Itchy Horse - any ideas, at my wits end!

M

magic14

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2013
Messages
100
Visit site
I posted this in vets section but not had much response. Sorry to double post but I'm at my wits end... vets back out tomorrow pm as he's getting worse with his itching, it's driving him bonkers :-(

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help or put my mind at ease!
My boy started to sit down like a dog in his stable and itch himself. After some prodding and poking I found his itchy spot was just behind his Sheath on the skin between Sheath and bottom, basically where his bits would've been had he been entire!

Had vet out on Wednesday as he must've been itching quite a lot as bed was trashed and he was caught using a branch to itch in field.

Vet sedated him so he could get a good look at sheath and found a small amount of gunk but nothing major. He said he could have mites around his sheath so gave him dectomax which I have to give again in two weeks. For a few days he seemed to be less itchy but today he was swishing his tail and spinning round like nobody's business. I literally just touched his itchy spot ever so gently and he was pulling his itchy face like no tomorrow.

How long does it take for dectomax to kick in if it is mites? And has anyone else experienced something similar? I'm not sure whether I should get the vets back out or should I give the injection more time to work?
Any advice much appreciated! :-)
 
Hi.

I did reply to this earlier but for some reason it didn't post. You did the right thing with the dectomax but I had a girl with itchy bits and two sessions with deosect, 14 days apart really helped. Might be worth a try.

Hope it helps.

L
 
Thelwellesque said:
Hi.

I did reply to this earlier but for some reason it didn't post. You did the right thing with the dectomax but I had a girl with itchy bits and two sessions with deosect, 14 days apart really helped. Might be worth a try.

Hope it helps.

L
Click to expand...

Thanks for you reply. I have some deosect and was thinking of using it but wasn't sure if it would interact with the dectomax? I shall ask the vet tomorrow and if all ok I will do as you suggest, thanks again, I really appreciate it :-)
 
My vet was happy with me using both at the same time. He is a great horse vet and rides competition horses and treats them all the time so I trust him.

Also Vaseline over the area is a great barrier, it suffocates the mites/lice and helps no end in relieving the itching.

Good luck. x
 
Thank you again, I will be off out at lunch to try and find a giant tub of vaseline! lol. I have been using sudocrem but it's not really doing much.
And will get the deosect out tonight and I'll give him a good covering in that. Fingers crossed! It's horrible to see him so agitated by the itching :-(
 
Still trying to figure out what is causing this :-(
He's had dectomax, deosect, steroids and sheath broth. He's still itching when in his stable.
Any ideas anyone?
 
You may need an ivermectin solution applied daily - that's what a mare I bought was being treated with. It did kill the mites but the skin was damaged and itchy due to constant scratching. So even when the mites were gone she scratched. I tried various things but the cure for her was 1% hydrocortisone cream. Just make sure you say yes when the pharmacist asks if it's for you! Not saying it will definitely work but if you think the mites are gone and he's still itchy, hydrocortisone does stop the inflammation.
 
Thanks for your reply! Vets don't seem to think it was mites now, just gave dectomax to rule it out. Deosect also applied.
He also had a steroid and antibiotic cream for the exact reason you said, vet thought skin could be irritated from constant itching so needed something topical to cure the itch scratch cycle.
He's only rubbing one particular spot.. Just behind his bits. He doesn't itch in field, only sitting down to itch in his stable. He's always had a straw bed but I'm wondering if he could've developed an allergy?
There are still no lumps, cuts, sores, etc, nothing there to see. It's so frustrating!
Vets said next thing to try would be a culture of his Sheath.
 
When I bought my pony he had itched his sheath raw (sweet itch) the vet gave me a cream that had an aqueous cream base with Baytril and betnovate added - it was prettycheap and is still the only thing that offers near instant relief if he gets itchy. Since your horse is already under the care of the vet it's worth an ask

It may be as easy as breaking the itch cycle. This can take a while even after the cause has been dealt with which can make it harder to pinpoint the trigger if there are multiple treatments going on

Is it worth looking at feed and bedding in case something new has sparked an allergy?
 
