Those of you with sweetitch sufferers...

H

HoneyB

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Apr 10, 2012
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Hi everyone,

Ok so i know there is a thread about sweetitch hints and tips, but this isn't a post about hints and tips.

So to get to the point, my 13 year old 16hh2 bay mare is a sweetitch sufferer, i would say a mild case although she has been worse this year than she was last year (have had her just over a year). But we are dealing with it, she has a rambo sweetitch rug and lotions and potions etc, still trying to find the perfect mix, but she seems to be OK, which is the main thing.

Anyway, i was thinking last night if sweetitch sufferers are more sensitive to others skin problems than other horses?! So (touchwood and fingers crossed) i have not had any serious problems with my mare, which is great, but she seems to suffer with a few other problems instead. So she suffers with grass glands in the spring and sometimes in the winter (apparently can be caused by the wind), so she scared me the first time i noticed it. She has mild sweetitch, she has quite a bad reaction to fly bites when she gets them and now she has developed a minor case of 'mud fever'.

The 'mud fever' is because of the damp grass every morning and the warm weather, as far as i am aware she has never suffered with it before, but quite a few horses seem to be suffering with it recently, i blame the rubbish 'summer'. We are getting that sorted, and is much better.

So all these issues she has seem to be skin related and sensitive reactions to certain things. Does anyone else have any similar problems with their SI horses?

The main thing is that she is happy and loved, and enjoys getting pampered! But i was just curious is there was maybe a link?
 
My pony has sweet itch, sores on her face and legs, hives from fly bites, food intolerances, dust allergy, prone to mud fever type stuff.... She actually has pemphigus foliaceous - very under diagnosed but for us explained a lot.

If the immune system is over reactive to one thing, it is likely to over react to subsequent things. The more a body is exposed to the things causing a reaction, the more severe the reaction becomes each time.
 
both of mine have it. Angel has 'straightforward' SI which can present as very severe, depending on environmental factors (eg hillside with seaview MUCH better than valley location with clay soil and cattle ...).

Appley has SI but is 'hypersensitive' in terms of skin in other ways. a small pinworm burden which most horses wouldnt 'notice' caused her to rub her behind (not the tail, underneath!) red raw despite creams, dectomax, worming etc. she also gets girth rubs at the drop of a hat (tried all the sleeves now incl very expensive lambskin and whatnot!), white hairs from wearing rugs (and not on the withers, just on top of her bum ...) and is generally a bit of a 'skin challenged' soul.

agree, i think it all works together with the immune system etc ...

man, and these Exmoors are supposed to be 'hardy' ... *laughs hysterically* mine aren't even good doers!

i found none of the supps really worked (other than Cavalesse) for us, so we stick to rugging and fuciderm from the vets and camrosa ... and deosect for fly repelling.
 
Scarlet came to me with rain scald, cleared that up and she got mud fever, I def think she is more susceptible to various skin flare ups and I would class her Si as mild. She should have come with a dermatologist!!!

I tried Cavalesse this year and won't be using it again...she lost more mane this year than last and has lost less/scratched less since I took her off it. Going back to brewers yeast sup when she comes in for winter.
 
i know its a bit late but when i get paid i am going to get her some skratch from global herbs, hopefully it will help for the next couple of months at least, if it does she can start it early next year.
 
My young mare has sensitive skin and suffers from SI, she's pretty good in that she doesn't suffer from mud fever or anything like that? But like Appley she's quite intolerant so the smallest of irritations will cause quite a big reaction. Neither of her parents suffer from SI so I wonder whether she has a sensitive immune system from being very ill as a foal (had an enormous abscess form in her hindquarters).

This year a combination of Avon SSS and marmite sarnies has been the best for keeping it under control, the Snuggy Hoods rug has been great again but is no good when it's muggy as she just sweats too much in it, then rubs because she's hot. I'm going to invest in one of the Rambo type rugs next year for use on the hotter days.
 
bitsnpieces said:
the Snuggy Hoods rug has been great again but is no good when it's muggy as she just sweats too much in it, then rubs because she's hot. I'm going to invest in one of the Rambo type rugs next year for use on the hotter days.
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Its hard getting rugs right isnt it! we use a mix of her proper Premier equine SI one which is fab but when it rains becomes heavy so we have a lighter mesh Derby house one for rainy days which also dries more quickly.
 
Rosie lives in her sweetitch snuggy hoods permanently through the summer. The only time she struggles is when it is a really hot day. I would like an alternative thinner material rug for her but other makes I have tried just do not fit her body shape (big chest, short body, long neck, big head!)
 
bitsnpieces said:
My young mare has sensitive skin and suffers from SI, she's pretty good in that she doesn't suffer from mud fever or anything like that? But like Appley she's quite intolerant so the smallest of irritations will cause quite a big reaction. Neither of her parents suffer from SI so I wonder whether she has a sensitive immune system from being very ill as a foal (had an enormous abscess form in her hindquarters).

