ticks.

Repeat weekly.

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Reading

Mange in Horses - MSD MANUAL Veterinary Manual

Watch out for 8 common equine skin diseases - Equus Magazine