Sweet itch? or paranoid!

[Parker79]

Hello

This may be nothing but..got a new boy in Feb, everything going ok until about a few days ago, I took his rug off and he was nipping at his hip and belly area...grooming furiously. I gave him a thorough groom and he seemed fine...rug back on and back in the field.

Tonight I took his rug off and he did the same...this time more so and quite frantic, major grooming session followed and once his rug was back on he stopped.

His cost is changing and I'm pulling clumps of hair off him...it could just be this but he is Friesian and they are prone to it...so I wondered about your experiences of the first signs of this...I have NO experience of sweet itch.

Before anyone comments about the...he is on full livery, they do rug swaps and check him but not grooming (so he hasn't been left unchecked for days!).

 

[Parker79]

anyone?

 

[StarlightMagic]

Doesn't sound like sweet itch, just an itchy horse ,needing a good scrub!

 

[ThePony]

could he be getting too warm?

 

[Parker79]

thank you - i did think that, this weather has been a nightmare, do not like to over rug but he i out 24/7 i lean and was really feeling the cold. So he has probably been too hot in between.

I am planning on another hefty grooming session today so hopefully that will help him.

I read some stuff on sweet itch and it sounded a possibility.......damn internet research!

 

[StarlightMagic]

My old mare gnaws at her side when I first take her rug off and had her 9 years she definately not got sweet itch

 

[Parker79]

oh - thank you, will keep an eye on it.

Haven't ever seen a horse react quite like this before!

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine does this and I think it is because he is too warm in the rug -but if it is raining he has to keep it on.

He also gets itchy sometimes,but I find a wash with an insecticide shampoo does the trick.

Rugging is difficult at the moment, normally mine wouldn't be wearing a rug of any sort by now, but if I think he is going to roll in a mud patch I put on a rain sheet.