Another sweet itch thread!!!!

C

coloured_c0b

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 December 2011
Messages
228
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
So my old boy is suffering badly this year with sweet itch.. the first year since i've owned him. i dont have much experience dealing with sweet itch but have done lots of research and read some useful information on here. anyway it had got to the point where i couldn't even bring him in without him rubbing himself raw (his constant itching was really distressing to see) so in came the vet, and injected him a couple of days ago with a steroid, and also gave me some steroid cream to apply to the main and tail. i have also been liberally applying nettex itch stop cream all over his face mane and tail. anyway fast forward a couple of days and although the flackyness in his mane has disappeared he still continues to itch, not as severely as before. but thought i would have seen more of an improvement by now. :(
does anyone have any experience of steroid injections? or just any advice in general about sweet itch. he's turned out 24/7 due to him having arthritis and is rugged and masked and covered in fly spray. he's on unmollased chaff and brewers yeast so he can be fed his joint supplement
 
Firstly what kind of rug do you have? Don't try and get away with anything but a good quality sweet itch rug(not saying you do). Don't even take it off to ride at the worst times, take the belly flap off and put your saddle over it (bit hard with the snuggy's as they are warm).
Are you electric taped everywhere? You may not be able to bring him into a stable because it gives him something to rub on unless you can get it set up with a fan inside blowing enough to keep midges out.
I tried steroids once years ago but have been scared of doing since because of the laminitis risk.
We use the Bioeos capsules and have seen a year on year improvement since using them although we still have to be careful.
I've tried brewers yeast, linseed and other food additives over the years with no appreciable difference.
All horses are different, you just need to find how best to manage yours.
 
Try washing the area every day for a week, you can buy some benzle ( can t remember the exact name) cheap from your chemist, this really work and sooths the area which becomes warm with the itching, and i agree a really good fly rug!!!!!!!!
 
Agree with washing the area try a medicated shampoo then when dry put the cream on, the only thing benzole benzoate will do is stop the itching sudocrem also has it in you could try that, I use it if my mare has a weepy open wound and she had a few this year on her face and it did work,

She only really had them on her face this year her body, mane and tail have been ok she only gets it mild but I bought a sweet itch mask and she wears it day and night it has helped.
 
I have a pagony rug and a masta bug rug hood for mine and he does not itch at all. The right rug is the first thing, electrify the field so he can't rub, you have to break the itch scratch cycle then protect him from new bites (with the rug, which won't do that if its shredded hence the electric!).

Is it definitely sweetitch, just you mention he is old, an itchy old Shetland I had the vet said might be cushings as itchiness is a symptom of Cushings as well (turned out to be lice although I never saw any on him it responded to treatment).
 
Good sweet ich rug and electric fencing...You have to fence off the areas where he is scratching to help stop the cycle. If you've ever had a bad itch or excema you'll know that scratching will only worsen the itch. He will still be able to roll and use his teeth/hooves but won't be able to rip himself apart on things.
I have found the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody and Coopers Fly Repellent Plus to be the combo for my cob .
 
My cob never showed any signs of sweetitch until last year and then it was very late on in the season, this year I have been ready for him and I use sudocrem on his mane and tail and then I have a rambo sweetitch rug, it is brilliant. I am very impressed with the quality of it. He has remained 'intact' this year, he still has a full mane and although he has rubbed his tail it is now growing back nicely.
 
thanks everyone.. i've tried benzole benzoate and it didn't do anything for him.. he's in a mark todd fly sheet at the mo as i was looking at getting a second hand boett rug but are the rambo one's just as good. i seriously can't afford the boett one at its price tag and even second hand ones are still pricey!! i will look into the rambo one!! his field is already electrified, and the only thing he can rub on currently is his water trough!! i've been washing with maleseb shampoo but only weekly so thing i'll increase this. i think it may finally be starting to work all the lotions and potions as when i went up today his mane was alot less flaky and he didn't seem to want to itch as much!! i think next year i'll have to be on the ball and start applying in february/march. thanks for all your advice.. feeling more hopeful now!!
 
If you can't afford Boett go for the Cornerstonebrowbands copy on ebay. They are good value and made to measure and reasonably tough material. The Rambo's are good if you have a rug wrecker though you don't get quite as good coverage. You may have to fence off the trough if he's rubbing on it and give him water in tubs he can't use to rub on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top