Sweet Itch help...in a very nervous yearling

[lucy_108]

About a month ago I rehomed an 11 month old rescue pony. When I went to see him they said the quickest way to his heart was a good scratch and he loved being scratched on his neck. This was 100% true, but to the point he would almost throw himself on you to get the scratches. I put it down to the fact he had been living out his entire life and had grown a very dense, fluffy coat.
Fast forward 4 weeks and with some regular grooming his coat is moulting out really well, to reveal underneath that he has been scratching himself silly. I've watched him and he uses his back feet to scratch up by his ears and he's almost breaking the skin.
We are in Scotland and have all sorts of biting nasties flying around and all his symptoms seem to point to sweet itch (if anyone has any other ideas, i'm open to hearing them!). The only issue is that he was lifted as part of a neglect/welfare case so he was incredibly nervous when we got him. We have made great progress but he is nowhere near ready for rugging yet. I've just about got him to accept having some Sw'Itch (Thomas Pettifer) applied and I do this twice daily on the itchy spots. I'd love to bath him and rug him with a little sweet itch rug but I think we're looking at weeks of work before that's realistically possible without terrifying him.
Has anyone got any ideas of what I can do? He's off to the vets with his pal next week for a weigh in so I'll be asking them too, just wondered if anyone had any similar experience or advice to share?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Has he been treated for lice?

 

[lucy_108]

Has he been treated for lice?

Yes, sorry I should have mentioned. He was treated with Deosect two weeks apart when he arrived as a 'just in case'.

 

[Quigleyandme]

The only really effective solution is a soothing bath and a sweet itch rug but you know that already. Can you start desensitisation now with a numnah followed by something larger, etc. It really didn’t take my yearling long to accept rugging And he was extremely resistant at the start of the process.

 

[meleeka]

In really rare Biteback products for sweet itch. you can apply with a sponge if needed. I’d probably do another treatment of Deosect too. Does he still have a thick coat? That would make him itchy and hopefully with good care that will improve.

 

[Gloi]

It's rare for sweet itch to show badly at that age.
I'd still be concentrating on treating lice and mites. They can sometimes be hard to get rid of . Keep up with the deosect and worm with ivermectin. If he wasn't young and nervous I'd suggest dectomax injections but they might traumatize him.
Make sure the stable is treated too and any field companions.

 

[Andie02]

Have a look at "Stinky Stuff's " "Non Stinky" as a food supplement, it has very good reviews, it has helped my dog with itching https://www.stinky-stuff.co.uk/products/non-stinky-extra-large-2/

Products from Aromesse are also very good.

 

[Cazza525]

After years of rugging behind electric fencing, I changed totally! I apply bite back cream in the evening once a day. He lives out and has a glorious mane and tail! Here’s a pic from Monday.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Op, if he’s itching so bad now all he will do while wearing a rug is shred it.

I too would concentrate on life or mites and if he still is shedding that can make them super tickly (I’ve just clipped two of my minis who were dragging themselves along the stable walls inside to itch themselves, obviously you’re going to struggle to clip yours currently.

I agree electric fencing has been a huge help for my mini x as before he would demolish post and rail and anything else he could scratch on.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

After years of rugging behind electric fencing, I changed totally! I apply bite back cream in the evening once a day. He lives out and has a glorious mane and tail! Here’s a pic from Monday.

Can you please tell me which bite back cream you are using - is it this one https://www.bitebackproducts.co.uk/sweet-relief-cream - I use it on my mare but just for her belly line under her SI rug, I was a bit wary of putting it in her tail dock and mane area as it does seem to slough of layers of skin when I first start using it in February'ish? Or is it the lotion you use and if so, where do you apply it each day please.?

I am delighted with using Bite Back stuff, I use the lotion in the squirty pump around my donkey's ears and it does really help keep the flys of their head area, not sure about midges though.

 

[Leah3horses]

Op, you can teach a feral ish pony to accept anything using clicker training...and pretty quickly once they understand it. A nice bath would be a great first goal to aim for, bit by bit you can train it in a couple of days if urgent, and you start small. If I was nearer I'd come and start you off with it if needed. Other than that, deosect again would be a good way to go as sounds like possibly lice , not sweet itch, at that age. Then Flyfree or Think Fly in feed at maximum quantities as insurance. Hope little one is less itchy after more deosect and grooming to get rid of thick coat ..a furminator type brush is brilliant for that.

 

[Cazza525]

Can you please tell me which bite back cream you are using - is it this one https://www.bitebackproducts.co.uk/sweet-relief-cream - I use it on my mare but just for her belly line under her SI rug, I was a bit wary of putting it in her tail dock and mane area as it does seem to slough of layers of skin when I first start using it in February'ish? Or is it the lotion you use and if so, where do you apply it each day please.?

I am delighted with using Bite Back stuff, I use the lotion in the squirty pump around my donkey's ears and it does really help keep the flys of their head area, not sure about midges though.

Yes I use the bite back cream on his tail, and base of his mane. I have also bought a pot of the silver cream if he has an outbreak. I don’t use a sweet itch rug now unless he’s going to a show....I bath him at least once a week in any shampoo I’ve got lying around. The afternoon before a show I bath him, Chuck rug on and turn him back out. I literally spent hundreds of pounds on rugs that he just shredded if he wasn’t behind electric fencing. I’d now rather cope with slight balding on tail and a happy pony x

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Thanks Cazza525 I think I will now try rubbing some in along her mane and her tail too. I think I have been missing a trick not using it there also.

 

[Griffin]

I would make sure he hasn't got any lice etc anymore and keep getting rid of the moult. I will be honest and say I don't know anything about feeding foals/yearlings but if you are able to give him a supplement to support his skin, that may help. I am currently feeding TumerItch with good results but Feedmark's Equidemis is really good too and hasn't got any neem in it.