Feed for an itchy filly!!

[Magicmadge]

Been doing some research on previous posts about alfalfa chaffs and high protien causing horses to be very itchy. My 18 month old filly is very itchy. She can't wear a stable rug as she has them in shreds so is naked despite this cold weather. She does tolerate a turnout sheet but i only put one on if it is wet so at other times she can have a good roll. Her tail looks like a loo brush (been wormed) She bites at her belly and chest but not raw and no bald patches but i can see she is irritated mildly at the moment. Can anyone suggest a feed regime for her, an alfalfa free chaff or alternative and something low protein but giving her all the vits and mins for healthy growth. She is having a growth spurt at the moment and is 14.3 at the wither and 15.2 at her bum, well covered and will be a good doer but always seems to be starving!!!

 

[eoe]

Try Hifi Original and Calm and Condition, try speaking to a couple of feed company nutritionalists and mix and match feeds, I never stick with one supplier for my feeds.

 

[martlin]

Hi, have you had a vet to look at your filly? Are you sure it is protein?
I'm asking, because when I read your post it sounded exactly like my youngsters symptoms... I thought it is because the protein thingy, but my vet came out, had a good look etc and decided it is a mild case of bacterial skin inflammation, got her a weeks course of antibiotics and 2 baths in hibiscrub, as well as a full clip and the itchiness has disappeared...

 

[AmyMay]

Are you sure she does not have lice?

Have you tried just feeding good quality ad lib hay, pony nuts and a good yearling suppliment instead?

 

[buzzles]

I have had a similar problem with my now 3 1/2 year old who started scratching in his second spring, the vet said it was sweet itch even though I wasn't convinced. He got the rug and all sorts of fly repellants (even got a spot-on treatment from the states and he wasn't being bitten by anything, midges, horse flies, black flies- brilliant stuff, thinking of getting it for them all this year!) but he was still scratching. He was also treated for lice and washed in an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial washes. Anyway he's still scratching all winter, even in the really cold weather, I've talked to the vet and he thinks it might be a protein intolerance- I had suspected all along it might have been feed related and had tried taking him off all mollassed feed and cereals before but it didn't really make much of a difference.

Anyway he's now on steamed hay instead haylage and a low protien nut, which he's not impressed with but is eating. The vet says to monitor him and if he's still itchy in 6 weeks to take a skin sample. It was very hard to diagnose as he said he is intolerant of something and as a result his immune system is probably affected, making him more sensitive to other things. Hopefully found the cause for my poor boy as I really want to get going with him this year and do some showing. Good luck with your girl, you're best bet is hay and a low protien cube, but it is tricky as she's still growing so needs the correct nutrition, have you tried ringing around some of the feed companies, they're usually quite helpful?

 

[hellybelly6]

presumably its not lice and the vet has seen her and its not a skin infection.

I feed my alfala, garlic and protein intolerant horse the following (he is a good doer)

1 kg Fast Fibre (from Allen & Page)
3 kg mollychaff original (from the haylage people)

Seaweed supplement from Hilton Herbs and 10 kg of high fibre haylage from Marksway (they also make the mollychaff).

He stopped itching after 2-3 months, once his system had got rid of all the toxins in his body. He really really loves his fast fibre and molly chaff.

Look out for hidden sources of alfalfa such as pony nuts and in some horse treats - this is enough to set my horse off again. I had to change his Cortaflex to HA as the normal stuff has alfalfa in it.

Seaweed is the lowest protein vit/min supplement I can find and is alfalfa free and it is also a reasonable price too.