Itchy horse?

[JBM]

So I’m away on holidays and of course my horse has decided to itch her self so bad on her stable she rubbed her self raw so she has been moved to 24/7 field time and electric fencing has been put up to keep her from trees.
She’s 21 so I find it weird if she suddenly developed sweet itch.
In my absence she has been given spot on to get rid of any fleas if she has them and also getting stuff on her skin and healing well but she’s still itchy as repeatedly tries to itch herself as soon as you bring her in or even on people!
Eating and drinking fine no change to feed just moved fields but shouldn’t have made her itchy as she’s been here before and no other horses affected. Will attach a photo soon but any ideas?
Can’t call a vet until I get home as she absolutely hates vets and will kill him if I’m not there

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Umm, "Spot On to get rid of fleas"........... WTF?? Appreciate the person looking after your mare is doing their best, but whaattt??? I've not known of horses getting fleas! Dogs and cats do, yep, but horses??

What "stuff" is she getting on her skin?

The "moving fields" is possibly the clue: yes she may have been there before but there is SOMETHING going on. I have heard that sweet itch can develop, or indeed worsen, with age, so my inclination would be to get the vet out to take some bloods and establish what is going on.

Meantime, tell the person who is looking after your mare to get a "sweet itch hoody rug". Something like the Premier Equine one or the Rambo. NOT an ordinary fly rug please note, it MUST be a specific sweet itch one, and put that on the mare. If that improves the situation you will know you're dealing with sweet itch as the rug will prevent the cullicoides midge from biting - horses with sweet itch are allergic to the saliva of this midge.

Also check-out what the Carer is feeding your mare. Avoid garlic as this can make any itchy horse a million times worse, ditto mollasses.

Appreciate your difficulties being away, nightmare.

 

[Marigold4]

If it's any comfort, my young horse has become very itchy too. Really struggling to find the cause. He's never been itchy before. Vet has been to look and doesn't think it's flies or lice. We are doing an allergy test but at the moment it's a mystery.

 

[JBM]

We were just double checking as sometimes the cats sit on her and my dog loves her Wanted to try everything really ?

Attached photo of cream

I was hoping no one would say bloods ? had to sedate and twitch her last time for bloods as she pinned the poor vet against the wall and barged out the stable

She’s never ever been itchy in summer at all which is why I think sweet itch would be weird as gone to not at all to very very itchy very fast. Our horses don’t even have the normal fly rugs on yet as it’s still kinda cold and rainy so not much flies about (Irish weather yay)

She always gets exact same hard feed never changed only thing that changed is I stopped giving her apple cider vinegar about 2 weeks before this happened
No garlic or molasses as she bites licks instead of licking them ??‍

Thank you for all suggestions ??

 

[JBM]

If it's any comfort, my young horse has become very itchy too. Really struggling to find the cause. He's never been itchy before. Vet has been to look and doesn't think it's flies or lice. We are doing an allergy test but at the moment it's a mystery.

I hope we figure it out soon! She’s rubbing herself raw

 

[smolmaus]

Not sure where in Ireland you are but the last few days we have had rain followed by sun, more rain, more sun etc and the midges seem to be loving the warm, wet mugginess. They will also shelter under trees from the rain if she has trees in the field so it could hypothetically just be more midges have set her off itching.

I use the biteback soothing lotion and there is a silver cream as well for broken skin that has generally great reviews from the sweet itch groups. I would get a rug on her ASAP just in case.

 

[JBM]

Not sure where in Ireland you are but the last few days we have had rain followed by sun, more rain, more sun etc and the midges seem to be loving the warm, wet mugginess. They will also shelter under trees from the rain if she has trees in the field so it could hypothetically just be more midges have set her off itching.

I use the biteback soothing lotion and there is a silver cream as well for broken skin that has generally great reviews from the sweet itch groups. I would get a rug on her ASAP just in case.

we up at very very north. I’m not home at moment so could be wrong! But I’m being told the weather is horrible we usually have more rain than down south but don’t know where you are either ☺ just going off what I’m told

I will try get someone to out to my house to get her rug! Luckily it’s in the garage so they don’t need a key!
Thank you

 

[smolmaus]

we up at very very north. I’m not home at moment so could be wrong! But I’m being told the weather is horrible we usually have more rain than down south but don’t know where you are either ☺ just going off what I’m told

I will try get someone to out to my house to get her rug! Luckily it’s in the garage so they don’t need a key!
Thank you

I'm Belfast-ish so probably a bit less cold and windy but you can have midges out at 10C so its probably still not too cold for them.

Hope you can get the poor girl sorted. Of course it would happen while you're away ?

 

[JBM]

I'm Belfast-ish so probably a bit less cold and windy but you can have midges out at 10C so its probably still not too cold for them.

Hope you can get the poor girl sorted. Of course it would happen while you're away ?

My first holiday in 2 years ? I think she just trying to make me feel bad for leaving
Will get her sorted tho even if I have to pay someone to get her rug!
Vet will defo have to wait til I get back tho (Wednesday)

 

[Ali27]

My mare who is 20 has been itchy the last couple of years (raw, sore and bald patches on face, top of mane) and although tested negative on acht test for Cushings, she was borderline on the TRH stim test so she is currently on a prascend trial and itching far less! She had other symptoms such as weeping eyes and high worm counts too!

 

[JBM]

My mare who is 20 has been itchy the last couple of years (raw, sore and bald patches on face, top of mane) and although tested negative on acht test for Cushings, she was borderline on the TRH stim test so she is currently on a prascend trial and itching far less! She had other symptoms such as weeping eyes and high worm counts too!

Her eyes seem to be fine but might do a worm count then!

 

[I'm Dun]

she doesnt have lice does she? Its not the traditional time of year for them, but they often seem to itch their faces more when they have them.

 

[JBM]

she doesnt have lice does she? Its not the traditional time of year for them, but they often seem to itch their faces more when they have them.

I am open to all options!
Would a medicated shampoo bath get rid of them?

 

[JBM]

Oh I used coopers spot on last year! Will spray some of that on her and whip on a fly rug and see how she goes for a few days before I take her through the trauma of the vet

 

[Cortez]

Sweet itch can start at any time, it’s an allergy to midge bites, and the weather right now is perfect conditions for them. I’m not sure why you’d do a blood test; sweet itch is usually easy to determine without drawing bloods. There isn’t a cure, it’s all about management. Horses don’t get fleas, whatever gave you that idea?

 

[JBM]

Sweet itch can start at any time, it’s an allergy to midge bites, and the weather right now is perfect conditions for them. I’m not sure why you’d do a blood test; sweet itch is usually easy to determine without drawing bloods. There isn’t a cure, it’s all about management. Horses don’t get fleas, whatever gave you that idea?

That’s fair but generally thought you were born with most allergies or something caused them to occur?
I think they suggested bloods just in case it wasn’t sweet itch
I didn’t suggest fleas the yard manager just told me she was putting some on just in case and didn’t think it would do any harm as the cat does sit on her

 

[saddlesore]

I’d get her on a high dose of antihistamines, biteback silver relief cream and a proper sweetitch rug ASAP

 

[Getbackboys]

my loan mare is also terribly itchy and rubbed her face raw, body no raw patches but enjoys a good scratch/brush. vets took hair sample no fungi detected. prescribed steroid cream for hair loss and antihisramines. improvement seen but eye is sore from rubbing face so now using chlorophenicol eye drops its a nightmare. have ordered half blinkers to try stop the eye rubbing caused a sore on face below eye.

i have seen fleas in horses manes and forelocks before. treated with staykill spray