Bad bug bites

Karie

New Member
Jan 16, 2006
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For the past 3 months my colt Ziggy has been out i pasture and during this time he was being bitten really bad by some kind of bug (dont know what kind) and his neck and face looks really bad. The vet recomended a shampoo, it has worked for his neck but his face looks terrible. I think th reason it looks so bad is because he wont stop scratching it. No matter what he is doing he is always scratching his head, even when he is licking the salt lick, or eating his food. It is driving me nuts because he is just making it worse and keeping the medicen from working because he keeps on irritating it more and rubbing off scabs. So i guess what im asking, is if there is a way to keep him for itching, maybe a cream i can get or something.

And just so every one knows, i moved him back home, so the bug problem is over with, its just the healing thats causing problems.
 
Sounds like he might have sweetitch, an allergic reaction to midge bites. It's is unbeleivably itchy and they suffer horribly. It's a life long allergy that gets worse as they get older.

If it is, the only way to treat it at present (they're developing a vaccine for it, but it won't be out for a good few years) is to rug them up nose to tail with a specialy desgined sweet-itch blanket.

If it ISN'T sweetitch, now that he's away from what ever bite him, he will heal with time.
 
I dont know what it is

The last time i went out to the pasture he was in i got bitten to death with something too. I dont think its sweet itch, his neck is looking very good and is healing, only his head is being a problem.
 
I have had the same problem if u check out my post of fly bites on face. One of my boys has them all over his white socks. Unfortunately its not confined to my boys as a lot of the horses at work have been bitten bad. I have put fly hats on my boys and fly rugs. Best to keep them in around dawn and dusk when the flys are at there worst. Also have covered them in aloe vera over the sores and keep them in at night. I know it's awful and u feel so helpless that they are so sore.

Just try everything at leat u know u r doing your best
 
He is ni longer in the pasture where he got all the bites from. He is at home, i dont have problems like that at my pasture. Ill try the aloe, thank for the advice.
 
my 24 yaer old mare,Cassie, Has been terrible this year. I have never had to put a fly rug on untill this summer. I heard from somewhere that a fly from south Africa is over here causing havock. Not sure how true but it would explain things.:confused: :(
 
My mare suffers from sweetich, just from this year (she is 17). It's really really horrid. Is is just bites or does the skin appear scurfy and scabby? If so then it may be a possibility. I give my mare regular baths using hibiscrub and she wears a flysheet. I have bought a product that is supposed to stop the itching but it hasn't arrived yet so cannot comment on if it is any good. If your horse is really bothered, and even if it isn't sweetitch, it might be a good idea to invest in a flysheet as that way it'll stop them from biting altogether.
 
again, the bugs are no longer bitting him, and its only his neck and face. His neck is feeling so much better, all the scabs are gone and stuff, just needs to grow some more hair. His face seems better too, he is not itching it as much any more so i guess it is getting better.
 
For stopping itching Global Herbs Super Skratch is good stuff. It's a supplement that you add to their feed, and it stopped my boy itching. It does stink and is not nice stuff, I'm not sure picky eaters would eat it, but it does work. I read somewhere on the tub that it is meant to be used 6 days per week, so I left it out of his feed on Sunday. He was in his stable for juist over an hour and he rubbed his tail, his mane, his head, everything. While the supplement was in his feed he didn't rub at all.

I believe I payed £25 for a 1kg tub, but it was worth it. It recommends that it should be introduced to their feed slowly, so that's what I've been doing. Flyer is not even upto his full dosage yet, and there are already impressive results.
 
is that for sweet itch or for any horse that itches? Cause Ziggy does not have sweet itch.
 
Luka has AWFUL reactions to fly bites bless her heart. Have had 3 lots of antibiotics already this summer. Nightmare. Once the infection has gone though the vet gave me Fuciderm which has worked very well. Has dried them all up and has hair grwoing back.
Hope this helps, good luck:)
 
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