any opinions on the injection for sweet itch

Not sure if the injection I had is the same one you are talking about (and don't have a clue what it is called!!) but my horse was injected last year and the year before. I didn't think it made any difference so I didn't have it done this year - how wrong I was!! I will certainly have it done again next year, and I will make sure that I have it done early before the little buggers start make him itch!!!

I have had a lot of current success with aloe vera though in helping to clear up his problem areas.
 
i had my horse injectiet with some thing for sweet itch but dont know what it was called it got to the point he was that itchy he was biting chunks out of his whole body and yes that worked!
 
Corticosteroids injections can be helpful but the side effect can be laminitis.
I have a severe sweet itcher but would rather that than laminitis tbh...
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Its horrible isn't it?!!
My cobs life has been transformed since moving fields/areas..

He lives out 24/7..can't stable him as he'd rip himself to pieces!!.. electric fencing all round, an exposed field on a hillside where its almost always blowing a breeze/gale!!, well away from any muckheaps/ watersource. Everyday I spary him head to toe with flyspary made from Avon bath oil (recipe in Stable Yard forum) and in really midgy weather I use Net Tex Sweet Itch Slave on his face, belly and sheath and can get away with a bog standard fly sheet now but have a Boett for just in case..
Before I moved I was considering PTS as he was soooo miserable..

Good luck with yours...its almost a year round thing now too isn't it?!!
 
I would like to know about if this works. Mine with my management suffer from mild SI. They have full manes and tails and no sores, but it does take a bit of work to keep them like this.

I manage it by having them out all summer with electric fencing. I cover them in my fly spray - in receipes section, and sudocream on sheath and udder twice a day. They both wear fly rugs and crusader masks - one with long nose and ears which protects their heads.

I spend a small fortune on brewyers yeast and skratch which really helps. I have also been told by my vet that pernamax - normally fed for joints also is very beneficial and may try this next year.

Doing this does work, the only thing I can't stop them doing is rubbing their bellies, this year has been so bad that I did have the vet out for Chancer as his sheath was sore but some Fuciderm soon fixed it.
 
There is a trial drug that certain Vets have been approached by their drug company to try. It is a course of injections for SI and is proving very effective. It is not licensed as yet as it is still under supervision (You would have to sign a disclaimer before it can be used) but if your Practice has been offered the trial it may be worth speaking to them.

My OH has been trialing it on a hand full of his clients horses with really bad SI and has had 95% success.
 
Theresa_F how interesting about pernamax. I feed my horse these tablets as he has ligament problems. I never knew they could help with itching. My horse never had true sweet itch but was always very itchy and for the last six months or so has not been so itchy. We put it down to moving yard and changing feed but maybe the pernamax has also helped as we started feeding him this about six months ago.
 
There is an injection you can get from the vet but there is a risk of laminitis.
There is a vaccine trial that the sweet itch society run.
I was on it last year and it consisted of three injections then a course of capsules every two weeks till the end of the midge season.
They didnt have the injections this year just the capsules and only the peopele that handed in there form at the end of last year were allowed to take part this year.
My pony wears a boet rug and i use the products from the sweet itch company to help with the bits that arnt covered up and he looks really good.
I cant really say for sure if the trial has helped because i dont know what he wouldve been like without it.
I d like to think that its helped as it was quite expensive.
Ill probably give it a miss next year just to see.
I think if you keep on top the situation and religiously put on the creams etc there shouldnt be a problem.
Good old sudecrem is a must as well
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Debs x
 
Had my very fit qualified for all regionals horse injected by the vet with steroids and the result was chronic laminitis that has put him out of work all summer

I will never jab with steroids again, and was really p'eed off they didn't even mention the risk.

However mine then had to be stabled and is now on a routine of being out at night (after dark) and in during the day which works really well with his sweet itch.
 
thanks for your tips and stories of what has happened to each of you.
some new things to try out next year as well i agree sudo is fab for everything !!

cotswoldsj OMG i would have been p'eed off too hers to hoping you qualify again best of luck..

currently electric fenced off turned out 24/7 in a boett style rug sprayed with a lot of home made fly spray and additional use of nettex itch salve.
*****whispering really quietly *****
I've actually got a mane thats plaitable this year.
(damn he's probably rubbed it off during the night now !!!)
 
Good luck..

This year is the first year my chap has got through to winter with hair on his dock and NO elephant skin anywhere...woohooo
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I'm so sad, I even got a photo...
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he's 11yrs old and hasn't had a tail like this since he were 2yrs old...
The Skin so Soft mixture has been the real difference this year plus he really has nothing to scratch on either this year but the SSS keep his tail clean too which I think helps..
 
If you mean the sweet itch vaccination, my sisters mare tried it 2 summers ago and it seemed to work really well, however this was part of a trial which wasnt run this summer and sweet itch came back as bad as ever. She was advised to try the ringworm vaccine which did absolutely nothing, although a friend claims it cured her ponies sweet itch... so probably depends on horse!
 
My horse has monthly injections for sweet itch. A blood sample was sent to america where it was tested for everything my horse is alergic to, not just midges but beech and katkins etc.
They then formulated medication specifically for him. As far as I know there are no steroids involved.
I use these monthly, combined with a snuggy suit and Carr Day & Martin sweet itch lotion.
I would highly recommend them, they won't work alone for my horse but have made him significantly more comfortable.
 
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