**Sweet Itch, Hints and Tips**

My mare also suffers SI.

Questions....How many cases of SI were there about 30 years ago? I dont remember that many but it seems every third horse suffers from itchy stuff now. Whats the link? Feeds, pasture, global warming?

Does anyone have a substitute vitB supplement that we could feed instead? Isn't vitB found in yeast supplements, or marmite and this is the stuff that seems to help?

I am doing a kinesiology course of treatment with my daughter for her hayfever and allergies at the moment, with good results. It turns out that she has underlying problems that flair up when pressured by the added stress of pollen, it is the underlying problems we are now treating. I did the same for my son last year. He suffered hayfever which turned into exzema and then to asthma attacks. He now only suffers minor sneezing during hayfever season. It meant a change of diet for a few weeks but was all back to a normal diet after 3/4 weeks.

I would really like to find out whether anyone is qualified to do this type of treatment for a horse as it works wonders for humans.
 
Just further to Giveitago's post, cases that appear to be sweetitch might technically be something different even if they appear to have the same symptoms. Everyone was convinced my pony had sweetitch, myself and the vet included, but blood tests showed it was an allergy to a specific mould and a specific mite. We're just about to start immunotherapy by way of treatment.
 
I recently read in one of the horsey mags, that someone had used Dettol to treat their horses sweetitch problem.

They diluted it as recommended and used in on the affected areas. Also they use it as a fly repellant too as the flys hate it. Said they are having good affects with it and it did clear up the sweet itch problem.

Might be worth having a go.

Plus its cheap to get a hold of, which is also an added bonus:D:D
 
Giveitago - it was definately a lot worse in summer but it carried on untill November or later. But he would rub his mane off and rub himself raw in some areas, particularly around his tail and the underneath side - he'd rub that untill he's taken all the skin off and it was bleeding and weeping. This year he's been ok so far. Even though he's not got sweetitch he's in a rambo hoody as he still hates the flies. He's not been rubbing as much which is probably a combination of the mould not getting on his coat as he's covered up, not as much to rub on as he's living out, and when he does rub it doesn't show up as again he's covered. So in a sense treating it as sweetitch has still helped a lot!

He had his first immunotherapy injection today. It's a long long course but I will let you know how we get on.
 
Some nasty little scrote stole the sweet itch hoody off the pony i'm helping with - she has been really good this year, not needed it due to super proactive managment but we went to a show by a river last weekend and she was covered in lumps by home time :( she went out at 10am in her hoody on monday and by four it had gone :(. Anyhows, have plastered her in sudocream for her open sores, benzil over mane and tail, fly repellant, garlic in her tea and piriton tabs!!

Shes getting better, but someone mentioned buying the pitriton stuff (non branded) on the internet - was wondering if anyone could recommend a ligit site they have used?

Also has anyone tried the robinsons BugOff rug? Need to clarify with them it is for sweet itch and not a fly rug but they have stopped stocking Rambow hoddys :(:(
 
My mare is refusing to wear a rug this year and demolished a brand new snuggy hood in 4 days :eek: So im trying something different.

I am using 'flypor' which is used to treat lice (insectidal thingy) along with a daily THICK layer of some magic cream (vaseline based) i whipped up in my cauldren and ample stinky homemade fly spray twice a day and normal (and for some reason much happier to wear) fly rug as a preventative.

Benzyl benzoate to stop the itching, heel to hoof for sore bits (highly recommend that! soothes sores and softens and improves hard skin, can be used for many things!) and megatek to regrow the hair!

Suprisingly enough where she has a full mane she doesn't itch :confused:
 
Ive put mine back on Global scratch. it didnt do any good a few years ago but the D&H Itch doesnt seem to work anymore.

I also have her on 10X Yeast tablets a day.

She's fine in the field as theyre arnt many places to scratch but the minute I put her in a stable, she's bald in 30 minutes.

