Sweet Itch Issues

[smolmaus]

Worth noting, sometimes they can react if the concentration is a bit too strong. One of mine would come up pink and irritated if I used it at recommended concentration, but was absolutely fine with it being slightly less so.

Ty also! This is the kind of info you never find printed on the bottle ❤

 

[Surbie]

And will invest in the Snuggy Hood Bug Rug when they release this years stock.

There's a secondhand Snuggy FB group which might have something for you.

 

[smolmaus]

There's a secondhand Snuggy FB group which might have something for you.

Excellent, have just joined! These things are always active in England with nobody in NI but it's worth keeping an eye on!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Our boy developed sweet itch for the first time last July - only around his mane and tail, thankfully nowhere else. Last summer we had steroid cream when the sores were really bad, used a snuggy hoods sweet itch hood, fly mask with ears, deosect every two weeks and washed his neck (sadly we had to hog him as he’d rubbed so much of his mane out) weekly with oatmeal shampoo. Out of 14 horses, he was the only one to have a problem..

His mane has now grown back and he’s looking so much better. We’ve decided to try the ringworm injection which our vet has had good success with against sweet itch as well (although it’s not licensed for sweet itch so not all vets will prescribe it). I’m keeping everything crossed it works.

 

[Highmileagecob]

My vet swore by bathing in Head and Shoulders at least once a week. We then applied a homemade mixture of 50% calamine lotion, 40% benzyl benzoate and 10% methylated spirits. This was 20+ years ago so things might have moved on since then but it definitely helped him.

It was cheap too and I'd nonchalantly go to my local chemist to buy industrial quantities of benzyl benzoate. It was only years later I discovered it was also used to treat crabs in humans.

Head and Shoulders used to contain selenium (but doesn't any more) and selenium kills scabies mites, which are crabs, which are heel mites or chorioptic mange to give it it's Sunday name. If your problem is due to mites then a selenium product will work. If it due to midge bites aggravating an auto immune condition you have my sympathy. That must be a nightmare to deal with.

 

[Chianti]

I have a gyspy cob mare who suffers horrendously with sweet itch! This year im trying to get ready in anticipation of another nightmare summer, last year I couldn't ride for the whole or summer because her skin was horrendous! After numerous trips to the vets we found creams that help her with the scabs and the itchyness and this year I want to be better prepared. Im looking at what rugs people reccommends I got her a premier equine last year but it rubber her so bad and she really got to hot in it so I stopped using it. Please an people help me with what rugs works for them or any other tips do stop the itch!!!!

The Shires rugs are very good and are a bit lighter than the PE. When it gets hotter I use the Rambo rugs as they cover well but aren't as tight. When it's a very hot summer I think the midges aren't as bad. Last year was mild and wet so they were awful. Some people clip even in the summer to help with getting too hot in rugs. Mine itches all year so this year I've decided to get a blood test done to test for allergies. I've found bathing every other week with Malaseb shampoo really helps. It's such a horrible condition. We keep being told a new vaccination is being trialed but it never seems to get beyond the trial stage. Can I please ask what creams you're using?

 

[poiuytrewq]

We are patch testing this weekend. Could you tell me how long it took for him to react badly just so I know I've waited long enough?

I have a reactor too. Mine is instant. Be a bit careful, my horse became dangerously agitated within seconds and I had a hell of a job to get him hosed off and out in the field where he proceeded to tear round like a deranged nut job.
I may as well have poured acid over the poor thing.
It’s great stuff I was an idiot not to patch test.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Head and Shoulders used to contain selenium (but doesn't any more) and selenium kills scabies mites, which are crabs, which are heel mites or chorioptic mange to give it it's Sunday name. If your problem is due to mites then a selenium product will work. If it due to midge bites aggravating an auto immune condition you have my sympathy. That must be a nightmare to deal with.

Sorry to jump in, can you recommend a product containing selenium please?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Sorry to jump in, can you recommend a product containing selenium please?

I use Selsun 2.5% since I read about a small study that Cambridge University did on itchy horses.
Complete bath from tips of ears to soles of feet on day 1, day 5 and day 10 (I know, it's like scrubbing a carpet), Study reckoned that this kept the horses itch free for up to ten months. I tend to top this up with bi-monthly leg washes - but my cob is a heel mite magnet, I am not dealing with sweet itch. There is also a product called Selsun Blue which has a lower concentration of selenium. This doesn't work for old fleabag.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I use Selsun 2.5% since I read about a small study that Cambridge University did on itchy horses.
Complete bath from tips of ears to soles of feet on day 1, day 5 and day 10 (I know, it's like scrubbing a carpet), Study reckoned that this kept the horses itch free for up to ten months. I tend to top this up with bi-monthly leg washes - but my cob is a heel mite magnet, I am not dealing with sweet itch. There is also a product called Selsun Blue which has a lower concentration of selenium. This doesn't work for old fleabag.

