Extremely itchy horse, anyone else have this problem?

[wizoz]

We have a 22 yr old t/b who has been retired this spring. All summer long he has been ridiculously itchy, we have treated him with cream from the vet but I have a sneeky suspicion that it's now all in his head! Every time I see him, be it in the field or stable, he is itching his body. He has found this tree in his field which has just been pruned and he spends ages there just rubbing up and down it. He has no lumps or rashes anymore. Any ideas peeps?

 

[_April_]

I have a similar problem with April so would be very interested to see the answers too!

I tend to shampoo her with either Malaseb medicated shampoo or Head and shoulders and we use garlic in her feed and lots of fly spray incase it's just the Scottish midges and other biting nasties!

 

[Llwyncwn]

Have you had a skin scraping taken for analysis? It might also be an idea to speak to one of the larger feed manufacturers in case he has developed a food allergy.

 

[Donkeymad]

What condition is the skin and coat - is it vaguely dry at all? I had this problem with one of my mares and started giving linseed oil, the itching soon subsided.

 

[wizoz]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you had a skin scraping taken for analysis? It might also be an idea to speak to one of the larger feed manufacturers in case he has developed a food allergy.

[/ QUOTE ]
No. not had that done, but it's an idea, thanks

 

[wizoz]

[ QUOTE ]
What condition is the skin and coat - is it vaguely dry at all? I had this problem with one of my mares and started giving linseed oil, the itching soon subsided.

[/ QUOTE ]

He had a rash back in the summer and he has continued to sratch even though the rash was treated ages ago. He doesn't seem to have dry skin at all. I'm sure he's just obsessed with itching!!
He has always had sensitive skin, very tickleish and terrible with girths and rugs and grooming!

 

[Theresa_F]

Cairo has always been a very itchy horse - this year he has had instant linseed and plenty of brewers yeast and has hardly rubbed. It has also really helped Chancer's mild sweet itch.

Cairo still does like a good itch - and one day will cut off the phone lines to Epping Green as he adores the telephone pole in the winter paddock as the ultimate scratching post.

Other very good supplement is feedmarks equidermis - not cheap but very very good and gives a lovely coat.

 

[Suzibn]

This horse shows no signs of sweet itch? I use head and shoulders on a horse that has sweet itch and it seems to do the trick. I thought I was weird. Glad to hear someone else uses it. I only use it on mane and tail though, as (and this has nothing what-so-ever to do with science, but I did breed and show dogs for years) the horse can't reach it with it's mouth. I know that zinc is extremely dangerous for dogs. This was found out when the old showing crates had zinc screw fasteners on the outside, but sometimes a dog would eat one and then promptly die! So I am careful!
Suzi

 

[Louby]

My horse has had itchy periods for the last 2 years. He itches his hocks til they bleed and is generally itchy all over. Ive tried all sorts from Tgel shampoo, sudocrem, benzly benzuate, horsey itch lotions, skin scraping and finally a blood test for allergies which brought up loads of things although nothing significant so I did change his feed (absolute nightmare) to try and avoid some of the things that shown up. I had him blood tested as I was going to invest in a boett and thought bfore I spent all that money I would see if it was the midges that were causing the problem. He stopped itching about 6 weeks ago and I thought I'd cracked it but he started again last week so Im now convinced its flies as the midges were awful last week. I do remember him itching throughout the summer last year and then again in November?? He is black and does have scurfy skin so Ive started feeding Mollichaff showshine mainly because its got no Alfalfa in it but it has a lot of oil in it and his skin is looking much better.

 

[orsemad]

you could try D - Itch made by NAF made a huge difference to one of my boys! (NAF to a d - itch feed supplement and a soothing lotion)