sweet itch

[jennygee]

A very dear friend of mine is at her wits end , she has a 2yr ol connie that she bred and was hoping to sell but he has developed severe sweet itch ( no mane left, top of tail bald and his face is very sore) being so young is it something he will grow out or will it get worse over time. She is currently trying to manage it will sweet itch rugs stabled early evening and at dawn.

 

[exracehorse]

I’d smother him with good old fashioned benzyl Benzonate. You can buy on line for 30 quid. A big bottle. Sponge it everywhere. Use the proper sweetitch rug and I’d probably leave out in a field and tape off all gates etc. They can do some serious damage by using a stable wall or door frame to rub against. It’s a catch two situation as the more they rub and break the skin, the more they rub. I have two with SI and the BB is very good. Midges hate it. And it soothes and repairs. You can also give puriton. Or speak to get to see if they can give some relief. Even if temporary to ease his discomfort. Once the winter comes, I’d probably leave in the SI rug and put winter rug over top as that’s when you can get caught out. It’s surprising how many midges appear on a sunny winter day. My SI boys have not got any worse. But not any better. Its an allergy that I don’t think ever disappears. It’s prevention ,, that’s the key. If I smother with BB and use rug then I’m ok

 

[Sasana Skye]

If it's true sweet itch it won't ever disappear sadly, but my mares did get milder as she aged.

 

[Surbie]

It takes mine about 3 weeks to break the itching cycle.

I use filtabac on any broken skin, Killitch on his mane and tail (usually 2 one litre bottles a year) and rug (I use Snuggy rugs) from March to whenever there are enough frosts to have killed the bugs. I hot cloth him when he gets too greasy, but I try not to use any soaps that will strip the skin as that's when I find I make it worse.

I've also put him on a <10% starch & sugar diet - which I would have to do anyway as he's a very good doer.

I tried lots of sweetitch 'helpers' - brewers yeast, linseed, chamomile & redbush tea, tumeritch, wondergel...none of it worked for mine, but the regime above does. I chose my yard because it has big, open fields, no standing or running water and it has big trees along the fence line, but on the other side so there is nothing to rub on bar the water trough, and he hasn't done that yet! It has either got milder with age, or this is just working really well.

It's my second summer of no tail rubs, no mane rubs and only a couple of small flare-ups in his forelock and ears.

ETA: all these are best started in Feb/March, before the midges come out. Your friend could try talking to their vet about the injection - it works for some. You might also try antihistamines - again I'd talk to the vet about it myself. Cetirizine (sp?) was one that used to be recommended. We have 2 on Allacan and that seems to be helping a little.

 

[Melody Grey]

It seems to have been a particularly bad year- one of mine is itchy (not sure if SI or just itchy). Kill itch is brilliant though pricey. Stopped it on the first application.

 

[Chianti]

It's probably too late this year to do anything but mitigate the effects as much as you can. They have to be covered for most of the year. Mine is only naked in December and January. Buy good quality SI rugs and keep them clean- you need at least two, to have one on and one in the wash. If you're not sure on fit it might be worth buying second hand ones on Marketplace to trial. I use the Rambo bee keeper type fly masks as it's harder for them to rub drastically in these. Again - they have to be clean and I sponge fly repellent on the ears and edges before they go on. The frustrating thing is that what helps another pony will do nothing for yours so it can be expense for little gain. I've tried so many brands over time and now just mix neem oil into Wondergel and apply that to face and ears. I use No Rub along the mane as it seems to do as much as anything and I can't bear greasy hair. I use Sudacrem for any real rubs. I don't know if antihistamines really help but he has those - it's cheapest to get them off Amazon. I also make up a herb mix to go in his feeds. I don't feed garlic as that's now meant not to be good for them. The weather makes a huge difference - this year has been bad as it's been warm and wet. I'd read it gets worse as they get older but I thought that meant aging not just growing up. There are injections you can try and they can be tested to find out what exactly they are allergic to.

It can be managed but you have to be so on it and make sure everything is done twice a day - every day - and they are thoroughly checked for rubs all over. There are several facebook pages where people are always kind to those new to the condition so it might be worth joining those - if only to get sympathy from fellow sufferers!

 

[Quigleyandme]

I have a horse that developed SI as a yearling. I echo exracehorse’s advice. A good sweet itch rug and Benzyl Benzoate are excellent methods to control it and keep the pony comfortable but I’d add keep the pony clean. As soon as your friend detects any scurf or the pony’s hair feels a bit greasy get shampooing and cover those sores in Sudocrem which is magic for healing and has a mild anaesthetic value. The rug also needs to be washed frequently so it’s really necessary to have two. I find it easy to manage once you’ve found what works for your individual horse but you need to be disciplined about it.

 

[vannersrus]

Kill itch and Rambo sweet itch hoodie plus mask that covers ears.
I would also add that the best thing for mine is staying on winter routine and having turn out 8-4 to avoid the midges .
Also as others have said , weekly baths and change / wash hoodie regularly . Keep clipped.
Roll on winter

 

[Surbie]

Roll on winter

Amen!