I'm off to buy some dettol today at the supermarket, they didnt have any at the chemist. I'll bathe her in that tomorrow and hopefully overt any skin breaks.

I seem to remember a friend of mine telling me they itch because the bite sites get infected, just like us with mossys.
 
We have been using Brewers yeast for nearly a year as a supplement for our horses and also give it to 6 underfed almost feral horses who live in fields down the road from us. There seems to be a difference in all of them. i.e. shiney coats, less rainscold, no mud fever... the ones down the road could get very lively when we arrived with buckets for them in the winter but they seemed much quieter and more laid back.(is that the brewers yeast?) I am beginning to think that it is a supplement that all horses would benefit from. The reason we started using it was to help our Cob Molly with her sweet itch. So far there is no sign of it this year. Although we are still using Nettex Itch stop (just in case). Molly has never needed a rug in the summer although we might have bought one if we hadn't discovered itch stop and now the Brewers Yeast.
 
Valaraki said:
I recently read in one of the horsey mags, that someone had used Dettol to treat their horses sweetitch problem.

They diluted it as recommended and used in on the affected areas. Also they use it as a fly repellant too as the flys hate it. Said they are having good affects with it and it did clear up the sweet itch problem.

Might be worth having a go.

Plus its cheap to get a hold of, which is also an added bonus:D:D
Click to expand...

yup, i read that too. I now have a bottle made up ready. Haven't tried it yet though. I'm aother one who had a horse twenty years ago and had never heard of sweet itch. W just had a fly spray then and some garlic. Feel totally bamboozeled now. :0)
 
I've made up a big bucket of dettol. Soaked her mane and tail in it yesterday and wiped it all over her to keep the flies off too. I shall do this daily for a week and report back any findings.

my gelding has started scratching too this year, where his girth goes underneath, up round to his 'breast'. They're really small flies that seem to attach themselves and bite. he's also suffering with his ears- the first time in the 6 years i've had him. I've covered the area with Yellow fly cream in the hope it will clear.

What is going on? Is it an increase in flies over the years, food, :confused:
 
i could of imagined it, but wasnt there stuff you can spray the stable with to keep the flies out? if so what is it called? :eek:

and with the dettol what is the ratio of water and dettol.

thanks

ETA: and what do you bath with?

and where can you order the Gloval herbs Skratch Plus from?

and does the Deflect Fly Cream work?
 
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wow.

One week gone.

I am glad to report that the Dettol seems to be a great fly repellant!

I have given her tail and mane a good rub with dettol solution 4 times this week. I have used my spongy cloth to wipe the solution all over my horses at least once a day. it's extremely good for the faces as its just like a grroming wipe over. Their coats are lovely and shiny too!

The flies have been horrendous this week and they are leaving their dirt spots on my horses undercarraige so I am also spraying with Lincoln in those areas too. Both horses have yellow fly cream in their ears.

I am overjoyed to report that, when I got my mare in yesterday for a nap, she only scratched her ears a bit. Her mane even seems to be growing back. Not sure about the tail yet, the skin seems normal, not flared or broken but I couldnt say if it looks hairier yet.

I'll continue with the regime and report again next week!
 
Awesome!

Although the rug seems to make a difference to us - Im sure its being on the top/side of a hill that makes such a difference to preventing the bites - she hasnt had any new bites since her flare up two weeks ago - nearly all healed now :) and no itching :)
 
Awesome!

Although the rug seems to make a difference to us - Im sure its being on the top/side of a hill that makes such a difference to preventing the bites - she hasnt had any new bites since her flare up two weeks ago - nearly all healed now :) and no itching :)
 
cullicoides aromotherapy tablets

I have been using these for nearly a fortnight now and wow what a difference. The midges are of course still biting but her reactions to the bites are so less extreme. Her hair is starting to grow back to. She is the only one in the field now who does not seem to be annoyed by them so much. Best thing is they were real cheap. £4.50 for 50 tablets. :)
 
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