Itchy all year round!

[Charlie Babbott]

I have a 17 year old ISH who started itching about 4 years ago during the summer, so I treated for mild sweet itch and kept rugged 24/7 which seemed to help. This last year he has continued to itch and reacted badly to clipping with a bumpy rash everywhere, this was cleared up with Hydrocortisone from the vet. He is still so very itchy all the time although no rash anymore. I have removed all Alfalfa from his diet and he is fed A and P Veteran Vitality and is on haylage. Hoping removing the alfalfa was going to help, but he is still as itchy. He is on Yumove Advance, turmeric and spirulina as supplements. Any advice would be gratefully received. tia

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I had a gelding who was intolerant to carrots, he would itch himself raw, took us months to figure out what it was, when we sold him, we made sure his new owners knew (and gave them a sign we used to have on his door), he’s never been Itchy with anything else and now carrots no longer feature in his diet, he’s never had the issue again.

 

[Fastasflames]

has he been done with deosect and dectomax ?

 

[Charlie Babbott]

has he been done with deosect and dectomax ?

has he been done with deosect and dectomax ?

no that’s one thing I haven’t tried. Will take a look now. Thanks ?

 

[Charlie Babbott]

I had a gelding who was intolerant to carrots, he would itch himself raw, took us months to figure out what it was, when we sold him, we made sure his new owners knew (and gave them a sign we used to have on his door), he’s never been Itchy with anything else and now carrots no longer feature in his diet, he’s never had the issue again.

 

[Charlie Babbott]

I avoid carrots most of the time, although he did have some Christmas Day!

 

[PurBee]

My gelding once had a very long hive/itchyness allover body reaction.
Despite everything tried the only thing that made a serious halt in symptoms and healing started was protexin probiotics.

I figured that as the immune system and gut bacteria colony are linked, his immune system became hyper due to a change in gut bacteria. He’d just come out of autumn grazing and so his hay intake increased a bit more, which he’s on all year anyway, just quantities change. So that change altered his gut bacteria too much or he’d got a toxic plant, but didnt find evidence of anything outside In the fields...i check them regularly anyway.
The only change was there was alot of buttercup in mixed grass haylage. Buttercup is toxic fresh but ok dried in hay. I suspected haylage fermented wet buttercup toxins are still present, stopped that haylage and continued with normal hay but his symptoms persisted for weeks after until i got Protexin probiotics. Then hallelujah! Turn-around and healing started.

For what little it costs, trying probiotics is worth it imo...they certainly do no harm. Good luck.

 

[Charlie Babbott]

Thank you so much. You have made me think about something else too. When I bought him he was on NAF Pink powder. As you say, for what it costs, I shall try him back on a probiotic. He is on alot more haylage at the moment too with the snow. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Rowreach]

Is he getting enough salt?

 

[Charlie Babbott]

I used to keep a salt lick in his stable all the time, but he started eating it all in massive chunks, so I did stop buying them. Maybe I should think about how to up his salt intake another way. Thank you

 

[Rowreach]

I used to keep a salt lick in his stable all the time, but he started eating it all in massive chunks, so I did stop buying them. Maybe I should think about how to up his salt intake another way. Thank you

Best to add it to his feed, ordinary table salt without iodine, 10g per 100k of his weight.