sweet itch

[kirst88]

i have started riding a pony who has got sweet itch, she is from a sancturary and she has a sweet itch rug with hood for the field and stable but she had rubbed all of her mane off and still rubs like mad to the degree where she starts to bleed, its horrible to see and we have tried equidermis, fly sprays and other lotions and they dont seem to help at all. does ne one know of ne lotions that mite help her as its horrible to see and there is nothing else we can do to try and stop her. im open to all ideas. she rubs her neck, bum, shoulders, belly and also her face to the extent where she bleeds and has scabds. please help!

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Try speaking to your vet there used to be an injection they could give that really helped.

 

[hussar]

Have you tried benzyl benzoate in liquid form, available from pharmacies? It's supposed to reduce itching and works well on my boy - but he's not nearly as bad as yours sounds.

 

[sojeph]

do you keep her rug on 24/7? Is it a sweet itch rug or a fly rug? It needs to be close fitting-It sounds as tho the midges are still getting to her. If she's that bad you may need to ride in the rug (minus the belly flap). Can she do without her stable and can you electric fence off anything that she can rub on. Sometimes when they get that bad you need to stop her being able to itch until the scratch dies down a bit to break the cycle of itching and scratching. Net Tex Stop Itch Salve Complete is very good if a bit messy. This site has some helpful info www.sweetitch.com

 

[kirst88]

we have tried everything, benzol benzoate, she has 1 sweet itch rug for outside and a fly type rug for her when she is in, both are tight fitting and she has a neck and chest cover on underneath and a hood and she comes in at 4:00pm before the midges really do come out and she fines when riding her coz they dont seem to bother her as much. we have also removed everything we can from the field and stable that and even shut the top door sumtimes when she gets too bad.thanx tho for ur ideas im willing to try nething!

 

[sojeph]

The trouble is when they are that bad that taking the rug off at any time will put you back to square one. She may not be as bad when you ride because she is distracted and unable to rub and scratch but she will be being bitten and it onle takes one midge bite to set off the reaction. The only way to stop the itch is to stop her being bitten and to give her nothing to scratch on i.e a stable. My cob can't even have a field shelter but he can still roll and mutual groom his pals but he can't rip himself to pieces. I'd keep to the sweet itch rug at all times-good luck

If she has to come in is there anyway you can fit a fan to her stable? Midges are really poor fliers.

 

[AmyMay]

Sounds like the little thing needs some serious veterinary help, and I would get them out to her as a matter of urgency. They well prescribe a steriodal injection which will help with the itching.

 

[flyingfeet]

1) Get a Boett type rug - available from £80 + (ordinary fly rugs are pointless)

2) Feed brewers yeast

3) Use good quality fly repellants, mine has cow fly tags (x2), Avon Skin So Soft, Barrier Gel, Naf Gel, Nettex Itch Stop, Nettex enhaned formula fly spray & plenty of sudocream & metanium

Owning a horse with Sweet Itch is not cheap! <span style="color:blue"> </span>

 

[starrthomas]

i have a dressage pony who has sweet itch i use a cream called SUMMER FREEDOM it has stopped him itching he has a full mane and tail and got first prize in a recent show pony class he is out 24 / 7 with his cream on and fly rug if midges really bad i am thrilled with this product

 

[wendy5548]

Hi
Sorry your mare has the awful sweet itch. We have a Welsh Mountain mare who suffers badly from it. I tried various expensive "horsey" stuff including Camrosa &amp; Benzyl Benzoate etc, but the very BEST stuff is Aqueous Cream from Boots the chemist, or your local chemist. Its cheap (in comparison to other horse patent stuff) a large 500 grm tub is from £1.99 to £3 but it WORKS!! all her hair has grown back including all the raw and sore places on her neck. Its very soothing and even though she is terrified of sprays and medication in general due to rough handling in her past, she quite happily stands still while I slap this thick white cream all over her. Its worth a try. Even if it seems like the hair isn't growing quickly, quite soon you will see that it is. The midges seem to hate it and leave her alone - GOOD LUCK!!