Itchy horse

[VeronicaJ]

Can anyone help me with my itchy horse? My old gelding drives us mad all summer long scratching himself on anything he can find. He scratches all of himself; neck; back; tummy; sides; rump. I have tried just about everything. I have bought expensive creams, I have had the vet round and ditto expensive preparations. I have washed him all over with benzyl benzoate. I have even washed him in a soda crystal solution to really clean the coat. He gets regular baths. He is drowned in flyspray. He has his tummy rubbed with special stuff. I have used E45 cream; Sudocrem - you name it. I have tried it. Rugs don't help because they don't cover every single square inch of him. I've even stopped giving him his hard food in case it's that! It's not sweet itch - no classic signs - but every part of him seems to be itchy.

What can I do? It can't be nice for the poor horse. It has been suggested that anti-histimine could help. Any advice on this please?

 

[SSM]

I control Buck's itching by washing his mane and tail and belly twice a week in a mild Head and Shoulders solution and keeping him fly sprayed and covered - even in the stable he wears a cotton sheet with neck cover at all times - if I don't do this he itches the life out of himself too.

 

[VeronicaJ]

Hmmm.. Head and Shoulders that's interesting. Herbert is very scurfy. Might try that if we can get it in France. Thanks

 

[exracerfan]

I had a pony like that and it was tiny little microscopic mites. I used a Dermaline sweet itch lotion on him. It contains pyrethryn, which is the only thing that kills them and they dont come back. I used to drizzle it along his mane, back and top of tail and its like a clear thin gel liquid. It seems to work and now keep some handy for any itchy horse I may have. Worth trying I think.

 

[cptrayes]

Do you feed him carrots?
Do you have lush grass?
Both can cause head to tail itching, though it's not common to be that bad!

My friend's itchy gelding stopped when she put him on Brewer's Yeast, have you tried that?

 

[_HP_]

If its definitely not sweet itch then it sounds like an allergy of some sort. I would try a process of elimination to find out what is causing the itchiness. Try removing cereal type products and go from there. It could be grass, sugar, cereal, supplements, balancers...a number of things but just try one thing at a time.
Excess washing could be having an adverse effect too so I would stop that if possible. Let the horse build up its natural grease as a protection.
I also feed Brewers Yeast to my itchy horse.

 

[VeronicaJ]

Right - have given him a Head and Shoulders bath. I've cut out the carrots and taken him off the richer grass. He's looking happier. Now will try and get hold of Brewers Yeast (we are in France). I have tried a sweet itch lotion on him but will check it again for the ingredients. All replies really helpful - thank you.

 

[VeronicaJ]

By the way, I see Brewers Yeast is a source of Vitamin B. On the forums over here it was suggested I feed Herbert marmite sandwiches for itching - the fussy eater to end all fussy eaters is not very likely to try that!!! But marmite's Vitamin B too so must be something in that.

 

[cptrayes]

Marmite is made from brewer's yeast - I guess you have to be English to want to know things like that

It's available on eBay but I'm not sure about shipping to France and you really need to feed 50mg a day, which is a big handful.

Fussy eaters usually love it, too.

 

[VeronicaJ]

Thank goodness!!! Something he will actually eat! Yes you can get it shipped to France okay.

 

[BigRed]

I don't know why you think it isn't sweet itch. People assume they only scratch their tails and manes, but that's not true. My TB mare never bothered with those areas. Her stomach was a mass of sores and she rubbed the side of her neck and flanks. We tried everything. This year there is a new products called Cavalesse. Google it. It costs about £70 for 3 months. It is a vit A supplement that you syringe into their mouth, or onto a treat. It actually works. You are supposed to start before the midges arrive, but you should try it now.

 

[VeronicaJ]

There's not a sore on the horse - anywhere. His coat is actually very good, shiny and a bit thicker than it used to be but then he's 27. I've seen sweet itch loads of times on friends' horses and donkeys and know what that looks like. Also he scatches in the winter too before the midges arrive.

 

[brucea]

AS CP says - check sugars and access to gras. The brewers yeast may well help, as might linseed meal for the oils (3&6)

 

[VeronicaJ]

Added oils bring him out in a skin condition so can't do that. BUT I am holding my breath, and it's probably bad luck to say anything at all, but since I washed him in Head and Shoulders he has stopped scratching. Very early days and I can hardly believe this could be the solution as he has scatched for YEARS, but you never know!! Also cut out carrots today and put on non-rich grass. Fingers crossed.

 

[daisalph]

Most itchy conditions should respond to benzyl benzoate in the correct concentration. Try one of the lotions which are based on it but have other soothing ingredients - Killitch, Biteback etc. I also give my itchy Shettie Brewer's yeast, linseed oil and garlic granules in small quantities in his feed twice a day - which help to top up the micronutrients which in turn help his resistance to allergens.

 

[VeronicaJ]

Thanks for your post but I have tried benzyl benzoate and also have expensive salves that contain it such as Itch Stop. It doesn't help the overall itching. Added oil brings him out in a rash. I am starting him on Brewers Yeast as soon as I can get the delivery from the UK and have my fingers crossed about the Head and Shoulders/carrots/rich grass.

 

[daisalph]

Head and shoulders contains an active ingredient called pyrithione zinc (also called zinc omadine) which should be safe on horses but I would google it and check it out if i were you - there have been some concerns about its use in cosmetic products. It sounds like a fungal (yeast) condition to me - itchy greasy patches like cradle cap in babies?

 

[VeronicaJ]

Interesting about Head and Shoulders - will take a better look at it. It did seem to take away the problem for the couple of days. He's back scratching but not nearly as bad. I am ordering Brewers Yeast to try that. No he doesn't have any patches - greasy or otherwise. His coat is evenly good and shiny. Actually he looks brilliant for 27. Can it have been Head and Shoulders that gave him that glow? If so would be a brilliant show product! Considering he only gets scant hard food (Complet - (French) a good product quite high in protein), no carrots now and minimum HiFi, and as we have had no rain for nearly 2 months the grass is dry and thin.