Sweet Itch

[Cobby]

Hi everyone,
I know it's not a very seasonal topic:) , but I've recently bought a 2 year old cob who suffered from really bad sweet itch last summer, which was left untreated by his old owner.
I'm feeding him feedmarks Equidermis, and it's improved his skin and coat no end.
Can anyone recommend an effective treatment for preventing sweet itch, and when should I start using it?

[White-Blazes]

I too have a cob who suffers in the summer, though this summer has been the best one so far.

We use probably the cheapest method, with brilliant results.

Early spring, I applied Benzyl Benzoate twice a week, and then brushed in Avon Skin So Soft bath oil (woodland fresh fragrance) - I continued this all through the summer, sometimes 3 times a week in the hottest part. It certainly worked for us and Missy's mane was better than the previous year, in fact it is now almost as long as it should be on a welshy.

[Blossom]

My mare suffers from Sweet Itch too, she has a sweet itch rug which is excellent, if you want to know more about it let me know!

The stuff from avon that you can order if you want I have heard good things about it. It is the Woodland Fresh Dry Oil Spray.

Blossom

[Mehitabel]

we have a mare at the yard with absolutely hideous sweet itch, and she's gone through most treatments with them working for a couple of years and then not working any more. she's 25 now. at the minute, we find eurax eczema cream all over her bald scabby bits, and a thick layer of sudocrem or other nappy rash cream over the top of that is doing the trick. this year, for the first time in my memory (and i've known her for 15 years) she didn't make herself bleed once. sweet itch does seem to be a thing that doesn't always respond to the same treatment, so it's worth tryign a few things to see what suits your boy best.

[HairyCob]

Avon skin so soft woodland fresh fragrance! I use the body lotion rubbed well in to affected areas and top that with the dry oil body spray. They even do the spray in a non-aerosol botttle if you are ozone-friendly or if your horse doesn't like the sound of aerosols!

This is the only thing that has worked on H.C. so far, but I am planning to get some of the equidermis to complement it as I have heard that it is excellent!

[Missy2]

I use the bath oil version of SSS. It is often on offer, 3 for 2 etc etc. Benzyl Benzoate is about a fiver a bottle too, and 3 is all you need for the duration of late spring - early autumn.

The only thing, is you need to be dedicated to applying it two or three times a week. When I went on holiday for two weeks my friend looked after my 4 horses, so I could hardly ask her to apply Missy's make up, and on my return was horrified to see she had started to rub her tail. Luckily we saved it in time.

love Missy2 (alias Missy)

[Cobby]

Thanks for all your replies.
I'll definately have to track down my nearest Avon lady!
There are so many expensive lotions and potions on the market to supposedly control sweet-itch, but your replies all show that the most efffective treatments are things that you can get from the chemists far cheaper.

[Miriam]

Fly rug or sweet itch rug worked wonders for Rhi.