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VETERINARY ADVICE
Over the past five years, vet Stephen Ashdown has written many articles, spoken on equine matters and contributed widely to horse magazines.

Here he reproduces in the form of questions and answers about 100 topics, all of them common problems which afflict horses.

To access Topics click on Vet Advice Menu.

Ticked Off
Q I live in the South of France and have a terrible problem with my new Arab youngster - she is covered in ticks. We have found as many as 40 of these horrid creatures on her, but I am told there is no legal treatment on the market for them. What can I do, I don't know where to turn next?

A You are right to think there is a lack of licensed products for treating tick and mite problems in horses. I wouldn't like to suggest that you use unlicensed products but, instead, think you should treat them manually and consider the use of herbal-based treatment.

First try applying Vaseline to each individual tick. This stops them breathing and forces them to detach themselves. If you don't have any success with this simple method, ticks can be removed with tweezers - taking great care not to leave behind any heads. Useful plastic forks are available in the UK that slip neatly around a tick's head, allowing you to twist them off.

Of course, you need your horse to be patient and stand still while you do this. Herbal products based on cedar, may help.

 

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