Very itchy HQ- help please!!

[TallulahBright]

My girl has begun scratching her quarter in a spot just over her hip- she did this last year at this time but over the summer it was fine. Last year she rubbed herself raw- vet couldn't find anything wrong. I don't want her to do the same this year... This morning it was causing her distress even standing in the field and as soon as she comes in she is obsessed with scratching herself. Any ideas for possible cause/ how i can help her??

 

[popularfurball]

Pollen allergy.... Trees are all changing.

Shedding of coat...

Rain scald....

Pin worms....

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Won't be pollen this time of year - I can guarantee that as the owner of a severe pollen-allergy horse! Doubt if pinworms so far from the anus. Is she rugged? If so, check the inside of the rug for scratchy bits of thread etc. A dead give-away is if the problem is teh same the other side. Could be lice. Could be a foreign body stuck in her skin, though if she's acted like this before I doubt it's that. Could indeed be rainscald if unrugged, possibly she likes standing in a particular place when it rains and she gets dripped on in that patch. Any sign of broken skin? Clumps of hair coming out? Does she roll a lot? Odd question but some horses have favourite spots to roll in and favour throwing themselves down always on a particular side first. The problem now of course is that the itchiness is driving her demented so she will scratch more and more and make everything worse. Can your vet recommend a Bonjela-type skin cream that would numb the area and stop the itch-scratch-itch cycle?

 

[popularfurball]

You still get pollen allergies - even in winter. Different plants pollen ate at different times of year - the plants are all changing at the moment.

You can also get rainscald when rugged - if a horse sweats under a rug it creates a warm damp environment - perfect for bacteria.

 

[curran]

Sweet relief ointment on ebay is the best stuff for mystery itches - its for sweet itch but we use it for all itchiness and rubbing.

 

[TallulahBright]

It is a little scurfy but nothing like rain scald I've seen in the past. I'm doing a five day panacur as I did see juvenile worms in poo on Monday morning. She generally has very sensitive thin skin, suffers a lot from mud fever. She is rugged and still out 24/7. Have started with killitch do fingers crossed, although I'm keen to find out what the underlying issue is.