Advise needed - Alee has sweetitch!!

Halfpass

Halfpass

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Or at least thats what it looks like.
It started a few weeks ago and came up in loads of fly bite type lumps on her neck then I noticed that the mane started looking thinner just on one area of her neck so I took her lightweight neck cover off at night thinking it may be rubbing her this didn't work so I put it back on thinking she may be rubbing her nck through the post and rail fencing its still not working and now its come up with lots of flacky scabs. Its only in one area on her mane and doesn't seem to be on her tail but its getting worse each time I see her. I've tried slapping heaps of Benzylbenzoate and thats not working.
Any advise / ideas on products to use / feed etc etc would be very much appreciated. If it is sweetitch I would like to try and get hold of it now before it gets much worse.
Here are some piccies, what do you think?
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I *think* the thickened skin is common with sweet-itch (at least Chex gets that
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). Thats exactly the same place Chex gets it too. I have started feeding marmite which is working so far, will change to brewer's yeast when I find somewhere that sells it. I don;t know why the Benzylbenzoate hasn't worked though
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Yep. that's the part of the mane that Daisy gets it too, I have hogged her so I can treat it more thorough.
I wash it in tea tree shampoo, (from tescos) then rub in benzyl benzoate and leave it for ten mins, then wash it out, it really eases it for her, she has her fly rug on 24/7 and it's only gonna get worse with the warmer weather I am afraid.
Kate x
 
I'm not sure what the deal with marmite is, but I think its the B vitamins that the midges don't like, B1 (Thiamin) in particular. Marmite is rich in these, being a yeast extract (I think lol). An alternative is brewers yeast. I feed a tablespoon a day of marmite. Not sure about the benzyl, I've not used it myself, just heard it works well to stop the itching. I use a lot of fly spray too.
 
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