Lizzie . . .

The Pergolide arrived yesterday, a day early, so Lizzie got started on that last night.  I hope the fact that I gave it to her in the same meal with her antibiotic powder (to keep the ear hematoma from developing infection) isn't a problem, but I looked online and couldn't see any conflict info about antibiotics and Pergolide, so . . . 

Her skin doesn't look a bit different 24 hours after the application of the ResiCort leave-in "conditioner" -- but I hope it just needs more time.

Forgot to mention -- on Tuesday night, those "cattle tags" that Ann suggested to keep flies off arrived.  But once I opened them, I found that those things are SO potent that I'm not going to use them.  They contain Diazanon (35% !!) and Coumaphos (15%) -- organophosphate insecticides -- and they are SO strong that when I opened the package I immediately stuffed them into a heavy-duty zip-loc freezer bag and put them out in the garage!  The whole house reeked for hours.  Whew!  Then, reading the literature that came with them, it said if you get the stuff on your clothes you need to take them off immediately and wash them separately from other laundry.  If one touches your skin, you have to wash the spot for 20 MINUTES !!!  And you need to use chemical-proof gloves "no thinner than 14 mils"  Good Lord!  Heavy duty contractor trash bags are only 3 mils thick!  That sounds like those horrendously heavy gloves we used to have to wear working with phenol when I was at Dow -- no WAY could I weave anything with those things on!!   But anyway, I have no intention of weaving those things into ANYONE's mane or tail.  First of all, how can I let the chemicals in those things spread over their skin when people are supposed to go nowhere near the stuff -- that CAN'T be good for them, flies or no flies!  And second, what if they were to nibble on each other's tags?? Maybe cattle don't tend to do that, but I can definitely see horses doing exactly that, just as they take off each other's fly masks and halters when turned out together.  All in all, just NOT a good plan.  Since I opened the package, I'm sure I can't return them, but maybe I can find some cattleman in the area who wants them.  But even if I'm out the $45 they cost, it's just not worth the risk to use them, in my opinion.  I should have read more before I ordered them, but I just ordered the ones with the most recent version.  (Supposedly good for flies and insects who had built up an immunity to previous versions.) 

So -- I'm going to go with the roll-on equine fly stuff around their faces and ears instead and hope for the best.  I doubt that it's the flies making Lizzie itch anyway, but I guess we'll find out . . .