sweetitch experts

NiceNeverNaughty

NiceNeverNaughty

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needing a bit of advice , I’ve a couple of questions if there are any SI experts about please


So... pony with SI, tried all the sprays, creams, supplements tbh that I can think of to no avail. She was kept fully covered with a good rug and we made a paddock with electric tape for her so she had nothing to rub on. She still managed to make herself bleed by either using her back feet on her face/ears and mainly rolling and rubbing her neck on the ground. She ripped all the rugs to bits unfortunately. Coming out of the season now she is settling down but Id appreciate any new things I could try before the ‘itch’ starts next spring.

the other question is regarding another pony who has shown no sign of itching to age 5-6, was ok in spring and then in august, bam, started to roll and rubbed her mane out through rolling on the ground !? I didn’t see this but apparently she never rubs on the fence. The pony now literally looks as if it has been hogged! Had anyone heard of a pony rubbing like this? Apparently it was treated for mites but didnt help any.

Also, has anyone had any success with the vaccine?

thanks in advance!
 
Diet is possibly key cutting out as much sugar as possible, brewers yeast helps, garlic makes it worse so definitely to be avoided.

A really good SI rug should not get trashed if they cannot get to a fence and rub it, it is a big investment but far better than fly rugs and in the long run probably cheaper.

I have tried most potions over the years and find there is not much to choose between them but most of mine reacted badly to benzyl benzoate I find Gold label wonder gel good to heal/ soothe sore spots and have a good SI lotion which makes them very slippery and difficult for anything land on, the name escapes me at the moment but I will check later and get back on with it, the only problem with it is it makes them so shiny that the saddle slips a bit so you need to be careful when you apply it.
 
Another vote for diet scrutiny here. Feed only grass and grass forage, even for rewards or "treats". No alfalfa, no supplement with any sort of filler, or any supplement with more than one ingredient. We learnt this the hard way with one who rubbed till she bled, I have known those who need hay fed on a "dry lot" when the grass has any sugar in it. Best of luck it is an awful affliction.
 
We have 3 horses with sweet itch at our rs this year we have given them piriton, kept them in cool well ventilated stables for the worst parts of the day through the summer, generally they go out for a good graze very early morning! We then use aloe Vera to soothe them this has defenetly been are most successful combination and all 3 have been much more comfortable and 1 has hardly suffered at all!
 
The best bit of advice I was given was that it can take six weeks for the problem to 'clear' the system so when you make a feed or management change etc dont assume that its not working, give it a chance

Its no use rugging if the pony is madly itchy, the rug needs to go on early in the season so the itch doesnt have a chance to get bad

Things that I have found work well:

lotion/ cream - ANY mild cream - Aqueous cream is ideal, its cheap so slather it on, it cuts down friction so when they rub their neck/face with their hooves they dont make so much damage as the hoof slips

MTG, Sweet Relief and Nettex Itch Stop are good on extra itchy spots

Deosect can help, I've not had massive results with it but know others have

Brewers yeast and salt in the feed all year round - the salt can make a surprising difference

Regular baths to clear away lotion build up, pony always feels amazing when he is clean

Wash rugs regularly, I wash rugs at least every 4 days, I favour Snuggy Hoods (with a headless hood) but have various other makes too

I've had huge success with Equifeast's 'Fight Back' supplement, its expensive though and I cant afford to use it all year round but it does work for my pony really well

I clip out down to knees and hocks in October as the changing of coats makes him really itchy and it gives any sore or scabby patches a chance to air and go

My pony has intolerance to so many things so its hard to know what is linked to sweet itch but he gets no cereals, Alfalfa or molasses, he is far better off grass so goes out at night only on scalped grass, he eats Copra and will go on to linseed in the winter as my vet says a diet high in omega oils is being found to be very useful in the control of sweet itch

His field is electric fenced all round and the gate covered with pipe insulation so he cant rub on it, he drinks from a flexi trug so he cant do as much damage if he rubs on that

Normally We can keep on top of things well but this year there have been reports that sweet itch has been really awful so it could be that next year you dont get nearly as much of a problem
 
The one I have is on pure grass based diet. Nothing added just like the rest. Despite this she had a bleeding mane. Tail seemed unaffected.

I tried a few branded wonder potions, nothing. Had some pure aloe for me at home and gave it a try this summer. There's a few flakes of dead skin left but it's practically gone.

