Adive on Sweet Itch Managment

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Nik90

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Apologies if I’ve put this in the wrong area.
My gelding seems to be developing sweet itch as he ages, have spoken to the vet and they did confirm that older ones can develop allergies with age. It seems mild compared to some horses but he has the thick flaky skin & will scratch until he removes hair or cuts himself. Seems to be predominantly affecting his mane & forehead, but now also his tail & belly near his sheath. I’ve never actually had to look after a horse with sweet itch so I’m a bit lost & looking for advice. He is currently out 24/7, will not tolerate being in the stable while there is grass. His field is relatively dry, is bordered by open fields on one side & is in the paddock which is further from the trees. It seems to drain relatively well, we only have puddles the day/night after torrential rain. I have a Masta fly rug but don’t like using it as I feel if it gets wet it won’t be good for his skin & I don’t want him to overheat if its sunny. It does not cover his belly. He gets a handful of fast fibre with his joint supplement, probiotic, garlic & linseed when he will eat it, other than that he just gets grass.
Does anyone have any tips? I’m guessing a sweet itch rug & fly repellent is a good starting point?
Any suggestions on rugs? I like the Snuggy ones but they’re so expensive! Was looking at the Premier Equine Supalite which comes as a regular fly rug or with water proof panels, any thoughts on these? Or of fly masks? He’s pink skinned & his nose burns easily so the more coverage the better. I should probably mention he’s a bit of a heavier build being a CobX, 16hh and fitting nicely in 6’9” Mark Todd & Weatherbeeta rugs.
Sorry for the essay & thanks for those who managed to read it.
 
There are as many ways to manage it as there are horses with it - barrier rugs, topical creams and lotions, antihistamines, herbal supplements, it is a question of trial and error. And some are allergic to other things in their environment, not just flying insects, so it all depends on how your horse responds. There are a few sweet itch groups on Facebook, best look there.
 
Is his paddock electric fenced so he cannot rub on anything. It is best if it is but if it isn't then it will cut down on the type of rug you can use. You will have to stick to the tough sorts like the Rambo/Premiere Equine/masta as ones made of the stretchy fabrics or Boett types will just get ripped if he has things to rub on. Coat the parts of the body not covered in the rug and mask with something like neem or Nettex stop itch cream on a regular basis.
 
Hi
As previous poster has said you really do need to do some research and go down the 3 pronged attack route;

Rugs; I really do not like them but you just have to change your mindset as they do work to a degree; I use the premier equine ones - one with the go faster waterproof strip pand one without- Some of these are not technically sweetitch rugs but are lovely and light and if problem is not severe may well do the job. Rambo ones are also good I have never gone down Boett route as my problem is not severe and I find them Soo ugly.

Lotions; I am having some success using Flints yard Itching plus camrosa for any raw bits.

Supplements; Brewers yeast plus avoid garlic like the plague.

Lifestyle ( Ok 4 prongs ) Mine are out most of day as I find my boy tends to itch most if he's in but I know many people say to bring in dawn and dusk- its just not practical for me.

My boy is not badly affected but unless I take steps to control it early in the year we tend to get a major flareup later in the year. I think that is perhaps the significant factor ; start preventative treatment early.

Hope that helps.
 
Thank you for the rely. Field has mains electric fencing as he is notorious for walking through it otherwise, and there isn't much else to scratch on. The stable is another matter as he will scratch a lot on the walls and door unless there is something to distract him, so I don't feel this would be a great idea. It's quite mild and as he has a few other issues we were not sure if it was really was Sweet Itch, but it looks like it is. I was thinking along the lines of applying cream to sooth the itching & fly spray & a rug to keep them off him. I would rather tackle it now as I want it under control and to try & limit the severity of it. My concern with the rugs is that he will over heat.
 
Neem oil is good, if its a midge allergy then the oil repels midges and oil also stops the midges biting where it is applied as they cant bite through it. Zinc oxide cream ie sudocream will also soothe and stop them biting and act as a sunscreen. If he is burning in the sun and itching maybe ask your vet too take a blood test for liver function . Brewers yeast fed over the required level may help as the excess is excreted through the skin and is detected by midges and repels them. My mare improved when taken off all alfafa ,clover, and limiting grass and anything sweet ie no molasses etc. She is out rugless now for most of the year only rugged when horseflies are around or really loads of midges and flys. I have also used aloe vera gel which is cooling under her tummy but not her udders as its too cold but down the backs of legs as well, not to used in hot sun where they may burn though . Nettex do a good cream which is effective.
 