Have a think about trying turmeric, it is being used for so many problems including sweet itch with incredible results. There is a forum on facebook with lots of details
 
It's possible he has developed an allergy to the bedding. I had one that was itchy if we used straw bedding but okay on shavings.
 
Thanks for the replies :-)

WelshD - I already have some of that cream, it was one of the first things prescribed for him, I have started him back on it tonight.
With regards to feed he's been on the same feed for nearly a year now - handful of safe & sound, Pro hoof, spearmint, protexin, linseed, and suppleaze gold.
It's been an eventful day, I got to the yard this morning and his breathing was very hard, he also had a very bad wheeze. He was also very itchy this morning. I contacted the vets and they are in agreement it is looking like a straw allergy. He has a habit of eating half of his bed as well! I've now gutted his stable and he's on Nedz bed pro, soaked hay and his steroid/anti-bac cream.
I am praying that we've finally found the issue!

Maree t - I've been looking at the Tumeric Facebook group, and I have a huge bag of it from the Indian shop, I just need to get some pepper (he's on linseed already) and I will be trying him out on this. I've read so many good things about it that it has to be worth a try!

Thanks again all, I really appreciate the replies :-)
 
Have you changed anything recently with feed or management?

For example, my lad got very itchy and scurfy - eventually worked out it was due to alfalfa, and the same happens with soya. Bit of a nuisance as either alfalfa or soy are in virtually everything! When he was itchy, he was particularly keen on having inner thigh and armpits rubbed - presumably uncomfortable chafe area - and skin was rougher than other areas. Now fed no alfalfa/soy and on linseed, and skin miles better with a lovely shiny coat.

Or perhaps ezcema type skin condition? Coblet is prone to mallenders - this crops up if it's been very wet or he's had his legs hosed off a lot (on livery...). Once the skin integrity is compromised it is obviously uncomfortable for him so tries to scratch - looks a bit like mite itch. I get through tubs of green udder cream - has tea tree and zinc so a little anti bacterial, but also moisturising. And not too expensive!

A couple of suggestions - hope you find the problem and get it sorted!
 
Thank you Lego :-)
Feed-wise he's been on the same feed for nearly a year now - handful of safe & sound, Pro hoof, spearmint, protexin, linseed, and suppleaze gold.
Management wise, well, he's been in at night on this straw since end of October. He has a tendency to eat it quite a lot!
The itching started literally a few days after he was clipped (low trace), I initially thought perhaps and ingrown hair, nick from clippers, but nope, nothing there.

The bit he itches, there is nothing there to see, no redness, no sores - nothing! just a little bit of heat at times!
However, he does have mallenders crop up now and again so I will certainly invest in that green udder cream, thank you.
 
I've read that the scar tissue from gelding can cause problems in some horses - maybe get a bodyworker to try some myofascial release on the area?
And for itching, I would recommend teatree and lavender essential oils, either dabbed on undiluted (after a patch test) or mixed with coconut oil or pawpaw cream.
 
my gelding was prone to sweet itch and just a bit scratchy/ itchy in general. I started adding some brewers yeast to his feed and he so much better now. Not an instant cure/ relief as it took a while, but think it helps with overall skin/ coat condition in the long term.
 
Just thought I would bump this in the hope anyone has any further ideas! My boy has still been itching and the last few days his skin is coming off in huge flakes - the area this is is his inner thighs and behind his sheath. I've tried everything, vets are back out on Wednesday but not sure what else they can do short of him going back on steroids.

List of things tried...

Brewers yeast
turmeric
dectomax
deosect
coopers spot on
steroid cream
killitch
sudocrem
aloe vera
lavender aloe vera cream
nizoral bath
leovet itch stuff
nettex itch stuff
worming for pinworm - 5 day panacur, 2 weeks later dd strongid p and repeat cycle (upon vets advice)

I am just distraught now, he's so irritated, it's really upsetting and nothing seems to help.
The only thing that gave relief were steroids but once stopped it all started again.
Please if any one has any ideas it'd be much appreciated.
 
