Mange in Horses: What It Is and How to Treat Your Horse
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The skin is the largest organ of a horse, which means it can be affected by several different diseases and parasites, including mange in horses. It’s important to be able to identify key signs of mange in order to treat this condition as quickly as possible.
Key Takeaways
- Mange in horses is rare but it should be treated as soon as symptoms start, to prevent it from spreading.
- Eliminating mange from the environment is just as important as treating your horse.
- There are several types of mange mites in horses.
- Use personal protection equipment like gloves during treatment for mange.
What Is Mange in Horses?
Mange is a disease that affects the skin of horses. Mange develops when a mite (a tiny bug in the tick/spider family) burrows into the skin, which causes irritation and hypersensitivity.
Different types of mites cause mange in horses. Each mite causes mange on different locations of the horse’s body. These types include:
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Sarcoptic mange (also called scabies or body mange)
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Psoroptic mange (also called mane mange)
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Chorioptic mange (also called leg mange)
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Demodectic mange
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Harvest mites (also called chiggers or trombiculids)
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Straw Itch mites (also called forage mites)
The most common type of mange in horses is chorioptic mange. It is commonly found in draft horses and those with a large number of feathers (long hairs) on their legs. However, any breed of horse is susceptible to getting mange.
The likelihood of your horse contracting mange is rare. This condition is more common in other furry friends, like dogs.
Mange is rarely a medical emergency, but if left untreated, it can spread and cause extreme itchiness that leads to secondary infections, muscle wasting, and weakness.
Symptoms of Mange in Horses
Common signs of mange in horses include:
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Itching
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Hair loss
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Raised bumps
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Thickening of the skin
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Crusting
Causes of Mange in Horses
Mange is caused by mites that take advantage of their environment to infect animals. For example, these bugs enjoy cooler months when a horse’s winter coat starts to develop. Some mites will even live in a horse’s feed or bedding, causing horses to contract the mites through contact.
How Veterinarians Diagnose Mange in Horses
Your veterinarian will diagnose mange through a skin scrape. They will use a small blade moistened with mineral oil and scrape it against the horse’s skin to collect a sample of skin cells.
The sample will be placed on a slide and examined under a microscope. If no mites are found, your veterinarian may opt to perform a skin biopsy. Skin biopsies are performed by surgically removing a piece of skin tissue. This is commonly done with a large needle or a biopsy device called a punch.
Your horse’s health history and environment is also an important tool in helping your veterinarian make their diagnosis. It is important to note the following:
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Your horse’s housing (indoor barn or pasture)
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Typical diet
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Local environment, including how wooded and muddy their pasture or trails are when outside
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Location of any bumps, lesions, or crusting on the horse’s skin
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If other horses at your barn have any symptoms similar to mange
Treating Mange in Horses
Treating mange in horses can be simple as long as it is done early. Untreated mange can spread over the entire body, causing extreme muscle and fat loss, weakness, and decreased appetite.
Clipping the hair (especially for mange in horse’s leg feathers) is a good first step to remove the environment that allows the mites to thrive. This also helps with applying any topical treatment later.
The most common treatment for mange in horses is to apply a diluted hot lime sulfur dip or spray to the affected areas. This treatment is typically repeated every 12 days if needed.
Another treatment is to use dewormers such as ivermectin or moxidectin, given orally by your vet. These tend to be effective for psoroptic, chorioptic, and sarcoptic mange in horses.
Another option is to apply permethrin spray labeled for mange mites. Reapply as needed until symptoms subside or your vet clears the horse of infection.
In severe cases of mange causing extreme itching, glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone may be prescribed to help treat any secondary bacterial infections. Glucocorticoids are commonly used in treating harvest mites and straw itch mites. Antibiotic treatment may be required to heal the skin.
Recovery and Management of Mange in Horses
With proper treatment, a horse will typically recover from mange in 12–14 days. Severe mange can take upward of three to four months to resolve if several treatments are needed.
It is important to also clean the horse’s environment to eliminate all mites and prevent re-exposure to your horse. All horses on the property may need to be treated during this period as well.
Prevention of Mange in Horses
There are quite a few easy and affordable ways to help prevent mange in horses.
The first step is keeping your horse in good overall health and treating different illnesses as they come. Horses are more susceptible to mange when they have coexisting conditions.
Other preventative measures include:
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Keep your horse up to date on dewormer and use insecticide spray to help prevent mites from contacting your horse.
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Quarantine new horses and watch for any health symptoms before introducing them to the rest of the herd. This not only helps prevent the spread of mange, but also several other highly contagious diseases.
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Practice good hygiene by sanitizing tack and brushes used between horses and keep stalls cleaned with fresh bedding.
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Supplement your horse’s feed with a skin and coat oil to help protect and strengthen their skin. Wash any mud off your horse’s legs and prevent muddy areas from forming in the pasture.
Mange in Horses FAQs
What does mange on a horse look like?
Mange looks like small bumps and crusting lesions that are thickened. Hair loss can also be noted around these lesions.
Is horse mange contagious to humans?
In certain cases, mange can be contagious to humans when in close contact. Sarcoptic mange in particular is highly contagious and causes extreme itching and a rash. It is always best to wear proper protection such as gloves, pants, and long sleeves when dealing with mange.