Lice?

[Kevin Cunningham]

My off steer has been itching his neck and shoulders ever since he started to shed this spring.    He had some bald spots for  awhile but the hair did come back.  Now he has developed scabby raised bumps all over his neck and shoulders.  It rubs him in the yoke so I am going to stop yoking for a while.  I thought maybe he has lice, but I am not sure I can see any.  I have seen lice on goats before but I have not seen any on cattle.  The bumps got bad all of the sudden and there is even a thick “pad” on his dewlap, maybe where the bow sits?  I talked to the vet today and he suggested that I just go ahead a worm them. Of course they say that every time I am in there.  I am not against worming them if needed but we just had a fecal done and his counts were normal.  I know the treatment would take care of the lice but like I said I am not certain that is what is going on.  Any ideas on what might be going on?

[Paulk]

My Belgium mule had the same problem when I got him this winter and looked horrible.  He was way under weight also, so I wormed him and started feeding him senoir feed, corn oil and beet pulp. He started to look a little better and I was advised to worm him again incase it was lice or mange as the ivermec is supposed to kill either.  Another month or so went by, he started getting bald spots on his back, withers rump and back of his legs. It looked like elephant skin so after consulting the vet and others I bought some Ivermectin pour on and dosed him with that.  About a week later I am embarassed for people to drive by and see him as apparently which ever it was (lice or mange)  the pour killed but where he was severely infected the hair is falling out and he has big bald spots all over his back and withers.  The vet said this is normal and the hair should come back in and he should look fine.

My point to all of this is, address it quickly and treat it or you may end up with an unslightly looking animal as I currently have.  Not to mention mange or lice can spread rapidly and cause weight loss etc.

[Kevin Cunningham]

Mange,  that is totally what he is suffering from.  I just did some research and the pictures confirm it.  That is why I haven’t been able to see any lice, because the mites that cause mange are microscopic.  He will be treated for that right away, the barn is getting cleaned out and disinfected.  Nasty.  I am now concerned because I have been itching a bit too lately, but I just thought it was the poision oak I was chainsawing through the other day.  I don’t need scabies right now.

[Paulk]

Lol.  My wife is the same way if I talk of lice or mange.  The good thing is that to my knowledge lice and mange are species specific!

[Kevin Cunningham]

Luckily I am pretty sure that I am itching from the poison oak not mites.  But the vet did confirm it today and he got treated for mange mites.  That is why I couldn’t find any lice on him, microscopic mites.  Hopefully this clears up soon because he is mostly affected on the neck right were the yoke sits.  I have to not yoke him for while till he heals. Looks like he will be getting some extra ground work till then.

[CharlyBonifaz]

hope you have treated number two as well …

 

[Kevin Cunningham]

Yes, both were treated even though the nigh steer hasn’t shown any signs, he is obviously in contact and probably at least a carrier.

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