I think as SI is though to be an autoimmune response, that is triggered by flies/feed/other allergen, it really does depend on which specific antibody is activated, as to what works. Trial and error for each horse.
 
Mmm ditto all the good advice above. My vet told me to avoid garlic with a Sweet Itchy - a lot of "anti fly" supplements and feeds have it in unfortunately so might be worth checking this out??

What is your current turnout like OP? is it low-lying, with standing water, streams/ponds/swampy ground etc?? Or trees? Or all of these? From what you say, you've got another pony which has SI symptoms? Is this in the same field? Because if so, then you might seriously need to think about finding another place to keep them.

I would be inclined to ask the vet to take some bloods; you need to know what you're fighting and it might not be just a midge allergy it could be other things too. The bloods will be able to give you a good idea of what's what, so that would be my starting point.

But if the symptoms are beginning to develop in the other horse kept on the same pasture, sorry but I'd be inclined to move them if at all possible. An ideal place would be somewhere up high which catches the breeze, away from standing water like ponds or marshy patches.
 
My SI sufferer has done much better this year because I decided to use Cooper's Spot On (it is licensed for cattle not horses) once a month and I have sprayed Avon Skin So Soft on him twice daily. Prior to trying the Cooper's I covered him from head to toe in pig oil which acts as a barrier that the midges can't get through. That is the theory anyway.
 
Cutting out sugar and alfalpha was going to be my suggestion but since thats not an issue here have you ruled out fleas/lice/mites are not the issue or a fungal infection? Tails are usually the first to go with sweet itch. I had absolutely everything over the counter and from the vet and nothing worked atall, cutting out alfalpha helped mine a fair bit but then it came back with avengance, everything else was ruled out and in the end he was so miserable I had him PTS (although age and other health issues were a deciding factor too)
 
My advice would be to get really good at sewing. The rug has been my best line of defence against midges, but they do get ripped. If I leave the rug off for more than 2 days, the mane is gone. It also stays on until November and is back on in February! I would echo others with avoiding garlic and alfalfa. These seemed to make mine worse but could have been coincidence. I've had success this year with benzyl benzoate, but I cannot be used on damaged skin so you need to start early in the year and stop using it if the skin becomes cracked. Many don't get on with BB though. My vet doesn't like it and pushed for the jab, but I thought I'd give it a go for a year and see what results it produced.
 
My connie cross doesn't have sweet itch but he is a itchy/rubbing his mane/tail type of horse. I swear by brewers yeast, fly rugs, Skin so Soft, BB and he is also on a grass based diet - Northern Crop Driers Graze on and Grass Nuts. I was advised to steer clear of garlic if he is itchy. His symptoms are in no way as severe as sweet itch but all these actions have ensured that I do have enough mane to plait. His tail is pulled. I feel for anyone with a horse that has sweet itch - hopefully the vaccine will help you all.
 
YorksG said:
Another vote for diet scrutiny here. Feed only grass and grass forage, even for rewards or "treats". No alfalfa, no supplement with any sort of filler, or any supplement with more than one ingredient. We learnt this the hard way with one who rubbed till she bled, I have known those who need hay fed on a "dry lot" when the grass has any sugar in it. Best of luck it is an awful affliction.
Click to expand...

This ^^^ We have found any alfalfa makes it ten times worse. Now feed Top Chop Zero which is flavoured oat straw (flavoured with mint and apple... no sugar) with Speedi beet. Check any hoof sups, they are often full of alfalfa. I was told about alfalfa causing severe itching and tbh didn't believe it until we finally gave in and tried it. No, of course it won't get rid of biting insects, midges etc but it certainly seems to lessen the reaction to them.
 
Also, Camrosa was developed for SI. Its very messy and very expensive and also a bit controversial but of you are desperate then it might be worth a look.
 
