? I feel so bad! Itchy horse

poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

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My horse is severely itchy, mainly summer. We never really pin pointed when but when he retired it improved until one day I led him in hand through midges and set him off so I assumed sweetitch. It’s not classic mane and tail but whole body. He has broken his stable wall last year throwing himself at it.
So this year I decided to be ready and avoid it. Bought a Rambo SI hoody (already had a Shires but heard it was better)
Looked into supplements, have only turned him out in an exposed field.
Yesterday, nice day I took advantage of it. Clipped him out as he always gets itchy moulting and is generally clipped through summer, gave him a good bath in a gentle oatmeal anti itch shampoo, dried him off, new SI rug on.... he’s gone insane scratching. He did get distracted by his feed and haynet but this morning his bed (think immaculate stallion!) was trashed, his stable wall has moved slightly ?
I turned out and he just dropped rolling in the gateway, then proceeded to roll over and over.
Gutted! I’ve made him so much worse and being itchy is unbearable!
I’ll get him some piriton today but now I’m thinking clipper oil?
Is there an alternative? Are all brands the same?
Maybe it’s not sweetitch after all ?‍♀️
 
O

oldjumper

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So sorry - for you both. Could be SI as midges in evidence last few days and SI sufferers seem to often have sensitivity/allergies to other products. One of ours can’t tolerate T tree oil so only use (human) dead sea magic shampoo and home made fly sprays. Problem is that all SI horses are different and what works for one is disastrous for another....Copious piriton should relieve worst while you work through possible causes. Afraid I don’t know any alternatives to clipper oil.
 
A

Annagain

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Have you ruled out feed making him itchy? Sugar brings Monty out in a terrible scabby rash, even spring grass can set him off. Cut his feed right back to just grass / hay for 10 days and see if it improves then re-introduce each element of his feed one at a time allowing a few days for a reaction. We did this with M and as soon as we added anything sugary his legs went mad.
 
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Cowpony

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Mine got very itchy a few months ago, and somebody on here said soya could be the culprit. I swapped her onto a feed without it (actually quite hard to find if you also don't want alfalfa!) and within a week she'd stopped scratching. Might be worth a try!
 
ILuvCowparsely

ILuvCowparsely

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poiuytrewq said:
My horse is severely itchy, mainly summer. We never really pin pointed when but when he retired it improved until one day I led him in hand through midges and set him off so I assumed sweetitch. It’s not classic mane and tail but whole body. He has broken his stable wall last year throwing himself at it.
So this year I decided to be ready and avoid it. Bought a Rambo SI hoody (already had a Shires but heard it was better)
Looked into supplements, have only turned him out in an exposed field.
Yesterday, nice day I took advantage of it. Clipped him out as he always gets itchy moulting and is generally clipped through summer, gave him a good bath in a gentle oatmeal anti itch shampoo, dried him off, new SI rug on.... he’s gone insane scratching. He did get distracted by his feed and haynet but this morning his bed (think immaculate stallion!) was trashed, his stable wall has moved slightly ?
I turned out and he just dropped rolling in the gateway, then proceeded to roll over and over.
Gutted! I’ve made him so much worse and being itchy is unbearable!
I’ll get him some piriton today but now I’m thinking clipper oil?
Is there an alternative? Are all brands the same?
Maybe it’s not sweetitch after all ?‍♀️
Click to expand...
Does your horse have Alfafa??? only I have know 2 one of which is still here who was and rubbed till huge sores. They stopped the alfafa and put on soya oil. clearing up now
 
SEL

SEL

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Not the shampoo?

