Scaly leg--how long until Ivermectin works?

[Mountain_artist]

One of my 4 hens, Neptune, started limping on Tuesday. I noticed she had the beginnings of scaly leg mites. I've never dealt with that before, but I saw some scale separation and the limping foot looked slightly swollen. I checked the other 3 hens and one more showed some slight scale separation too, so I bought topical ivermectin last night and put 5 drops on the back/neck of each hen. (I did not want to mess with vaseline every other day because 2 of the 4 hens are very flighty and there was no way I'd be able to catch them multiple times. I also have 6 month old pullets that should be going into a part of the coop that I fence off for babies, and I need to get the mites dealt with asap so I can get the babies out of their brooder in my house!)

This morning the hens were all out in the run, but Neptune was still holding her foot up. She is still scratching and pecking, but clearly favoring her right leg. I read that the ivermectin starts working in 7 hours, but how long until her leg is better?

 

[nuthatched]

Weeks. It takes weeks for the scales to shed and regrow.

 

[Mountain_artist]

Weeks. It takes weeks for the scales to shed and regrow.

I know it takes a long time for the scales to improve/shed/molt/heal, but is that what's making her limp? I thought the mites tunnel into the legs and that causes the pain. I don't know what I'm doing though lol! I just want her to feel better. She is a gigantic black sex link and I feel bad that she's in pain like that, trundling around the coop and yard. Would the vaseline help it feel better, or is that just for killing the mites (which the ivermectin is already doing)?

 

[nuthatched]

I know it takes a long time for the scales to improve/shed/molt/heal, but is that what's making her limp? I thought the mites tunnel into the legs and that causes the pain. I don't know what I'm doing though lol! I just want her to feel better. She is a gigantic black sex link and I feel bad that she's in pain like that, trundling around the coop and yard. Would the vaseline help it feel better, or is that just for killing the mites (which the ivermectin is already doing)?

I imagine having slm feels like sunburns, Vaseline may sooth it.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Neptune was still holding her foot up. She is still scratching and pecking, but clearly favoring her right leg.

the limping foot looked slightly swollen.

started limping on Tuesday.

She could have a (minor) injury or separate bumble foot type issue.. for the limping to have been a recent occurrence.

 

[Mountain_artist]

She could have a (minor) injury or separate bumble foot type issue.. for the limping to have been a recent occurrence.

I thought that might be the case too at first, but I really checked her out good and couldn't find any other injury, hot spot, sore, or anything. She is really big so I actually thought she might have sprained it or something---her general way of moving around is always really clunky and graceless! But the only thing I can see is the scales lifting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you show a picture of the leg and scales? I would use Nustock cream on the legs every day for a few weeks. It has sulfur powder in pine oil and it kills the mites, while soothing the skin. Vaseline is also good to smother the leg mites, and neither has an egg withdrawal. What strength of ivermectin did you use? Ivermectin has to be reapplied after 14 days to get newly hatched mites from eggs. There is an egg withdrawal time for ivermectin, at least for 2 weeks. It is not approved for poultry. I would watch her to see if she has a sprain or other injury.

 

[Mountain_artist]

Can you show a picture of the leg and scales? I would use Nustock cream on the legs every day for a few weeks. It has sulfur powder in pine oil and it kills the mites, while soothing the skin. Vaseline is also good to smother the leg mites, and neither has an egg withdrawal. What strength of ivermectin did you use? Ivermectin has to be reapplied after 14 days to get newly hatched mites from eggs. There is an egg withdrawal time for ivermectin, at least for 2 weeks. It is not approved for poultry. I would watch her to see if she has a sprain or other injury.

My TS was out of NuStock cream--that was my first choice, but it was easy to talk myself into the ivermectin just because that's what TS had and it involved far fewer applications. Rounding them up last night to put the drops on nearly killed me lol! 2 hens do not want to be caught!
I can take pics of Neptune's legs tomorrow I just put them to bed and they were VERY grumpy with me after last night's bed time round up!
I used the Durvet ivermectin pour on, 5mg/ml. I applied 5 drops per hen with a syringe to the backs of their necks, which is the dose I read several places here--they are 3 big black sex links, and 1 barred rock. They were all free ranging in the yard all afternoon while I did yard work and seemed unaffected by the drops. Neptune's limp might have seemed slightly better--definitely not worse, but the improvement could have been wishful thinking--she is still chugging along, eating, drinking, squawking, and keeping up with the flock, but definitely favoring one leg. Yesterday morning before the drops, she was hanging out in the corner of the run, sitting in the dirt, which was unusual. None of that happening today! Does that mean the drops are working? Fingers crossed!

 

[Mountain_artist]

Update! It's now Sunday morning and Neptune is walking around just fine! So, to answer my own question, it took 3-4 days for the pain to go away, or at least abate enough to get rid of her limp. She actually charged at me and ran right out when I opened the coop!
I literally did nothing besides give each hen 5 drops of ivermectin pour on 3.5 days ago. I meant to rub vaseline on her legs to soothe them, but she kept running from me and I'd already killed my back catching them the first time. I'll reapply in a few days--I have to figure out how many days because I've read 7, 10, and 14!!