Help please - tail rubbing

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SBJT

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Hello, hoping to get some advice here on thoughts for home remedies for tail rubbing. Every summer as it gets warm my horse starts rubbing. This happens from April to September. First here’s the catch. I live in Alberta Canada.

I’ve tried the following remedies
- oatmeal shampoo
- MTG
- anti histamines
- steroid injections
- hibitane
- some kind of avocado spray that’s supposed to stop itching
- zincofax

Only the steroids worked however he started rubbing when he came off them. First vet had no idea as they checked and it wasn’t pinworms. They suggested putting him back on steroids till I pointed out that is a bad idea long term. Second vet is better and we did a biopsy. The results found some irritation however not coming from anywhere specifically.

We’re going to try topical steroids next but is there anything else other people have tried that worked? It’s nowhere near his heart so I don’t really want to spend $1,000s as a dermatologist will cost that much and more, but I’d like him to be comfortable. The skin on his dock is dry and flaky.
 
1. Agree to try hay with no alfalfa if you're feeding alfalfa. If you're feeding any sort of legume forage, switch to regular grass hay.

2. Even though it's only apparent in the summer, if you are feeding any sort of grains, find a ration balancer that is grain-free.

3. Soy is the protein source in 98% of horse feeds AND also condensed vit/min supplements. Try to find something that is soy-free.

4. So I did all of ^^^^tnose things and it helped. BUT what has really worked for my horse, who did the same thing seasonally as yours, was and still is 3,000 IU daily of pure Vitamin E - no added selenium for me as our soils are a bit high in selenium.

I feed it every day all year long.

I buy mine from HorseTech. I'm not sure you can get that in Canada. If not buy human grade pure Vitamin E - 3,000 IU every day:)

my horse is on 19 acres of lush pasture so you wouldn't think he would need that much added Vitamin E daily but he's been on this amount for over a year. His tail is full at the top and his mane has grown several inches because he's stopped rubbing the crest.

Shampooing him with allergen shampoos helped but only for a day or two:)
 
My horse used to rub his mane and tail raw in the summer but putting pure aloe vera gel on the itchy areas a few times a week massively helped. make sure its 100% aloe vera with nothing added which could irritate their skin, i got mine in holland and barret
 
I treated a friends horse whos tail was an itchy mess with barely a hair left on it due to sweet itch.I used neem oil liberally rubbed in to the affected area.It certainly kept the midges away and the hair started growing again.Also a useful product was Camrosa ointment. A long term solution was a supplement from Hilton Herbs called No more Itch which is used all year round The combination with a sweet itch rug helped too.Before the midge season was over the tail had grown in beautifully and a much happier horse.
 
Zoe_Simpson said:
My horse used to rub his mane and tail raw in the summer but putting pure aloe vera gel on the itchy areas a few times a week massively helped. make sure its 100% aloe vera with nothing added which could irritate their skin, i got mine in holland and barret
Click to expand...

I do this & also put under my mares tail - she gets hot & itchy when she's in season too
 
Thanks everyone. I’ve been experimenting with changing feed recently and that seems to have worked. His hay is low in alfalfa. The third vet I spoke to thought it was the oils as the one I was feeding was low in omega 3. I also took out the pre/probiotic.

We suddenly jumped from -2 to 27 in the last two weeks and so far less rubbing, which is good news. So I think that caused it. I’m tempted to switch the oils to a hemp oil high in omega 3 but I also know that if something’s working then don’t touch it!

I’d prefer not to put a rug on him if I can. We just don’t rug that often out here, even in -35. Plus I’d rather see if there’s a way to treat it.
 
My mare has sweet itch, when she came to us she was in a terrible state and was red raw practically everywhere!
We have been feeding her brewers yeast in her feed every day started it last August when we got her - fed all through winter and will continue to feed it to her as it has helped her crazy amounts.

I also swear by the nettex summer freedom cream - the only place she will rub occasionally now is the top of her tail, but I put this on twice a day and it soothes the itch and the small patch she rubbed has grown back and she hasn't rubbed it for months!


Sorry for the HUGE images I have no idea how to make them smaller?!? You can see the hair regrowth here that was just for using the cream :)


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Huh that looks interesting. Doesn’t look like we get it here. Might try to get a family member to bring some over when they head over here. Either that or if we end up over there soon. It might be here under a different name though as that sometimes happens.
 
Whelllll----- that "Summer Freedom" looks like something I would like to have in my arsenal, based on "Benvarden's" review and the reviews on the Net.

Too bad there isn't anyplace in the U.S. To buy it and there is only one place in the UK?!?!

I see it on Amazon but (1) I avoid Amazon like the plague & (2) I would likely pay a shipping fee to the U.S. that is more than the product cost:(:(

Someone with some influence needs to see if this can be sold thru one of U.S. veterinary catalogues at the very least:)

P.S. That's a pretty cute horse butt on the right:):). Looks like she has filled out nicely since you bought her --- don't let her gain any more:)
 
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