WelshD said:
The best bit of advice I was given was that it can take six weeks for the problem to 'clear' the system so when you make a feed or management change etc dont assume that its not working, give it a chance

Its no use rugging if the pony is madly itchy, the rug needs to go on early in the season so the itch doesnt have a chance to get bad

Things that I have found work well:

lotion/ cream - ANY mild cream - Aqueous cream is ideal, its cheap so slather it on, it cuts down friction so when they rub their neck/face with their hooves they dont make so much damage as the hoof slips

MTG, Sweet Relief and Nettex Itch Stop are good on extra itchy spots

Deosect can help, I've not had massive results with it but know others have

Brewers yeast and salt in the feed all year round - the salt can make a surprising difference

Regular baths to clear away lotion build up, pony always feels amazing when he is clean

Wash rugs regularly, I wash rugs at least every 4 days, I favour Snuggy Hoods (with a headless hood) but have various other makes too

I've had huge success with Equifeast's 'Fight Back' supplement, its expensive though and I cant afford to use it all year round but it does work for my pony really well

I clip out down to knees and hocks in October as the changing of coats makes him really itchy and it gives any sore or scabby patches a chance to air and go

My pony has intolerance to so many things so its hard to know what is linked to sweet itch but he gets no cereals, Alfalfa or molasses, he is far better off grass so goes out at night only on scalped grass, he eats Copra and will go on to linseed in the winter as my vet says a diet high in omega oils is being found to be very useful in the control of sweet itch

His field is electric fenced all round and the gate covered with pipe insulation so he cant rub on it, he drinks from a flexi trug so he cant do as much damage if he rubs on that

Normally We can keep on top of things well but this year there have been reports that sweet itch has been really awful so it could be that next year you dont get nearly as much of a problem
Click to expand...

This advice is brilliant !
All I can add I'd be sure it's def sweet itch - do get it diagnosed by the vet
Also, something worked for me a few years ago. I was accosted by someone at a Forever Living stand at the West Country equine fair and I splurted out my story of my pony who was desperately struggling with sweet itch. Yes, it cost me but I was desperate !! I bought some topical creams which are lovely, but what really helped was an aloe Vera juice in a yellow bottle (think they call it drinking gel). Can't remember how much I put in her feed, but that stuff worked absolutely brilliant. I've no idea how. I was so amazed with the results that when I sold her I gave the new owner £75 worth for free which I had , if they promised me they would feed it to her. Brilliant stuff and worth a go. And no, I don't work for them, just super impressed with one of their products.
 
Neem oil is good, on some horses, but smells awful. Wear gloves, ensure none gets near the saddle area. It can be used on broken skin as well.
 
be positive said:
This is what I have used fairly recently on one with SI and another that was itchy, it dies seem to relieve the itchiness as well as make it hard for the midges to bite, ensure whatever you use gets put on the places the midges bite, under the tummy and back of front legs, front of hind legs, not just on the parts that get rubbed.

http://alvahorseshop.com/alvahorse-sweet-itch-5-p.asp
Click to expand...

Hi, a previous post mentioned aloe Vera, I have used this on a 4 yr old connemara who was itchy since he was a yearling. The aloe Vera I used was also bought for me as a detox and I just didnt like the taste. So i decided to syringe 60 ml per day into the ponys mouth. He stopped scratching, and is still itch free 4 years later and I have never had to use anything since. Now maybe I was incredibly lucky, but I do think the aloe Vera helped my pony.....worth a try..
 
Also be certain to use a good SI rug. I dislike the snugly hoods as they make horses hot and sweaty. We've used boett for almost 20 years and they are fantastic, especially as the fabric is breathable and acts like a second skin without making them hot. You can also ride with them on.

Aloe Vera is good for soothing if required. Sudocrem always handy and if in work regular baths are essential. Check for lice/mites etc and be certain it is SI. You can get the jab or tablets now from the sweet itch society (the itchy horse people) and ensure you use a field with a good breeze, no standing or running water, no boggy bits etc and your electric fencing needs to be seriously powerful so mains or equivalent.

Once they get bitten its a losing battle so get the rug on by March to stop bites happening at all, too many people wait until the symptoms show which is far too late.
 
Myboytwilight said:
Hi, a previous post mentioned aloe Vera, I have used this on a 4 yr old connemara who was itchy since he was a yearling. The aloe Vera I used was also bought for me as a detox and I just didnt like the taste. So i decided to syringe 60 ml per day into the ponys mouth. He stopped scratching, and is still itch free 4 years later and I have never had to use anything since. Now maybe I was incredibly lucky, but I do think the aloe Vera helped my pony.....worth a try..
Click to expand...

I didn't think about feeding it but that is def worth a try.
 
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