I had an itchy horse, didnt know what caused it all, so eventually had bloods done, comprehensive test done and discovered he was allergic to alot of things such as mites, culiloides, wheat etc. He is now on immunology programme which is helping with his itching so that could be a route for you to try next
 
Thank you VendettaH, the vet previously mentioned allergy testing but said he'd have to go away for it and being a hairy cob it would most likely be unsuccessful. So what was exactly involved in the test your boy had done, did your own vets do it?
 
Try contacting Carol at www.equinatural.co.uk - very accomplished equine herbalist and has just introduced gemmotherapy remedies (not very well known over here but well established as a complementary therapy in at least France I believe).

Also try contacting Pauhla Whitaker at www.animoils.co.uk, very experienced and qualified essential oil therapist as well as running a large organic mixed farm.

You've tried a lot of the conventional treatments I would have suggested first, perhaps one of these holistic approaches will help. I use them both successfully for various horse ailments.

Good luck I really hope you can get this fixed for your boy.
 
Thank you hurricanelady, I will look through the links you have posted now.
I am constantly searching the internet for any ideas, I think I have read every single itch based thread on here!!
Thanks again, off to have a read :-)
 
The only thing I would maybe try that isn't already on your list, and is inexpensive, is pure neem oil.
Edited to add Pauhla Whitaker is very good, I second that suggestion.
Your other option is to find a good homeopathic vet. Sometimes it works when everything else fails and I have personal experience of this.
 
Last edited:
magic14 said:
I posted this in vets section but not had much response. Sorry to double post but I'm at my wits end... vets back out tomorrow pm as he's getting worse with his itching, it's driving him bonkers :-(

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help or put my mind at ease!
My boy started to sit down like a dog in his stable and itch himself. After some prodding and poking I found his itchy spot was just behind his Sheath on the skin between Sheath and bottom, basically where his bits would've been had he been entire!

Had vet out on Wednesday as he must've been itching quite a lot as bed was trashed and he was caught using a branch to itch in field.

Vet sedated him so he could get a good look at sheath and found a small amount of gunk but nothing major. He said he could have mites around his sheath so gave him dectomax which I have to give again in two weeks. For a few days he seemed to be less itchy but today he was swishing his tail and spinning round like nobody's business. I literally just touched his itchy spot ever so gently and he was pulling his itchy face like no tomorrow.

How long does it take for dectomax to kick in if it is mites? And has anyone else experienced something similar? I'm not sure whether I should get the vets back out or should I give the injection more time to work?
Any advice much appreciated! :-)
Click to expand...


This is up my alley my donkey got fox mange/mites large oozing sores spread all over weeping all the time, sadly it was not a quick fix went on for a few years , kept popping up, she had two courses of injections and a bath every day in hibi scrub. Took along time to rid the pesky mange cliped her out as when I took NZ off her coat was harbouring more sores.This is her at one of her worst
diamond001_zps30e51c46.jpg


Now only a few crusty bits pop up, the best advice I got as this problem was recurring was to put her on soyal oil, as her skin was like the above picture for 3 years

20131006_164249_zps692f3756.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks suzysparkle, Oooh that's one I missed off the list... Neem oil. Unfortunately it made him worse and he reacted badly too it, all lumpy and skin peeling, bright red and inflamed :-( I would've happily put up with that hideous smell if it had worked.
I will start searching for any info on homeopathic vets in my area, thanks you :-)
 
Thanks hga, the thing is there are no scabs or sores, no marks, no hairloss. It's just either hot, inflamed, or sometimes flaking skin, but the flaking skin I'm putting down to when he reacts to something I've tried. It's also just the one area, the rest of his body is fine.
Glad you have got on top of things now, she's gorgeous :-)
I will have a read about soya oil though so thank you.
 
Thanks Dubsie, I'm sure I read about this on here a few days back and I ordered some on Saturday. Good to hear another positive report, fingers crossed it will arrive soon!
 
Thanks borderreiver but as I said he's been treated for pinworm, double dosing and the 5day Panacur... 2 cycles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top