I have horrible memories of helping a friend while she was away on holiday and washing her sweaty horse in a shampoo she had on a shelf. Itching was so bad I had to get the vet out and bulk loads of piriton - turns out the shampoo had been put on a high shelf for a reason.
 
poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

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On the plus he seems to have stopped. I was so worried that was going to be it from now until Autumn.
Trying to cover all suggestions because I do appreciate them.
Feed, tried everything, over the years I’ve chopped and changed with no difference ever. We have settled on Honey chop lite and healthy and Spillers lean and light balancer, I’ll be honest the balancer doesn’t sit too well with me as it contains stuff I’d normally avoid but he’s looked amazing in his coat the past year since having it. Super shiny even in his winter woolies with minimal brushing.
shampoo? Possibly, I thought it was supposed to be really skin kind and it sounded perfect for him being soothing anti itch, maybe good marketing suckered me in!
New rug? Who knows, I really hope not, it wasn’t cheap but has the vamoose so is treated with something, probably nasty but it started when he had his thermatex on. I always wash his stuff in non bio.
Neck worm? ?‍♀️ I don’t know, that’s the ivermectin protocol idea right? I may give it a go
I just feel as it was so Instant that I caused it rather than flies midges or worms surely?
He’s such a good boy I hate to see him so itchy. Every time a vet has been he stands beautifully and denies the whole thing!
 
Shysmum

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poiuytrewq said:
On the plus he seems to have stopped. I was so worried that was going to be it from now until Autumn.
Trying to cover all suggestions because I do appreciate them.
Feed, tried everything, over the years I’ve chopped and changed with no difference ever. We have settled on Honey chop lite and healthy and Spillers lean and light balancer, I’ll be honest the balancer doesn’t sit too well with me as it contains stuff I’d normally avoid but he’s looked amazing in his coat the past year since having it. Super shiny even in his winter woolies with minimal brushing.
shampoo? Possibly, I thought it was supposed to be really skin kind and it sounded perfect for him being soothing anti itch, maybe good marketing suckered me in!
New rug? Who knows, I really hope not, it wasn’t cheap but has the vamoose so is treated with something, probably nasty but it started when he had his thermatex on. I always wash his stuff in non bio.
Neck worm? ?‍♀️ I don’t know, that’s the ivermectin protocol idea right? I may give it a go
I just feel as it was so Instant that I caused it rather than flies midges or worms surely?
He’s such a good boy I hate to see him so itchy. Every time a vet has been he stands beautifully and denies the whole thing!
Click to expand...
I just had the vet out for Shy's cough. £80 on meds, not started it yet as he hasn't coughed once ?
 
B

Bonnie Allie

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Maybe it’s time for allergy tests on the skin. Had a pony on loan once that began itching madly the moment it got here. It was allergic to the type of grass we have on our place! We consulted owners who said “yes, that happened once before when he had hay with that species of grass in it”.

We were able to medicate to deal with it as I wasn’t changing the grass.

You do need a specialist vet however to do the allergy testing.
 
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sherry90

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Mine itched incredibly with a certain shampoo (I won’t say the brand unless you are interested?) he was burning up with it on (even after washed off!) and I had to re-bath him. He was inconsolable with it.
 
poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

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Bonnie Allie said:
Maybe it’s time for allergy tests on the skin. Had a pony on loan once that began itching madly the moment it got here. It was allergic to the type of grass we have on our place! We consulted owners who said “yes, that happened once before when he had hay with that species of grass in it”.

We were able to medicate to deal with it as I wasn’t changing the grass.

You do need a specialist vet however to do the allergy testing.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I don’t remember really when it all started as it was mild at first but possibly when we moved. Saying that when we first moved house he was in a different field but genuinely can’t think. I had some equine allergy guy out who diagnosed maise allergy and nothing else. I know dust makes him cough so assume that was all bollocks
 
jhoward

jhoward

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Had a horse like this and after many trials and tests it turns out he was allergic to most things in a horses life, only a skin biopsy will tell you this it costs hundreds and isn't that nice for the horse bit to get an answer it's the kindest way.

I'm the mean time ask your vet for a course of steroids. Again harsh but if your horses itcy eases in a few days this will give you an indication that it is not midges/lice ) insects
 
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