Does Ivermectin given orally kill scaly leg mites?

[BWchicken]

My 1 year old d'uccle roo recently grew in some new leg feathers, which has the skin and follicles inflamed and red, but now I'm also noticing bumpy raised scales so I suspect scaly leg mites. Anyone who has d'uccles knows how heavily feathered their feet and legs are (it's almost ridiculous, but pretty to look at), so I don't think oily topicals are my best option. Also, I want to treat the whole flock at once. I'm hoping to use 1% injectable ivermectin in their water, but does anyone know if it will kill scaly leg mites if given that way? (and would it kill gapeworm and body lice/mites too?) What is the correct dosage and for how long? I've read conflicting posts as to whether injectable ivermectin is really water soluble.

Thanks!

 

[BWchicken]

I'm still looking for advice, please respond if you can help me with this. Thanks!

 

[MotherJean]

Personally, I wouldn't use ivermectin for leg mites because the eggs cannot be eaten for something like 3 weeks with that drug. I would use WD40 (yes, the petroleum based lubricant). Because it is a spray, it works fine on feathered legs. Give a liberal spray and then rub it into the legs and feathers. Do this once a week for 3 weeks. Alternatively, you can use mineral oil or olive oil. Easiest way to do that is put the oil in a tall plastic water glass and dip each leg into the oil up to the body feathers. This treatment is also once a week for 3 weeks. Lots of people use petroleum jelly successfully, but as you point out, this would be my last choice for feather-footed birds.

 

[Mahonri]

I'd get a can of Pam and spray down those legs (with the feathers) every evening for a week.

 

[BWchicken]

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I should've mentioned that I also need to treat for gapeworm and lice. I suspect sparrows transmitted these things to my birds. So I'm hoping to kill 3 birds with one stone so to speak, for the whole flock. Scaly leg mites, gapeworm, lice. Will injectable ivermectin work for all those, and is it water soluble? I'm not sure about the dosage either.

 

[MotherJean]

I've read dosages that seem all over the ballpark. Once poster said her Vet told her to use 1 drop directly into the mouth for each 5 lbs. of weight. I read another post that said 3 drops for Bantams and 5 drops for large fowl. I think the reason it is best to dose each bird directly instead of in the water is because it's the only way you can be sure every bird is getting the proper dosage. Not every bird drinks the same amount of water as another so when the drug is in a solution like that, some may not get enough meds to be effective. Have also read that the Ivermectin injectable is oil based liquid which does not mix well with water. I don't know if that is a fact, just relaying what I've read. Maybe someone else will come along with a more precise dosage for you.

 

[BWchicken]

Quote:
Me too, it's confusing. Like, how much is a drop? A drop can vary greatly in size depending on what is used as a dropper. A drop from a syringe needle would be miniscule compared to a drop from a bulb-type dropper. I'm terrified of overdosing my bantams, and have read ivermectin has a very narrow safety margin for dosing.

 

[MotherJean]

Okay, until someone else comes along, this appears to be THE definitive thread on worming with everything from Wazine to Ivermectin. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213065&p=1 Post #10 suggests the Ivermectin pour-on be used on the skin, back of the neck, .25cc for Bantams and .5cc for large breeds. You'll need a syringe with the needle removed to get that measurement.

This thread goes on for many pages, but has a real treasure trove of good info.

 

[MotherJean]

Mississippi State University: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disparas.htm Info on gapeworm is about 1 page down.

You might want to bookmark this site. I've found it very informative and found answers to a lot of my questions here.

 

[jim&julie]

The Ivermectin will take care off all the internal worms and body mites however on a regular basis I 7dust for those red mites and WD40 the legs for the scaley mites. I don't think Ivermectin will get to those. They need to be suffocated and any oil works. The WD 40 is just handy and I can spray without disturbing anyone during the day and they don't mind.