bug bites

[blueboy]

Hi everyone

I have a 11 year old gelding which I just moved to a different farm. In the past week he has developed small bites(or at least that's what they look like) mostly around his sheath area. Most of them are bleeding and I think it is from the flies bitting him. I have never had this problem with him before, and I feel like it is causing him alot of pain. Has anyone ever had a problem like this or have any advice on what to do?

[maverick927]

We get that problem every year with the midges. The only part of Maverick's body that sweals up is his sheath and it goes huge and is covered in little blood marks where they were biting. It didn't cause him any pain even though it looked sore.

All we did was plaster him with fly repellant and even though he doesn't have sweet itch we put the sweet itch spray on him as it is directed to midges rather than flies.

The reason why the has started since you moved yards is probably due to the area having a higher midge count, something we can't really help. the more trees there are, the more midges there will be.

[Bebe]

I'd apply fly repellent gel or cream where he seems to have the worst reaction to the fly bites. To take the sting out of the bites that he already has you could use diluted Yarrow oil (it's an essential oil, dilute 5 drops with 10ml of a carrier oil like almond oil, grapeseed or if you could add it to aloe vera gel). If he'll let you, dab it onto the swollen bites and it should help get rid of them.

[artemis]

Feed garlic as well that helps, for human's too