Itchy skin!

[casspow]

Please help!

My gelding has incredibly itchy skin espeically on the fur around his ears and in his mane.

no mites, no sweetitch.

been treating with malaseb and NAF D-itch. Still not much improvement so wondering if anyone else has had much success with another product I may not of found?
Any supplements?

any suggestions welcome. Thanks

 

[Gloi]

What have you treated him with to be sure he has no mites?
What is he being fed / bedded on?

 

[JJS]

Perhaps it's a reaction to something in his environment - have you added anything new to his feed or changed his bedding?

 

[_GG_]

Speak to your vet about it for dosage, but piriton can work really well if there is a reaction to something. Reactions don't need to be obvious, but an itchy horse gives good indication. Perhaps do a piriton trial. You can buy online much cheaper than in shops and as an example, my old 16:2hh tb took 18-24 a day when bad, 12-16 when mild. You can do a two week trial, see if there is improvement. If there is, stop use, assess and if itchiness returns, you have found a cheap and easy treatment.

Good luck. I
Has your vet been out to assess?

 

[oldie48]

I have an elderly TB with cushings who also gets very itchy. He will rub himself raw and I've found nothing that works for him. He reacts very badly to fly/insect bites, so he is never turned out in the summer without a fly rub and mask, however, sometimes i just find him with his face rubbed raw or huge sores on other parts of his body where he has rubbed against a fence or tree. i treat the sores with a mild steroid cream from the vet but I just wish I could prevent it happening in the first place. I am very careful in trying to keep him cool as I'm sure part of the problem is linked to him not being able to control his temperature very effectively and I also keep him clean as his skin is dry and flaky but if anyone has any advice, I'd be greatful. He's on prascend and very well in deed despite being 26.

 

[Janovich]

Just a thought,...but has he got a full winter type coat?,...it's just that it's flippin' warm for the time of year at the moment... wondered if this mild weather is proving a little to warm for him perhaps??!

 

[Maesfen]

It's an old remedy but you could try feeding brewers yeast as that is very good for skin and hoof condition along with being a very good digestion aid. Most skin problems apart from creepy crawly related, come from within so if the gut is healthy that will show in the skin and hoof department too.

 

[casspow]

Thank you for all the replies so far!
I think a call to the vet is in need
Part of me think it's the seasonal change like Janovich stated it's been very warm for this time of year and maybe he is a very mild sweetitch sufferer.

Mites - I've had a good poke around for creepy crawlies but other than fleas on the dog i've never really dealt with them. Would his paddock friends not carry them aswell? Do they travel from horse to horse like a flea would on a dog/cat?

He's bedded on straw and being fed the same as he has been for about 3months.

Thanks again

 

[eggs]

I found a wash with MircoTek shampoo (think I bought it from the Horse Health stand at Blenheim) worked very well for my horse who gets very itchy when he changes coat.

 

[Rudolph's Red Nose]

" I also keep him clean as his skin is dry and flaky but if anyone has any advice, I'd be greatful.

I have managed to sort my horse's dry and very flaky skin this year by using Feedmark Equidermis and his coat for once shines and hardly any scurf so that may help your gelding ?!

BUT he is really itchy at the moment - I despair, am thinking of calling the vet yet again - Weirdly enough I discovered he is less itchy when he is "naked" in the summer and much to my relief his itching was mostly under control. However this coat change he has been a nightmare - he has been fully clipped twice as he overheats in rugs (gets a sweat rash) so has a non fill rain sheet on if pouring with rain and a thin fleece at night or is otherwise out nude fully clipped at present due to mild weather.

He is fed Top Chop lite (low sugar) just to get his Feedmark supplement & turmeric into him, no carrots etc.
He is bedded on woodchippings/wood pellet mix
He is washed approx. once a month in a strong antidandruff shampoo (vet recommendation).
He has a natural oily fly / bug repellent applied every few days
Had a cushings test proved negative earlier this year.
Had 2 Dectomax (sp?) injections earlier this year so shouldn't have any little 'friends' even though the vet didn't think he had them anyway but we did it just incase.

I can not think of anything else I can do from re-ringing the vet - if anyone else has any bright ideas I would be very very grateful.

 

[WelshD]

My pony that has sweet itch went through the summer only a bit affected has suddenly started itching his face and mane too

He will be having a bath and a clip this weekend, I am concerned that lack of hair may make damage from itching worse but I am running out of ideas!

 

[curio]

I have managed to sort my horse's dry and very flaky skin this year by using Feedmark Equidermis and his coat for once shines and hardly any scurf so that may help your gelding ?!

BUT he is really itchy at the moment - I despair, am thinking of calling the vet yet again - Weirdly enough I discovered he is less itchy when he is "naked" in the summer and much to my relief his itching was mostly under control. However this coat change he has been a nightmare - he has been fully clipped twice as he overheats in rugs (gets a sweat rash) so has a non fill rain sheet on if pouring with rain and a thin fleece at night or is otherwise out nude fully clipped at present due to mild weather.

He is fed Top Chop lite (low sugar) just to get his Feedmark supplement & turmeric into him, no carrots etc.
He is bedded on woodchippings/wood pellet mix
He is washed approx. once a month in a strong antidandruff shampoo (vet recommendation).
He has a natural oily fly / bug repellent applied every few days
Had a cushings test proved negative earlier this year.
Had 2 Dectomax (sp?) injections earlier this year so shouldn't have any little 'friends' even though the vet didn't think he had them anyway but we did it just incase.

I can not think of anything else I can do from re-ringing the vet - if anyone else has any bright ideas I would be very very grateful.

this is how my boy has been for the past three years, treated as sweet itch done feed trials nothing worked then this year bit and rubbed himself raw round his ears, face hips, flanks and back a light touch sent him into scratch spasms, he was blood tested for allergies, and was positive for dust mites and beech trees, food, insect and bedding allergies all negative, he has also tested for raised liver enzymes showing damage due to a toxin, but to what we dont know.
He has had 2x dectomax, and deosect applied weekly (in case he had bugs )2 months of prednisolone to try to stop the scratch he still itched, has improved slightly over the past couple of weeks, he is now fed a low oil low protein diet of safe and sound with a bit of fast fibre to soak up steroid, global herbs restore, vit c tabs and had 3 weeks of cavalesse, he hasnt drawn blood now for two weeks and is bedded on flax with minimal grass on wet hay
he is wearing a sweetitch rug, with a lw no fill turnout on top so he cant get much purchase on his skin with his teeth and his liver enzymes are being retested next week
A trip to the vet may be worthwhile as if i hadnt of took my boy i would be no wiser about his liver and still feeding him hayledge etc which possibly made him worse
iam hoping he will continue to improve

 

[Tnavas]

With itchy skin, warm weather you've had and sweating I'd first give the area a good wash with Nizoral shampoo.

Dilute with hand hot water and lather up well. I use a face cloth as it is easy to control around ears and eyes.

You can buy Nizoral from a chemist.

 

[Joeyjojo]

Try feeding turmeric - I did this for mine after reading of some success stories with sweetitch as one has sweetitch and the other was always quite itchy across her quarters. I started in August and both seem better.

I feed it with black pepper and coconut oil (as this helps the body to absorb it) and have been pleased with the results so far. Have a look at the tumeric user group on facebook for some more info.