Fourth dose of ivermectin?

[sarahbobo]

Hi, my flock has scaly leg mites, somewhat severe cases. I've given them all 3 doses of ivermectin so far, 2 weeks apart, and their feet still look the same. The old scales haven't sloughed off, no new scales appearing. Should I give them a fourth ivermectin dose? I tried the smothering in oil method on one of them once, but we live in such a dusty area, her feet were immediately coated in dust and dirt, which I can't imagine is good for anything.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi, my flock has scaly leg mites, somewhat severe cases. I've given them all 3 doses of ivermectin so far, 2 weeks apart, and their feet still look the same. The old scales haven't sloughed off, no new scales appearing. Should I give them a fourth ivermectin dose? I tried the smothering in oil method on one of them once, but we live in such a dusty area, her feet were immediately coated in dust and dirt, which I can't imagine is good for anything.

Please post some photos.
What dose are you giving and how are you administering the Ivermectin?

 

[sarahbobo]

Please post some photos.
What dose are you giving and how are you administering the Ivermectin?

Thank you for your reply as always. They get it orally. For the first 2 doses, I gave them 0.01ml for each pound, but when I saw no improvement I upped the dose by a couple hundredths for each bird. Here are their feet:

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would apply vaseline, castor oil or NuStock to the feet to help soften and heal the scales. Work the oil/ointment up so it gets underneath the raised scales.
It will attract dirt, but that will wear off too. I would do this once a week.

The Ivermectin has likely killed the SLM.

 

[sarahbobo]

I would apply vaseline, castor oil or NuStock to the feet to help soften and heal the scales. Work the oil/ointment up so it gets underneath the raised scales.
It will attract dirt, but that will wear off too. I would do this once a week.

The Ivermectin has likely killed the SLM.

Okay, will do - thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

What is the strength of your ivermectin, and is it pour-on, oral, or what? Where did you apply it? The dosage of ivermectin pour-on if it is the 5 mg per ml, is 0.1 ml per every 2 pounds of weight, not 0.01 ml. So for a 6 pound bird, that would be 0.3 ml given once and again in 14 days. It is put on the back of the neck over the spine where it is absorbed. There are other strengths available, so it is always good to know the product or see a label. I agree that putting the vaseline, or any kind of non-toxic oil and rubbing it into the scales is very good once a week. Castor oil, available in large bottles online and cheap, is a little less messy. The dirt that gets stuck on the legs is no big deal, and comes off eventually. Some people also use Nustock Cream, which is a sulfur powder mixed with mineral oil, and that works well too. Some even make their own.

 

[sarahbobo]

What is the strength of your ivermectin, and is it pour-on, oral, or what? Where did you apply it? The dosage of ivermectin pour-on if it is the 5 mg per ml, is 0.1 ml per every 2 pounds of weight, not 0.01 ml. So for a 6 pound bird, that would be 0.3 ml given once and again in 14 days. It is put on the back of the neck over the spine where it is absorbed. There are other strengths available, so it is always good to know the product or see a label. I agree that putting the vaseline, or any kind of non-toxic oil and rubbing it into the scales is very good once a week. Castor oil, available in large bottles online and cheap, is a little less messy. The dirt that gets stuck on the legs is no big deal, and comes off eventually. Some people also use Nustock Cream, which is a sulfur powder mixed with mineral oil, and that works well too. Some even make their own.

It's oral. I got it from my vet, who prescribed the 0.01ml per pound dosage, but based on my research that was the lowest possible dosage, so when I didn't see improvement I upped it a tiny bit for their third dose. I'm glad to hear the dirt isn't a big deal - the area they free range in during the day is all dirt (desert life + chickens = no ground cover), so their feet instantly get coated when there's oil on them, lol.

 

[DanishChickChick]

Some finding from the WWW on IVERMECTIN
Ivermectin has used to treat a variety of internal nematode infections, including Onchocerciasis, Strongyloidiasis, Ascariasis, cutaneous larva migrans, filariases, Gnathostomiasis and Trichuriasis, as well as for oral treatment of ectoparasitic infections, such as Pediculosis (lice infestation) and scabies (mite infestation).14) Ivermectin is the essential mainstay of two global disease elimination campaigns that should soon rid the world of two of its most disfiguring and devastating diseases, Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic filariasis, which blight the lives of billions of the poor and disadvantaged throughout the tropics. It is likely that, throughout the next decade, well over
Hundreds of MILLIONS of people will be taking the drug annually or semi-annually, via innovative globally-coordinated Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programmes. Indeed, the discovery, development and deployment of ivermectin, produced by an unprecedented partnership between the Private Sector pharmaceutical multinational Merck & Co. Inc., and the Public Sector Kitasato Institute in Tokyo, aided by an extraordinary coalition has been recognized by many experts and observers as one of the greatest medical accomplishments of the 20th century
Approved for human use in 1987, today it is used to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis), strongyloidiasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through many mechanisms to kill the targeted parasites and can be taken orally, or applied to the skin for external infestations.