Amazing thank you so much. I’ll definitely give that a try. Does it make much difference when you do it? As in now before serious itching sets in or later to relieve itchiness.
I’m also battling mites in summer so this is especially interesting.
Literally soles of the feet? ?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Amazing thank you so much. I’ll definitely give that a try. Does it make much difference when you do it? As in now before serious itching sets in or later to relieve itchiness.
I’m also battling mites in summer so this is especially interesting.
Literally soles of the feet? ?

Apologies for hijacking a SI thread. I battled itchy cob legs and thrushy frogs for literally years, to the point where my lad was taking fences down by scraping his legs against them. Came across Cambridge research in 2014, and tried it. He stopped itching in 48 hours - it was amazing! That summer, the thrush cleared up too, which made me wonder if it was burrowing mites and not thrush - no idea there, sorry! If people move onto our yard with itchy cobs, I'm afraid I start a conversation, and offer them enough shampoo to bathe a horse. We now have around eight traditional cobs on the yard and not one of them is itching. Good luck, I hope it works for you. PS Don't worry if you think the shampoo has left yellow staining. I think the ingredient is latching onto skin debris and it does fade. Please make sure you rinse well.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Has anyone tried the Weatherbeeta sweet itch rug? It's about half the price of the Rambo ..

https://www.thedrillshed.com/weathe...eld-combo-neck-white-blue-1006209-p-2500.html

We had a snuggy hood for him last summer but he kept trying to get it off (and succeeding with the help of his friends) and eventually he managed to hide it somewhere in the field and I think the foxes took it off as it disappeared completely

He gets quite hot and bothered so I think the snuggy hood full rug will be a no-go. Both Rambo and Weatherbeeta seem to be a good fit on him (chunky ISH).

 

[Nasicus]

Has anyone tried the Weatherbeeta sweet itch rug? It's about half the price of the Rambo ..

https://www.thedrillshed.com/weathe...eld-combo-neck-white-blue-1006209-p-2500.html

We had a snuggy hood for him last summer but he kept trying to get it off (and succeeding with the help of his friends) and eventually he managed to hide it somewhere in the field and I think the foxes took it off as it disappeared completely

He gets quite hot and bothered so I think the snuggy hood full rug will be a no-go. Both Rambo and Weatherbeeta seem to be a good fit on him (chunky ISH).

Not sure about the version the drillshed website has, but I've got this weatherbeeta on one of mine:
https://www.weatherbeeta.co.uk/weatherbeeta-sweet-itch-shield-combo-neck

It's pretty decent, I like the large padding either side of the withers to keep it raised off of said withers, and the surcingle's for the belly cover being adjustable on both sides. My only change would be having a bigger tailflap, but then I'm spoilt by the Rambo Hoodies I have for the other one

 

[Gloi]

Not sure about the version the drillshed website has, but I've got this weatherbeeta on one of mine:
https://www.weatherbeeta.co.uk/weatherbeeta-sweet-itch-shield-combo-neck

It's pretty decent, I like the large padding either side of the withers to keep it raised off of said withers, and the surcingle's for the belly cover being adjustable on both sides. My only change would be having a bigger tailflap, but then I'm spoilt by the Rambo Hoodies I have for the other one

If you want a rug in this style but cheaper, the Shires is pretty good.

 

[LittleBlueBird]

I found mine would sweat in her Rambo but was much better in the shires. I use the bite back cream and really rub it into her mane and dock and she was much more comfortable. I then alongside my regular vet found a homeopathic vet too woo for some but she gave me a combination that stopped any itching straight away.

some days I thought she was going to break the stable with her rubbing. I gave her a dose am & pm and no itching at all and she’s all round much calmer and happier.

I’m hoping this year will be easier again.

 

[smolmaus]

I found mine would sweat in her Rambo but was much better in the shires. I use the bite back cream and really rub it into her mane and dock and she was much more comfortable. I then alongside my regular vet found a homeopathic vet too woo for some but she gave me a combination that stopped any itching straight away.

some days I thought she was going to break the stable with her rubbing. I gave her a dose am & pm and no itching at all and she’s all round much calmer and happier.

I’m hoping this year will be easier again.

Do homeopathic vets tell you what's in the concoctions?

 

[LittleBlueBird]

Do homeopathic vets tell you what's in the concoctions?

Yes absolutely, mine talks me through everything. I gave sulphur 6c and nux vomica 6c everyday for 21 days initially.

after that I gave sulphur 30c when she was itchy, but it really depends on the symptoms, it’s tailor made in that regard.