Ditto advice re. avoiding garlic like the plague. If you're feeding Fast Fibre OP then check out what's in it, coz I believe this does have garlic in :( Also check out any "fly" supplements you buy as they'll often have it in.

Also avoid sweet, mollasses-type foods, think "sweet" itch (the old name for this disorder).

Rug: IMO the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody rug is unsurpassed. Expensive, yes, but they last, and will sell well on places like e-bay too. Second is Premier Equine; however I have had sizing issues with theirs, but they (if they fit!) are good well made rugs and cheaper than the Rambo.

Supplements: mine has Brewers Yeast, Clivers (sticky stuff that grows in hedges, chopped/raw at this time of year, you can also get it dried), Cider Vinegar, Micronised Linseed, Nettles (chopped and fed when dry OR powdered supplement - a natural Antihistimine).

Topical applications: I find Killitch (active ingredient Benzyl Benzoate which you can get more cheaply) effective. Have just started with Neem oil; brushing it on his legs, mane, tail, ears, face & anywhere else exposed. It stinks!! Also stains on white/grey coats so bear this in mind.

Grazing: high & breezy is best: woodland/common land nearby, in a valley with standing water - worst.

Riding: you can get ride-on fly/midge sheets which make life a lot easier and will mean that you can protect the horse at all times. Mine wears a light fly rug with combo neck when he's standing in the stable.

Its really about constant vigilance. Your temperature alert for midges will be 11C; anything above this and you'll need to take sweet itch precautions, or even below it on a muggy/humid day with no wind. I was out on Christmas Day a few years ago prancing around in posh frock & putting on a sweet itch rug!

Oh........ with supplements, you'll need to feed at least three months ahead of time in order to fully get the benefit. I usually feed a maintenance amount of supplement during the winter months - then come the half term break in February will start to be aware of the possibility of midges, right through (my rule of thumb) to the half term break at the end of October, when you may (only may!) begin to relax a little more.

The important thing with a SI is to prevent the midges biting in the first place; so appropriate rugging at all times is going to be your best defence.

A SI diagnosis might seem scarey, but it IS a condition that can be managed. My boy has it, and I've seen what can happen if he's let go coz when he went on loan a few years ago they "forgot" to put his SI rug on and over the course of a really hot/heatwave weekend, he'd managed to rub himself raw and bleeding; but now he's got a lovely full mane and tail and you'd never guess he has sweet itch.

You may find it helpful to ask your vet for some bloods to determine exactly what level of severity your horse's allergy is.
 
Thanks again for all the replies. I have ordered the premier equine rug as I have read that they're a better fit for chunky horses than the rambos and he's quite big over the shoulders. I am waiting on the feed store getting the brewer's yeast in & I will check the fast fibre, have already stopped straight garlic, though to be honest, he won't eat anything just now unless its grass or the odd nibble of hay. Unfortunately he is developing a few issues with age & thankfully isn't needle shy as he's had quite a few tests now! The sweet itch is very mild, I was just trying to get on top of it to stop it from becoming bad. I have applied the ruggle it oil to exposed skin (but not bits that are libel to burn) as it has neem & there are no bite marks there now so I think its helping. I have fed him Alfa A with oil over winter due to the fact he drops condition quite easily over winter, sorry to ask another question but does anyone have any suggestions what I can replace it with? He has a fairly low sugar diet, I do not buy molassed feeds so I don't think this would be an issue, other than what sugar he can get from the grass.
He certainly seems comfortable just now & seems to be suffering less from the flies than his two field companions.
 
If you have a chunky horse you could try corner stone browbands on eBay. They used to sell boet like rugs for half the price and I found them longer lasting and a better fit (he was a chunky ish sec d).

I recommend neem oil and Avon skin so soft (be careful in the sun as its oil) to cover the areas not covered by the rug.

Feed linseed oil (I used to buy the seed and boil it myself as it was cheaper... Watch out for it going gloopy) to help the skin and coat. It will help with the dry flaky skin. Also look to remove as much if not all sugar from the diet. It's supposed to attract midges.

I got my pony back into show condition (from having no mane) from doing those things. He lived out 24/7 and if I rode I just tried to ensure we were covered in fly spray and neem oil (it stinks). I didn't like using rugs all the time but he was so keen to have it on. After riding you could see him being irritated by the midges and wanting it back on so after that I could tell he was ok with it.

Good luck as its tough but when you get it under control after sorting it out initially you and horse will be ok :)
 
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