This year a combination of Avon SSS and marmite sarnies has been the best for keeping it under control, the Snuggy Hoods rug has been great again but is no good when it's muggy as she just sweats too much in it, then rubs because she's hot. I'm going to invest in one of the Rambo type rugs next year for use on the hotter days.
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I have the rambo sweet itch hoody, but she also sweats in that when it is too hot and also when it is muggy. I bring her in for a hosedown, but maybe with the skratch stuff she can have the rug off during the day if it gets too hot. It is awful having to leave them rugged, especially as she gets rugged in the winter too :-( But its that or she gets bitten and scratches herself to death. roll on winter!n (never thought i would say that!)
 
HoneyB said:
i know its a bit late but when i get paid i am going to get her some skratch from global herbs, hopefully it will help for the next couple of months at least, if it does she can start it early next year.
Click to expand...

We stay on it all year round - there is a "winter formula" and "summer formula" but I always have to look to remember which way round it is, one is slightly more expensive as has fly repelling things in too. I found her much better the second summer having stayed on one all winter..

Anything feeds with Alfalfa in makes her more itchy I have found so I feed as simply as possible.
 
I,ve tried every rug going on our mare with sweetitch .This year a friend recommended cornerstone browbands shop on ebay and the lady made us one to measure.Hand on heart it is amazing , she lives out 24/7 and we have barbed wire fencing and it is 100% intact , dries quickly and we have a full mane and tail for the first time ever.
It came with a facemask which madam pulls off every night so i use power phaser cream on her face ( the spray didnt touch her) daily and shes a different pony.:smile:
 
Agree roll on winter! although that means mud fever protection rather than midge alert.

Scarlet gets about 1 month a year where she is not rugged (couple of weeks end Feb and hopefully a couple in Oct), I feel bad for her seeing all the other horses and ponies out naked :cry: on the plus side she stays happier and cleaner!
 
She is on a very low sugar diet with minimal molasses. She also gets brewers yeast as well, along with apple cider vinegar. I have found gold label itchgon works for her tail and anywhere else that itches. She still has full mane and tail and isn't too bad in her stabke, she will have a bit of a scratch, but not too much. She comes in when ridden. She gets minimal feed at the mo for her supplements and now she has her fly mask on at night ( except when it rains at night) her face is much better. She has never had mudfever before, so hopefully will be fine this winter.
 
liz_scarlet said:
Volcy and PFB - do you have to give it in a full feed in summer? Scarlet doesn't get feds Apr-Sep unless she has worked hard.
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I give it in the tiniest amount of fast fibre - I mean like a handful that swells up to a bit more as it sticks to that because it's wet but she's a bit of a freak because I'm not sure many horses would lick their bucket clean like she does if it smelt that strongly of skratch..

I think PFB (although this does make me sound like a stalker!) uses a marmite sandwich!
 
Yes I feed in a marmite sandwich - its an acquired taste (and makes your hands stink!) but now madam has had in for months in a sandwich I can put it in her linseed and she gobbles it up :)

As for feeds, I use halleys timothy chop, or oat straw chop or speedibeet - though I find she is best on the halleys stuff :) love halleys stuff, lasts much longer than an equal bag of mollases/oil coated stuff - plus they deliver for free an it's about £10 a bag :)
 
notpoodle said:
both of mine have it. Angel has 'straightforward' SI which can present as very severe, depending on environmental factors (eg hillside with seaview MUCH better than valley location with clay soil and cattle ...).

Appley has SI but is 'hypersensitive' in terms of skin in other ways. a small pinworm burden which most horses wouldnt 'notice' caused her to rub her behind (not the tail, underneath!) red raw despite creams, dectomax, worming etc. she also gets girth rubs at the drop of a hat (tried all the sleeves now incl very expensive lambskin and whatnot!), white hairs from wearing rugs (and not on the withers, just on top of her bum ...) and is generally a bit of a 'skin challenged' soul.

agree, i think it all works together with the immune system etc ...

man, and these Exmoors are supposed to be 'hardy' ... *laughs hysterically* mine aren't even good doers!

i found none of the supps really worked (other than Cavalesse) for us, so we stick to rugging and fuciderm from the vets and camrosa ... and deosect for fly repelling.
Click to expand...

Interesting my friends Exmoor has SI badly as well with the added disadvantage shes hard to handle and almost wild.
 
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