Sweet itch.

[lucymb]

My mare has started itching,
I know nothing about sweet itch but it seems she is starting with it. Only had since June last year and she did have signs of it but nothing major and we managed through the rest of summer pretty well with minimal rubbing and a regular fly rug.
Im looking at getting her a sweet itch rug, but have read online that once itching has started then i have a huge battle on my hands to keep her comfortable.
They are obviously quite expensive so i don't want her ripping it to shreds by rubbing through it.
Anyone got any advice, tips on how best to get here through this summer comfortably.
Thanks.

 

[MrsGriswold]

Hi, I usually mix my own cream to put on the itchy bits, usually mane and top of the tail. 99p from home Vargas mixed with benzyl benzoate. Way cheaper than buying sweet itch creams and same ingredients. I get benzyl off eBay. Definitely a sweet itch rug. Probably start with a shires highlander then maybe a boett. Spray every day with fly spray. No sugar in feeds and I out brewers yeast in her feed. Good luck!

 

[MrsGriswold]

Home bargains that should say!

 

[Chianti]

The problem is that you can only be given very generic advice. Every pony/horse suffers in their own way and products that work really well for one will make no difference to another. I have a storage box full of tried lotions and creams that didn't seem to make any difference. Even if she's started rubbing you need to keep her covered in a good sweetitch rug. The more expensive ones are that for the reason- that they don't fall apart so easily. I use premier equine at the start of the season when mine seems to rub the most. Anything with neem in it and benzol benzoate should help with the rubbing. If you look on Marketplace on Facebook you can often pick up good second hand sweetitch rugs. Change the rugs frequently to keep them clean. There's a post in the equestrian deals page with a link to cheap Shires rugs.

 

[maya2008]

Yes the rugs do get shredded if already itching. Buy second hand, sew rips up with baling twine strands. Daily if necessary!

A friend of mine recommended the sweet itch relief lotion from Bite Back. Worked well for us too when our lovely boy shredded his last rug into many pieces! We are just using that this year and so far so good!

 

[Griffin]

Different things suit different horses, so you may have to try a few combinations to see what works for you.

Brewers yeast can work really well and is fairly inexpensive to try. If you couple this with some micronised linseed, it can be really helpful (although it doesn't work with every horse). A friend of mine had good results with the D-Itch supplement from NAF.

I am currently trying TumerItch which is expensive but I think it if works (cautiously optimistic at the moment but when the weather warms up, that will be the real test) then it will probably end up about the same as if I had covered her in lotions and potions every day and it is a lot quicker.

I second a Shires sweet itch rug.

 

[PSD]

Another vote for biteback sweet relief cream. Used it daily last summer and Have been using it weekly since feb and had mine rugged, last year she was a mess so started early this time. Like chianti states, what works for one won’t always work for another. I use a shires highlander sweet itch rug, have used Rambo before and it held up well. Remove all sugar from their diet too if you can, I’ve found that helps most SI horses and ponies. And unfortunately get used to seeing your horse in a rug for most of the time for the next 6 months!

 

[MereChristmas]

As others say it is unfortunately a case of trial and error. Also what works one year may not work the next.

My mare, now sold, was never naked.
In winter, a snuggy hood plus a sheet and belly wrap under her turnout.

In summer, a snuggy head plus a shires sweet itch rug with a snuggy udder cover attached. I adapted a bib to have a wider piece between the front legs that hung down. This stopped her biting her brisket and between her legs. If the flies were bad she wore a mesh face mask too.
It sounds a lot but you soon become adept at fitting it. My mare never got hot while wearing it all.

I also used Bite Back silver cream. I found it the most successful.

Foodwise I removed the sugar, alfalfa and cereal. She had Just Grass or similar, and micronised linseed plus salt and mins and vits.

I hope you can find a regime that works.

 

[Quigleyandme]

The best you can do is keep her clean and keep her covered and run your eyes and hands over her twice a day to find places that need spot treatment and monitoring like behind her knees and her udder. There is a plethora of sweet itch topicals on the market but I find witch hazel, Aveeno baby wipes and sudocrem the most useful tools in my armoury for spot treatments. My horse developed it last summer and I was too slow to react so this year I’m trying to lessen it’s impact by feeding brewers yeast and applying Switch once a week. So far he is trouble free but I have Bite Back and my tried and tested products in the first aid cupboard now. I know I can’t beat it completely but my goal is for it to be the least worst it can be and for him to be naked as long as possible into the season.

 

[Hollychops]

I have a shetland who has suffered in the past with sweet itch. i have been reading up on treatment and have heard a lot of of good things about brewers yeast. Can anyone advise how much? Before he came to me he had 2 sweet itch jabs from the vet and has a vet provided supplement but am just looking at alternatives to help repel the little blighters in case they start getting at him. He is rugged up and has plenty of fly repellent on so fingers crossed he remains comfy.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I buy the Omega Equine Brewers Yeast and the recommended quantity is 5 to 10mg per 100kg body weight.

 

[Gloi]

Electric fence off absolutely everything that can be rubbed on.
I always had a Boett or de meulenkamp rug with matching hood. Forget fly masks get a good hood.
I used neem on the bits not covered by the rug but other creams will do the same job.
If you can make sure your grazing is as exposed and short as possible with no wet areas or areas of rough grass for midges to breed.
I never found any feed additives or diet made any difference except maybe bio eos capsules. Being connected to sugar is an old wives tale.

Keep alert and on top of any developing problem areas. Good luck. I dealt with bad sweet itch for 20 years and it's a relief not to have to now.