Sweet itch

[Tabbi]

I have a question about sweet itch, I know what causes it but I wanted to find out about costs involved in treating it. I have been talking to someone local about a horse she has for sale and she had said the horse has a mild case of sweet itch, so I wanted to get the low down on costs and treatment. I know I can google this sort of thing but I wanted to get peoples experience of costs and management of this condition.

Thanks

 

[parsley]

We are on our second pony with sweetitch. I'm not sure what is meant by mild sweetitich but it does get worse with age. I think a rug is the best problem solving device - this can cost between £100 and £200, maybe a it more. There are a variety of lotions and potions, which can get very expensive and fly spray. You also need to consider damage to rugs and fences etc or the cost of putting up electric fencing to stop rubbing. Skin related disorders may also be excluded on insurance.

 

[jazyju]

Hi,we have a pony with severe sweet itch who has to have Benzyle Bensonate applied daily. Each bottle costs around £5 and we use up to 3 a week. it is sometimes unavailable to buy so we apply killitch , this is around £19 a bottle and again we use up to 3 a week. Both are excellent and keep it at bay

 

[Honeypots]

I have a cob with severe sweet itch. I personally haven't seen it get worse with age. I've had him 10 yrs and its no better or worse. However, it does improve depending on where he is situated and that has to be the biggest factor with sweet tich.
I wouldn't even consider a sweet itch case if you are in a midgy area...its hard work, expensive and not fair on the animal..

Having said that.. my cob costs me no more to keep than my others apart from a decent sweet tich rug and some electric fencing.
Electric fencing off your paddocks will help to preserve the rug. Mine is in an ordinary fly rug now because of where his field is situated and the majority of the time he is comfortable. I don't stable him as he rubs himself silly..
Apart from that all thatis required is a good fly spray..this one works very well for me (Avon Skin so Soft one):
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3077263/an/0/page/0#3077263

 

[lannerch]

I live in a fairly midgy area, is by a river, with a sweetitch pone.

Treatment consists of a snuggy hoods rug 8 months a year, generous fly repellent on, on those 8 months when not wearing rug. Fly repellent around eyes of hood, and electirc fencing.

The above is really no bother and my horse is symptom free, and happy. I would certainly buy another sweetitch sufferer as long as it was reflected in the price.

 

[PennyJ]

A mild case of sweet itch.

Might even almost go completely if you can find somewhere open and exposed enough.

Electric fencing, a Boett Rug, Avon skin so soft and nettex itch stop salve is all we use and our mare has done really well on that combination. A weekly bath might also help. She now has a lovely tail and a pretty good mane (although not as good as it has been earlier this summer, she's been rubbing...)

Also when we bought her in January (knowing she had SI) our vet was kind enough to say it wasn't obvious enough to warrant putting on the vetting certificate. She just looked like any other pony who eats the grass the other side of the barbed wire fence at that stage.

It is really the setting up costs rather than any ongoing costs

 

[kerilli]

Killitch is absolutely brilliant stuff for sweet itch, definitely worth using, my young mare has only rubbed about twice all summer (when i forgot to put it on) and we live in a very midge-infested area. she hasn't been rugged at all, either.