itch, scratching.

[Marita]

My pony has been scratching recently, and now has bare patches all along her mane at the roots and also at the top fo her tail.
at first I thought it was just to get rid of her winter hair, (she's part shetland and gets very hairy in winter), but now I think it may be something else, I don't see any mites or other bugs, but she's scratched herself until little raw spots are beginning to appear. Can anyone tell me what it might be and what to use on it, a friend suggested petroleum jelly but I thought it might attract more dust & dirt, and make it worse, so I didn't use it. I use a bristle grooming brush and a rubber to groom her & remove dirt etc. should I be doing something else?
I havent clipped her as I don't have any clippers at the moment,and anyway I wouldnt be clipping these areas anyhow, she didn't have this problem before,but we had her stabled for a couple of months while the sheep were lambing,and the problem only started when we let her out to grass again.
anyone with any suggestions what it might be and how to treat it?
thanks, Marita.

[Wally]

Sounds like either lice infestation or sweet itch. In either case give her a dose of switch. This will kill any lice if she has any. Get it from the vet. Wear gloves and pour it on her neck and tail area.
An application of benzyle benzoate will help the itching. If it is sweet itch it means she has developed an allergy to midge bites.
The treatments for sweet itch are too numerous to mention but most horse books will have a chapter on it.


[This message has been edited by Wally (edited 21 May 2000).]

[lesley cox]

Marita,
it sounds like your pony has sweet-itch. It is associated with midge bits, and makes the pony very itchy in the areas you have described. Due to the rather unseasonal weather that we are having at the moment it has made the little blighters appear earlier than usual.
There are a number of treatments available from the vet or tack shops that contain benzyl benzoate which you rub into the affected areas or feed supplements, but you may find in the meantime keeping her stabled during the afternoon until it goes dark will help together with the use of a good fly repellant.
Hope this helps
regards
Lesley

[Allie]

I agree with Lesley and Wally, although I really have no idea what the treatments are for lice or sweet itch. I would ask your vet what he/she reccomends. It could also be a worm infestation. This can sometimes make a horse rub his tail. Has your horse been wormed regularly? Do you rotate chemicals? You might try worming again with a different wormer, worming her every three weeks for three times. I know that is what our vet reccomends for worms. It is improtant to find out what is causing this, so if you still have doubts, I would call the vet.

Allie

[hlstarmie]

my pony also has this problem he suffers every year! i use switch from the vet and plenty of garlic in his food each day. he has no bold patches and doesnt scratch all day long either! It is expensive though but well worth it.
good luck :)

[Marita]

Thanks everyone who took the time to reply,
I'm going to the vet this evening to get the stuff you have recommended and I'll apply it tomorrow, so hopefully that will be the end of the problem.
How did you get your pony to eat the garlic? Mine is sooooooo!fussy. Anyhow I'll let you know if the treatments worked ,ok , many thanks, Marita.

[hlstarmie]

With garlic because its so strong you need to build up the amount slowly and mix it well into his feed. you could disguise the smell by adding a few polos or mint to the feed if he still refuses it,just leave the feed in his stable the night and i bet it will be gone in the morning!
good luck
hlstarmie

[Sarah Radcliffe]

you can get horsey garlic - dried flakes of the stuff which is much cheaper than frech garlic - and much less whiffy! Most of the feed supplement manufacturers sell it

[hlstarmie]

sorry i should of said i meant powdered horse garlic, but i think it smells kinda strong perhaps its just the brand i use!

[@]

When my horse starts to itch this is what i do:
Take a liquid laundry detergent dilute it and wash the area. rinse very thoroughly! then I pour listerine all over the area. Sounds weird i know, but it kills bacteria. I also thought it would make the area really sticky, but it doesn't! This seems to work and is a cheap fix. For the hair i use some cream that is supposed to moisurize/excellerate hair growth, i'll see what it's called tomarrow at the barn.
it's worth a try!
Allie

[Marita]

Hi, folks,just to let you all know that I've treated Holly with the switch, and the benz/benz.,+ cidronella oil, and thankfully it seems to be working, the hair has started to grow back on her baldy patches, and she's looking a lot better, I'll keep doing her throughout the summer, as every warm day there's millions of midges in the area, which is quite wooded.
Thanks everyone for all your advice, I haven't tried the garlic yet, I'm finding it hard to get hold of at the minute, but it's on order.
thanks, Marita.