tinkerflight
Active Member
Hello, I have bought my new horse with his old owner telling me he gets mild sweet itch and it is controlled with him wearing a snuggy hood rug permanently. I have had him now approximately 4 weeks and he is living out with his sweet itch rug on.
He doesn't seem to have itched himself in the field (all electric fenced) but when I bring him in to groom him he itches his face and ears on his tie ring. I am giving him the global herbs "scratch" supplement and have put some net tex itch stop stuff on his face, but this is not stopping him.
I have also started giving him turmeric (plus oil and pepper) in his feed but none of these things are stopping him itching when his rug has been taken off.
I am wondering if he has some kind of allergy and not sweet itch at all. My friends horse has an allergy to sugar and he itches his skin depending on how much sugar he eats (he can't have grass or hay in his diet). I am not sure it is sweet itch as i don't seem to have any midges (unless there are so few and they are so tiny I can't see them?).
Anyway, can my vets do any kind of test to prove whether or not it is true sweet itch? Or can they do tests for other allergies? Or is it all just trial and error to see what works/doesn't work. He is not distressed and I am not sure it's not just a habit he has got into when he comes in, but he has rubbed off some of the hair found his face so looks a bit scabby!
Thanks for any helps/advise you can give me.
He doesn't seem to have itched himself in the field (all electric fenced) but when I bring him in to groom him he itches his face and ears on his tie ring. I am giving him the global herbs "scratch" supplement and have put some net tex itch stop stuff on his face, but this is not stopping him.
I have also started giving him turmeric (plus oil and pepper) in his feed but none of these things are stopping him itching when his rug has been taken off.
I am wondering if he has some kind of allergy and not sweet itch at all. My friends horse has an allergy to sugar and he itches his skin depending on how much sugar he eats (he can't have grass or hay in his diet). I am not sure it is sweet itch as i don't seem to have any midges (unless there are so few and they are so tiny I can't see them?).
Anyway, can my vets do any kind of test to prove whether or not it is true sweet itch? Or can they do tests for other allergies? Or is it all just trial and error to see what works/doesn't work. He is not distressed and I am not sure it's not just a habit he has got into when he comes in, but he has rubbed off some of the hair found his face so looks a bit scabby!
Thanks for any helps/advise you can give me.
