sweet itch

Cazza525

Cazza525

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I know this is Summer related, but hey ho!!

Basically Poppet is my little welsh B mare. I bought her 18 months ago and her only vice was bax walking (mine live out mainly so no probs.)

Anyhow I put her in foal when I bought her which unfortunately she lost (in July last year). I started noticing her rubbing her tail when the heat started in early summer, but because of being in foal at that time I didn't put a fly rug on her, but added some lotions and potions to her tail.

Obviously after the stillborn foal I was conscious of her weight and started to bring her in in the day and only turning her out at night. She continued to rub her tail in the stable in the day,as well as out in the paddock at night on the post and rail.

It really is only the top of her tail that she rubs....so it looks like I've pulled it. She is a pure Welsh B that I would like to show this year in hand and am concerned about her rubbing again. Would you cover her entirely in a sweet itch hoody for just her tail? She will be in in the day from Spring onwards so would you keep the rug on all the time??

Ideas please......
grin.gif
 
i have a welshie with severe SI. personally, if poss i'd put a boett on full time, but thats just me as i am very aware unfortuatly, to the misery it causes.
 
Mmmmm I have the same "problem" with one of mine. It may not be a straight "sweetitch" problem. Have you tried worming her every 4 months with wormers such as Ivermectin.

Basically I have thrown the book at mine (excluding the injection) I hit upon this one by chance. It is to do with the migration of the pinworm (Onchocerca) into the muscle (cant find the article at the mo). When they hatch the filleria (sp) (debris) cause the itching. The itching breaks the skin which in turn attracts the culucoides midge, etc, etc. There was also the suggestion that feeding chondroitin helps repair the tissue damage. I didn't manage to get hold of the pure chondroitin, but I did try worming Mags with Ivermectin and he was definately much better this year.
 
The boetts are v.v. pricey arent they. I have been looking at the snuggy hood version. Do you think that would be ok? I wouldn't need the neck attatchment. Or could you recommend any other rug??
 
Put a boett and face mask on her. I have a mare that suffers from it badly that she's unridable, and don't even think about breeding from her, she will just pass it on to the foal etc. At lest this winter with the cold and snow, she's not been rubbing herself raw, first time in 7 years I've owned her.
 
if it is SI then you need to start covering up in march,i know this sounds early but you need to do it before the itching starts because once the pony rubs it has already been bitten.
 
I also triad the snuggy hood version didn't work. when they get it really bad it affects their legs as well.
Sweet itch doesn't get better it slowly get worse, but you can control it.
 
ye i have both snuggy and boett and boett wins hands down. like johnrobert mine is also unrideable due to SI. it will get worse with age so to be safe i'd boett up. mine goes on in feb under turn out rug... as mentioned my mares case is severe but it really isn't pleasant in any form. if you can spare the cash, get a boett, even if she doesnt need it fully, at least she'll be comfortable all over!!!
 
try the pagony rug but you will need electric fencing to eleminate anything in the field that can be rubbed on.
my pony was so bad one year(had fly sheet on and mask but these left a gap between) that i could not put her in the stable for her rubbing
but
since covering up early she has not itched at all.

the cost of the rug was less than what i could of spent on lotions /potions that dont really work.

(i sprayed with deosect about once every 1 to 2 weeks for when riding and uncovered)
 
Could I just say what my resevations over the boett are.

My friend has a horse with SEVERE SI. He wears a boett 24/7. One morning last summer she arrived to find him standing by the hedge. He had pulled the neck piece over his head as he had got it caught. He was struggling for breath.

He is ok, but since then she has never used a boett again. She has bought the rambo equivalent.
 
if its only patches. try a product called stop-it-all. google it. it is a products that is natural and will treat almost anything....i was amazed by this product. one of our horses has suffered with sweet itch for many years, and will even get down on the floor to scratch his belly on the ground. last summer he went out with this product on without a flyrug, and no itching all year...flippin fantastic...x
 
If it is just her tail are you sure it is sweetitch? It might be worth getting her tested for worms. I have a sweetitch horse, he gets hot and sweaty with any fly rug and it makes him worse, so I use a combination of homeopathy and different lotions. I don't manage to completely control it though.
If you do decide it's sweetitch, and you want to try any homeopathy or anti-itch supplements, you need to get them going around the start of February.
 
[ QUOTE ]
if its only patches. try a product called stop-it-all. google it. it is a products that is natural and will treat almost anything....i was amazed by this product. one of our horses has suffered with sweet itch for many years, and will even get down on the floor to scratch his belly on the ground. last summer he went out with this product on without a flyrug, and no itching all year...flippin fantastic...x

[/ QUOTE ]

Second the above - brilliant stuff!! One of mine also gets global herbs scratch in her food from feb - nov..
 
I have a horse that has sweetitch and have tried everything. Last year was his best year and we kept him without a rug and just sprayed him with deosect. He actually has a mane and a nice tail not a bog brush. I also never gave him his usual supplement
 
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