Preventing Sweet Itch

Aragon56

Aragon56

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Hi,

I've had my Welsh Sec D for 4 months now and when I bought her I was told that she suffered from mild sweet itch, which was controllable with a fly rug. When she was vetted the vet also confirmed it was mild, but she may be better in a different part of the country. Where she's kept now is surrounded by open fields, and is at the top of the hill so hopefully she won't be affected so much this year. As its my first summer with her, I don't know exactly how bad its going to be yet.

At the moment apart from a bit of a scurfy mane she hasn't started itching or anything-her tail isn't affected at all.

I need to invest in a fly rug, and have been looking at all the different options-I don't really want to buy a Boett or expensive Rambo at the moment in case it turns out that her symptoms aren't so bad. Do you think a cheaper alternative such as Amigo or Weatherbeeta would do for now, and then see how she goes? Also, numpty question, but can these fly rugs be put on underneath her turnout rug? Is late March a good time to put it on, or should it be on before?

Is it true that garlic boosts the immune system and will therefore make any sweet itch worse? If so I need to take this out of her feed. Is brewers yeast worth adding instead?

I'm thinking of trying the marmite sandwich thing, and have bought a bottle of dermoline sweet itch stuff at the weekend. Does this and other similar stuff (Kill Itch etc) really work?

I already make up my own fly repellent recipe using citronella for my other horse, is there any other stuff I could buy just in case? I was thinking about Deet. My own recipe is a hell of a lot cheaper than any other stuff in the shops though!

Is there anything else I need to know? I'm thinking that prevention is better than cure.
Thanks
 
I use the nettex stop itch salve on my section d - he has quite bad sweet itch if it's let get going so I start applying it once a week at the beginning of March, twice a week from mid April and every second day during the worst of midge season (mid may to august) then back to twice a week until the frosts. It appears expensive, about £22 a tub but I only use 2 tubs a year so its good value IMHO. Rub it in well at the roots of the mane and the top of the tail and it can make the mane and tail look greasy but better that than looking like a bog brush :)

Mine doesn't wear a fly rug, he just demolishes them and he lives out 24/7 - nobody believes me that he has sweet itch because he has a mane down to his shoulder and a full tail that I have just lopped 6 inches off as he was stepping on it.......
 
A decent rug will save you a fortune in lotions and potions:)
Mild sweet itch can rapidly become severe sweet itch in a matter of hours so covering up really is your best option.
There are cheaper versions of the Boett which considering your situation may suit you....
Like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CS-Sweet-Itch...tZUK_Horse_Wear_Equipment?hash=item1c0c514c04

I have founf Net Tex Sweet Itch Salve great for around the face and sheath and Coopers Fly repellents Extra really good.

You can put a turnout on over a fly rug...yes and you can even ride with them on. You can buy waterproof sheets to go in them too..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Horsware-Wate...tZUK_Horse_Wear_Equipment?hash=item5886139bd5

My lad will have his sweetich rug on this weekend....never too soon

This is the fly recipe I use as well as the Coopers
scroll down to Traze_F's recipe
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=157038
 
Hi sorry to hijack, my new horse who is also a welsh D and also has (mild)sweetitch just arrived last saturday. The horsey came with fly rugs but no boett. Is it worth buying a boett and are the cheaper alternatives any good. Should I be putting one of her fly rugs on now under her turnout rug and how soon should I start using lotions and potions. She seems ok at the min not seen any itching yet but would ob like to keep it that way.
 
I've always used cheaper alternatives to the boett, I actually prefer them as a lighter fabric, but I generally use a lighter colored tough fly rug on to to take the punishment

Marmite is the same as brewers yeast - dosing on B vitamins to make the horse less attractive to midges. Brewers yeast granules or powder are much easier to feed and you can give a measured dose.

Second netex stop itch for smearing on unprotected areas like the sheath.

Also because my horses are at home during the summer, they live in during the day and only go out after dark. I bring them in early, but have never found that many midges flying first thing when its cold. This was i was able to really manage his symptoms.
 
if you leave it till your horse is itching its too late prevention is better than anything !!
i would definitely recommend the divoza excema rug they are even showerproof too in design very similar to the boett but cheaper.
im trying brewers yeast this year as an experiment so fingers crossed.
Ive also heard that garlic is not the right supplement for a horse with sweet-itch i ditched it last year and although other factors could have made a difference ( weather etc) i though it was a little less severe.
 
garlic boosts the immune system and sw is caused by an overactive immune system so not good.

my experiance is of spending lots of money on lotions and potions that didn`t really work.
the only thing that works for us is to cover up the pony before the midges arrive(march).

i have found that to buy a rug/sheet is cheaper than trying all the other stuff.

one year my pony was so bad that i could not stable her cos she rubbed on the indoors but being covered up the last couple of years she has no itching at all.

i do spray with deosect once a week/fortnight to cover us when we are out riding.
 
My horse gets sweetitch quite badly. He has a few rambo sweetitch hoodies which have lasted him for a long time. He has it on before he starts to itch. He also has a sweetitch lotion on (cant remeber the name!) a few times a week.
I wash his mane quite frequesntly (mainly as he competes) and use MegaTek to keep it soft and to encourage it to grow.
Last year i tried a new supplement from the vets called Cavellese (prob spelt wrong). Its for skin conditions, not directly sweetitch. It worked wonders last year and have just ordered a new load for this year. Its a powder that you mix up with water and give a few mls per day. Its all 'herbal' stuff so can use it when competing. I dnt normally believe in stuff like that but it really worked! Hope you get you horse sorted!
Charlotte x
 
I have found the Mark Todd fly rug to be great, mine is in use already. Nettex Stop Itch is great around the sheath, it seems expensive but lasts ages.

Good luck with managing it
 
I have a section D and a coloured cob, both suffer badly with sweetitch and have done for the past 15 years.

I have tried all the lotons and potions and tbh the only thing that works for my boys is rugging. I used boetts for years, they do work but I was always having to sew them up as the lads were pretty destructive even with nothing to rub on as we use electric fencing.

I use the rambo hoodies now as they are much harder to trash. They both wear hoods too.

I tried stabling in the early years but they just rubbed in the stables even with the rugs on, the automatic drinkers didn't stand a chance !.

I use avon skin so soft spray on their sheaths.

I love November when they can have the sun and fresh air on their backs !!!
 
Hi, yes I too have a sec D, who suffers with mild sweet itch and in particular she gets bitten to pieces around the cheek area of her head. Last year I started to use Global Herbs Scratch Plus. Not cheap at £40 for a large tub, but results were amazing. It smells discusting, but she loved it in her feed. I went on holiday for a few days and was unable to give her the herbs and the problem reoccured litterally over night. Once back on it, it again sorted its self out. I also found that I did not have to spend a hugh amount on fly repelants as the smell from the scratch plus got rid of most flies. I also used a fly mask and rug. As the weather is getting warmer I will start with the global herbs at the end of this month again.
 
Thank you all so much, this is exactly what I needed. Especially to _HP_ for those links. There seems to be a few Welsh D's with sweet itch!

I'm going to buy a fly rug in the next couple of days, and will also invest in some Nettex Stop Itch as a few of you have had good results with it.

Stabling isn't an option unfortunately, although I know its meant to be one of the best things you can do. Our stables are currently in the planning permission stages and won't be built til the end of summer most likely. I'd prefer to keep her out really with a fly rug on, as I'd also have to stable my other horse that she's kept with to keep her company.

Think I will save this thread (if I can work out how on the new forum) and refer back to it if I have any problems over summer.
 
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