Digging holes- please help

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Carlanassau

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My pony has severe sweet itch and usually, when we bring him into the stable, he itches like crazy on the walls. We have recently changed his bedding to shavings and since then he has stopped itching on the walls of his stable all together and instead spends his time digging a shallow hole in the shavings and standing in it until he goes back out into the field. It's very very odd behaviour for a pony that usually spends all of his time itching and I'm terrified that it could be laminitis. If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful.
 
I find it difficult to see this could be laminitis. If you put a SI rug on him does he still do this? maybe a rug would stop the itching, it did with mine, and make him happier.
 
Carlanassau said:
My pony has severe sweet itch and usually, when we bring him into the stable, he itches like crazy on the walls. We have recently changed his bedding to shavings and since then he has stopped itching on the walls of his stable all together and instead spends his time digging a shallow hole in the shavings and standing in it until he goes back out into the field. It's very very odd behaviour for a pony that usually spends all of his time itching and I'm terrified that it could be laminitis. If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful.
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Horses will sometimes dig holes to relieve pain in their legs or feet. I know its a stupid question given what you have said about sweet itch but are you sure your horse is leaning on the walls to scatch rather than relieve pressure from his legs. It is also a common behaviour with horses that suffer from degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis problems (DSLD) although I'm not suggesting your horses suffers from this. Also with DSLD horses will lean on objects. They will lean against walls with their bums, to relieve weight off their hind legs. Here is a website about the symptoms which makes interesting reading: http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...ygait/diagnose.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

It may be that he has pain in his feet and therefore the hole digging is an attempt to relieve this. Maybe put him on a bute trial for a week and see if there is any difference to his behaviour?
 
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Thank you. I'll definitel give it a go. I'm sure he's itching, he's very violent with it and itches roughly. He also doesn't lean on anything in the field. I'll try him on bute and then get a vet if it doesn't help. Thank you
 
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