Sweet itch or other itch?

[Brightbay]

I am looking after a pony for a friend this week. He lives in my horse's herd, and although I say hello and give him a scratch etc., and check over all horses when visiting, I don't normally interact with him day to day.

Today, I went to give him a quick fly spray, to discover that he has rubbed out large patches of hair along his loins

History - pony is about 15/16, arrived from a dealer in January, was discovered to have bad lice. Was treated for lice and when he shed out his coat, his summer coat came in looking nice. He is very thin skinned, and arrived with a scrawny mane and tail, but he is not rubbing his mane - I checked. He does rub his tail from time to time, so it's a bit bog brush looking.

A good scan all over has shown that the baldy bits start off as little round baldy spots about the size of a lentil. They are mainly over his loins, and just in front of his stifle. He has also rubbed himself on his chest and around the sides of his tail - on something rough, so has a few cuts which I've treated.

I've looked after a pony with severe sweet itch before, and the rubbed bits were completely different? He rubbed face, legs, mane, tail and belly along to stifle, but not at all on his flanks or topline - so I'm wondering if this is sweet itch, or if the pony has been sensitised and is now hyper itchy due to the lice in the winter?

Not sure how to treat it - I don't want to hand a baldy pony back to owner next week! Also, would it really take til July for sweet itch to manifest itself? Sweet itch pony used to have to have his Boett on from March? Suggestions welcome

ETA - eep! that was a short novel! I have oatmeal cookies for anybody who finishes it!

 

[Love]

I don't have anything useful to say other than Do you have any photos? It might be easier to tell from them. Although I do understand you may not feel comfortable with it not being your pony.

 

[MagicMelon]

Has the field got buttercups in? One of mine went crazy rubbing huge patches off his face a fortnight ago, looks dreadful but now its clearing up on its own - does it every year so Ive worked out it is the buttercups. Otherwise, I used to have a horse who would itch, he was actually allergic to certain things (most grasses, dust and mould!). He'd generally always itch the lower half of his mane out, but nown and again would itch other areas and also came out in welts sometimes. Could be a reaction to something?

 

[LovesCobs]

it does sound like it could be a number of things, I have a mare who has an allergy to bites like sweet itch but never touches her mane and tail. her bites come up in big lump reactions and if she gets enough she will then itch, get infected and rub her hair off (still not mane or tail)
but having said that I had a mare I looked after who came from a dealer very itchy etc and was treated, it did start to come back after her looking to be clear for a while, so maybe she needs treating again, or maybe pinworm?
can you contact her to see if she's ok for you to call her vet and look at treatment?

 

[Brightbay]

it does sound like it could be a number of things, I have a mare who has an allergy to bites like sweet itch but never touches her mane and tail. her bites come up in big lump reactions and if she gets enough she will then itch, get infected and rub her hair off (still not mane or tail)
but having said that I had a mare I looked after who came from a dealer very itchy etc and was treated, it did start to come back after her looking to be clear for a while, so maybe she needs treating again, or maybe pinworm?
can you contact her to see if she's ok for you to call her vet and look at treatment?

No lumps, welts or bumps. He hasn't really broken the skin either, just literally rubbed himself bald! I do wonder about the lice - although his coat is so fine, I'm sure I would be able to see any scurrying activity! There are a few scrapes where he's itched himself on something sharp though

My own does get an itchy face, but has been pretty good this year so far, so although there are buttercups, I think there are fewer than normal this year.

Pinworms is a possibility - good point. He was wormed when he arrived (I do the worming for the field, so I know he got it and got the right amount, but not sure if the wormer he got covers pinworm - I will go off and check now).

I've put as much of the soothing spray on as I can - he's not too keen on sprays so we have to do a little spray dance as he swings his hindquarters away from the spray! He's fine if I spray it into my hand and rub it on, in fact he goes weak at the knees if I give him a good scratch over his loins.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

If they don't like fly spray you could apply (very dilute as directed on tin) Deosect with a sponge, it only needs applying once a fortnight ish, reapply if sweated off or rained heavily. You can get it online, patch test first.

I have a similar issue with my mare right now, a couple of bare patches on her rump. Originally thought it was rain scald but vet said not, now fear the dreaded sweet itch, so have ordered a SI rug and bathed her tonight with an anti fly herbal shampoo and made her more comfy.

 

[Brightbay]

If they don't like fly spray you could apply (very dilute as directed on tin) Deosect with a sponge, it only needs applying once a fortnight ish, reapply if sweated off or rained heavily. You can get it online, patch test first.

I have a similar issue with my mare right now, a couple of bare patches on her rump. Originally thought it was rain scald but vet said not, now fear the dreaded sweet itch, so have ordered a SI rug and bathed her tonight with an anti fly herbal shampoo and made her more comfy.

Oh interesting... that does make it sound like sweet itch then - very similar. I did wonder about rain scald, but he hasn't been wet, and there were no scabs.

Pony's owner has actually been using Deosect already - she used it initially for the lice, and more recently has done both pony and her other horse as a fly repellent. Horse is fine, but pony is rubbing away. I think last application was a few days before she went on holidays. I did wonder if it was a reaction to the Deosect... but it sounds like sweet itch. He's too small for any of my horse's fly rugs, so I'll just have to find some soothing cream and lots of fly repellent until she gets back next week.

 

[LittleRooketRider]

once again if its not lice i swear by sudocreme completely cleared up kitt's itchiness and she hasn't had a bald mane now for 4 years

 

[Brightbay]

once again if its not lice i swear by sudocreme completely cleared up kitt's itchiness and she hasn't had a bald mane now for 4 years

Ooh good idea - it has benzyl benzoate in it, doesn't it? I was thinking I needed to get some, but I can just stick some sudocreme on

We had another little waltz this morning, applying diluted neem oil with a body brush - seems he doesn't much like being brushed either. I got it on in the end by kidding on I was scratching him - he loves that - and sneakily spraying over my hand.

 

[LittleRooketRider]

I got it on in the end by kidding on I was scratching him - he loves that - and sneakily spraying over my hand.

crafty aren't you