HELP!!! Itchy pony!

[DayleAshley]

I have a very itchy pony, he's currently losing his winter coat so I think that's why but his skin seems quite dry too. He's itching on everything and anything and he's starting to rub himself sore in places, any suggestions/ideas??

 

[Foxy girl]

Mine is the same - thought I had it under control but he's taken most of the hair off his neck now and looks like a battery chicken :-(

I bit the bullet and got vet out - she treated him with SpotOn and told me to bath him in Dermoline when weather warms up. He's still rubbing and itching but she did say it would take a while to work. I have to treat him again with SpotOn next week.

She did say they've stopped using Dectomax as it didn't seem to be working locally...

 

[DuckToller]

I would suspect lice. Try parting the coat and look for tiny little greyish things, they tend to scurry off back into the hair as you part it so you have to be quick.

If it's lice you could try clipping, and then treating either with an insecticide shampoo, or one of the powders. I use an organic one (think it merely chokes the little blighters to death) and if that fails one with an insecticide. It is quite strong so you have to apply it with gloves and make sure you don't use too much and set up a reaction to it.

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I would let him go naked and try a furminator brush I got one from Amazon they are great for pulling out dead hairs. Also for dry spots something called Kevin Bacon soap is good I used it before comes with a small bar and sponge.

 

[DayleAshley]

It's definitely not lice and he seems to just have patches of it. I think it must be coz of his thick coat as he's normally clipped out

 

[frozzy]

For some obscure reason there seems to be lots of animals lousy this year! I treated a filly who showed no other symptoms other than skarting round her head neck and chest. Followed up with regulator furminating sessions.
A word of caution though. Extreme scratching to the point of drawing blood can be a sign of liver problems. A simple blood test can rule it out if concerned.

 

[Replay]

Our vet suggested Coopers fly repellent for lice. Shampoo with Dermoline, then give good dousing of Coopers. Repeat in two weeks. Has sorted very furry small pony. Couldnt see the lice, but she was very itchy.

 

[SNORKEY]

Are you 110% sure there's no lice? The women in a paddock nr mine have been told by the RSPCA and WHW to treat their horses 3 times for lice and she still refuses to believe they have them, poor things are riddled and have scratched patches of hair off.

 

[DayleAshley]

Yes I'm 100% sure he doesn't have lice at all. His skin seems dry and seems to have some dandruff I'm sure its because of his coat

 

[SNORKEY]

Umm my boy was quite itchy when I got him, dermoline shampoo done the job but your have to wait for a warm day.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Has the pony in question suffered from sweet itch before?

Personally I'd clip him out, give a good Dermoline shampoo, bung on a sweet itch hoody/rug and then see if that improves the situation. Can't do any harm and might do a lot of good.

 

[mandwhy]

My little welsh A is itchy too, I doubt lice and no flies around apart from a couple of weeks ago when I did feel some bites, she's worse I think if she's had a rug on at night (she gets shivery if wet) its mostly on her sides and she is a bit scurfy, her coat is so long, I will shampoo her with something really moisturising when it is warm enough but when will that be? who knows!