Sweetitch only on the face?

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poiuytrewq

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Never had a horse with sweetitch but I'm wondering if that's what's effecting one of mine at the moment. He's 17 almost and has never rubbed before to speak of, maybe the odd tail rub but nothing excessive.
He started rubbing his face on anything possible and is making it sore. Little bald patches and raw bits are appearing.
Is sweetitch a possibility? He's not rubbing his mane or forlock area it's mainly where his cheek peice would sit when tacked up and outwards and mostly one side.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
possibly dermatophilus (mud fever). A friends Welshie suffers from it in the summer. hibiscrub it, protect from flies.
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Really? On the face?
Summer mud fever (on legs) can often be vasculitis? Aplologies if your friend knows for sure just so many people confuse the two! (As I did at first with my other horse!)
I am currently off to dig out his full face hood and see if that helps. Thanks :)
 
Mine did this for one year only. He rubbed his face but nowhere else and had small pink raw patches.

Nettex stop itch cream was brilliant xx
 
I only have limited experience of sweet itch (current horse very mild) but it does seem odd for him to suddenly develop an allergic reaction, and only on his face, at 17. Has he got something Cushingsy going on? Or could he have been stuffing his face into irritant plants he should have left alone?

Only bit of advice from me is to patch test any new products first- I know a lot of people who find the nettex products really helpful for their itchy horses, but I tried the spray at one point and it made mine worse.
 
I wonder if he has caught lice. My Cushing's mare had lice before her diagnosis, her skin was extremely sensitive. We have 4 horses, she was the only one who had visible signs of lice. I am pretty sure where she picked them up from, even though she hadn't been off the premises. Obviously we treated them all.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I wonder if he has caught lice. My Cushing's mare had lice before her diagnosis, her skin was extremely sensitive. We have 4 horses, she was the only one who had visible signs of lice. I am pretty sure where she picked them up from, even though she hadn't been off the premises. Obviously we treated them all.
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I'll have a good look when I do him in a while.
 
Does he sleep flat out in a field? I would guess that he's laid on something he's reactive to.
 
ycbm said:
Does he sleep flat out in a field? I would guess that he's laid on something he's reactive to.
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Yes! He's still asleep every single morning! So maybe. I've put some stuff on it for now that work gave me ages ago. It says itchiness, fungal infection, sweetitch along with stacks of other things so hopefully it will at least help!
 
poiuytrewq said:
Really? On the face?
Summer mud fever (on legs) can often be vasculitis? Aplologies if your friend knows for sure just so many people confuse the two! (As I did at first with my other horse!)
I am currently off to dig out his full face hood and see if that helps. Thanks :)
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well she's not the sort of person who you can tell that they are incorrect tbh, old school horsey battle-axe that is always right ;) . looks characteristically like mf. she tends to slaver the poor thing in ointments. I used to look after her for three weeks every summer-would hibiscrub and keep dry/flies off and it would heal up and hair start to regrow.
 
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