Itchy pony and flaxseed oil vs micronised linseed

[Melandmary]

Hi, I was hoping someone on here would be able to tell me whether the km elite flaxseed oil was as good as feeding micronised linseed... It is cold pressed. My local feed store didn't have much in the way of bags of micronised linseed, I think they had a mash and after reading on here poor views on the lozenges I didn't want to buy the wrong product so I bought this oil instead. Has anyone had success in using it on an itchy horse. I have had issues with her scratching since I got her in December. She has been treated for mites with dectomax and been front lined treated also. I had a bib clip on her a few days ago and where she is rubbing her skin is just flaking off and getting sore. I am at a loss as to what else to do. It is not midge related, vet has seen her 3 times and it is not feed allergy related as since end of march she has been out 24/7 with no feed. I was hoping that linseed/ flaxseed would help. I have also bought some brewers yeast as recommended previously on here.

 

[Frano]

Is she rugged at all.

 

[Melandmary]

No she is not rugged. She is a very hairy little cob, just started shedding. I thought a clip would make her more comfortable but as she had never been done before we only got as far as a bib clip. She itches her face, neck, mane, bottom and even straddles sapling trees to scratch her belly ?.

 

[vhf]

No she is not rugged. She is a very hairy little cob, just started shedding. I thought a clip would make her more comfortable but as she had never been done before we only got as far as a bib clip. She itches her face, neck, mane, bottom and even straddles sapling trees to scratch her belly ?.

My hairy coblet would do this unless clipped out all year round. I've clipped her since she was two, started with a bib for her first clip and now take it all off most the time. In the height of winter living out with a chaser clip she wears a waterproof fly rug or zero fill if anything, otherwise she overheats (unless we have extreme weather).

 

[Rowreach]

Are you feeding any salt? It's a very cheap and easy thing to try for itchy horses.

 

[Zuzan]

No it isn't ... the flaxseed oil (irrespective of make) is just oil whilst the micronised seed also has good quality protien and also soluble fibre which is excellent for gut health and some useful minerals.

 

[criso]

If it's cold pressed, then it will retain all the vits, minerals and efa you want for the coat. However micronised is easier to store, don't have to worry about it going off so easily and is less messy to use. You will probably find that mail order of a big sack from charnwood would work out cheaper even after you've paid postage; than a small bottle of oil from the feed shop.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Sounds like sweet itch to me there are biting insects out already, I would wash all areas in a medicated shampoo dermoline is what I use then cover the area in benzyl benzoate but only on areas where the skin is not broken, then rug with a sweet itch rug and see if it improves I tend to add the benzyl every few days until the itch cycle calms down.

 

[Melandmary]

Are you feeding any salt? It's a very cheap and easy thing to try for itchy horses.

Yes I have salt lucks in their shelter and they do use them ?

 

[Melandmary]

Thanks zuzan and criso yes I am going to order a bag, as I will put all 3 on it for the benefits, I just wanted to get something quick for her to start working as I feel sorry for her itching all the time.

 

[Melandmary]

Sounds like sweet itch to me there are biting insects out already, I would wash all areas in a medicated shampoo dermoline is what I use then cover the area in benzyl benzoate but only on areas where the skin is not broken, then rug with a sweet itch rug and see if it improves I tend to add the benzyl every few days until the itch cycle calms down.

Do you think it would be sweetitch even in December? I have bought her a sweetitch rug but hadn't been using yet as I wasn't convinced that was the problem. She is a bit fed up with me spraying her with stuff at the moment, not sure what she would make of a bath.... I don't think she has ever had one. I didn't want tpput anything else on her skin that would potentially irritate. She was a little less itchy when the vet said to use antihistamines to break the cycle. I didn't want to be using them long term though

 

[Zuzan]

Another thought is it might be iron toxicity .. it can cause itchyness .. Re diet if you want a really good independent review of diet I would highly recommend an independent nutritionist like Clare MacLeod ..

 

[Melandmary]

I have never heard of that but will look into it. I may have to go down the route of testing for allergies if supplements for skin health, lotions and potions don't work. I don't believe it to be diet or environmental as she was itching when I visited her at the rescue but I didn't realise how persistent it was till I got her home in December.... No midges then. I have wormed, and treated for lice, mites and mudfever. She is such a sweetheart I want to get to the bottom of it

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Soyal oil has been used for two of our itchy horses. Also check not allergic to alphafa

 

[Frano]

I have a heavy weight gypsy cob that I have owned for 16 years. At this time of year he is shedding like mad and very itchy. He will rub himself on trees gate post ,shelter anything to try and remove his coat . I groom him every day to help get the hair out. He hates those little black flies that were around recently and they gather round his sheath area and tummy underneath ,very itchy . So I use neem oil, sudocream , or Vaseline to try to protect those areas.

When the weather warms up giving your cob a bath helps remove hair and relief itching. I feed Charnwood micronised lionised and have found it excellent , but I have fed it to help his coat, arthritis and to help hold his weight. My cob is 26. Beware of overfeeding coming into spring and possible weight gain , laminitis risks.

In my experience hairy cobs feel the heat more. I used to do a chaser clip in summer. As on hot days he would sweat even standing in his shelter, I usually hose him down on hot days.

I have found cobs are generally itchier than other horses. Also more work than other horses. But well worth it.

 

[marmalade76]

Micronised is better for them than oil but I can't remember why. You could try feeding some Brewer's yeast, supposed to help lessen immune response or something, all I know is my ponies didn't spoil their tails as much when they were on it. IME cobs tend to be more itchy than the average horse and it's the legs you need to pay most attention to.

 

[Nudibranch]

I have a similar issue with my Dales. She's already on salt, linseed and Pro Balance. The itching started around December time on the face. Did Dectomax and a Deosect wash. Then itchy bald patch under the mane. Then started on the chest. Each time it's been cleared with a single application of 1% hydrocortisone and the patch hasn't returned in the same place although she seems to then develop one elsewhere after a few weeks.
I'm hoping after the change of coat we might see it settle. Being clipped and rugged, or not, hasn't made any difference and she's now fully unrugged with a growing out hunter clip. The cause is still a bit of a mystery but the hydrocortisone has definitely stopped it when it has flared up.

 

[Melandmary]

Thankyou, I have put her on brewers yeast as well as the flaxseed oil, I am ordering a bad of charnwood as it will be more cost effective and the benefits will suit all 3.

 

[Melandmary]

Nudibranch I will look into that, I bought her some d-itch lotion and did a patch test yesterday. Is this a human product you have used or a horsey one. I will have a look for it. I think as she has been a rescue she has come with existing skin problems and it is just a case of getting on top of it. She also has mallanders so her general skin condition is not great and was hidden by alot of hair and mud when she came to me. Now she has been partially clipped it is more visible.

 

[buddylove]

I've fed a combination of micronised linseed, brewers yeast and aloe juice with success with itchy horses.

 

[Nudibranch]

I used my own cream - vet was happy with that!

 

[PurBee]

On raw skin areas try aloe vera gel. It’s cooling, soothing, helps heal the skin, and bites. This time of year the small black biting flies are about and my 2 are being harrassed, causing them to itch more. I groomed them loads to get the moult hair out as that was itchy for them too.

Be careful using chemical fly sprays on itchy raw skin as they can sting and cause them to itch more.