Post by Kelly Marks on Jul 1, 2009 8:03:36 GMT 1
Maybe would help horses bothered by flies too.
SWEET ITCH CURE – FROM OUR RA IN MUSTIQUE!
Sweet itch stuff... now this all worked here on a number of horses, but I cannot guarantee it working in a different environment. Also, remember not to oil the mane if you want to ride as it will make the reins slippy!!!
I would clip the horse and hogg the mane if it's bad, to ensure treatment gets right onto the skin, however, I'm sure you can do it without if you don't want to go hairless!
For a horse that's quite bad I would initally treat the horse every 2 or 3 days to ensure it remains effective, then as the skin starts to heal and the swellings go down, slowly reduce a day at a time until you only treat now and then - that's the full treatment of washing and oiling, the oiling needs to be kept up regularly to keep the bugs off!
So, start by using as strong an iodine shampoo as you can get. I used a European brand called Vetadine which was almost like treacle.
Lightly wet the horse in the affected areas and just beyond to ensure you get all the affected areas (in fact treat the whole body if that's easier), then put on the shampoo and a liberal quantity, rub in and leave on the skin for 10 minutes or so.
Wash off thoroughly using a rubber curry comb (this ensures all the suds are removed and it also stimulates blood flow to the skin to help in the healing process, and also helps to lift some of the scabs, but be careful not to make the horse sore!).
Sweat scrape and towel dry as best as you can, but don't let the horse totally dry out (you want to seal in some moisture to help stop the skin cracking).
Take a large bottle of Johnson's Baby Oil (this is best and remains on the skin longer than most other, cheaper, brands) and add 1 teaspoon of iodine solution. This is best put into a spray bottle (so long as your horse doesn't mind sprays!!) as it distributes it better. Always shake well to ensure the iodine is mixed well as it does separate.
HEAVILY spray all affected areas. It may help to rub it into the skin a little to ensure it gets into the scabs as this can help lift them a bit without making them sore, and then the iodine can help with the healing.
You can then put some fly spray on top of the oil to help keep the bugs off a bit, but if you put enough oil on any little bug that lands will get stuck and die! Most of them won't even think about landing as they can see/smell the oil.
This does all make the horse a bit mucky, oily, but it works SO well here.
This wash/treat can be done every 3 to 4 days, but you could every 3rd time use a teatree wash to help dry out the scabs.
As you see the scabs healing you can reduce how often it's done. The horses here now only get washed every 3 months or so, just for the sake of it really, and only with a mild iodine shampoo. However, they get oiled every 3 or 4 days, and more often if there are bugs about, such as just after it's rained.
This oil solution is also really good for rain scald. If you get a horse with it bad then use the same process as with sweet itch, to begin with, but quickly reduce the washing, but keep up the oiling. This will help the horse to get back it's natural oil to help himself, but the baby oil will help keep the rain/mud off him and stop the bacteria getting under the skin. The iodine helps kill off the bacteria too.
Sorry, that's all a bit waffly. I can send you photos of Pepsi who was really bad with the sweet itch and I had to clip and hogg her. She now has a full mane and tail and I just spray her two or three times per week. she lives out 24/7 and if it rains, boy do we get bugs!
Let me know how you get on or if you have any questions. It's a bit labour intensive, but it works! My vet keeps saying she can't believe how well it's worked and says I should bottle my remedy - problem is, you can't make people do the work and that's what will get rid of it.
SWEET ITCH CURE – FROM OUR RA IN MUSTIQUE!
Sweet itch stuff... now this all worked here on a number of horses, but I cannot guarantee it working in a different environment. Also, remember not to oil the mane if you want to ride as it will make the reins slippy!!!
I would clip the horse and hogg the mane if it's bad, to ensure treatment gets right onto the skin, however, I'm sure you can do it without if you don't want to go hairless!
For a horse that's quite bad I would initally treat the horse every 2 or 3 days to ensure it remains effective, then as the skin starts to heal and the swellings go down, slowly reduce a day at a time until you only treat now and then - that's the full treatment of washing and oiling, the oiling needs to be kept up regularly to keep the bugs off!
So, start by using as strong an iodine shampoo as you can get. I used a European brand called Vetadine which was almost like treacle.
Lightly wet the horse in the affected areas and just beyond to ensure you get all the affected areas (in fact treat the whole body if that's easier), then put on the shampoo and a liberal quantity, rub in and leave on the skin for 10 minutes or so.
Wash off thoroughly using a rubber curry comb (this ensures all the suds are removed and it also stimulates blood flow to the skin to help in the healing process, and also helps to lift some of the scabs, but be careful not to make the horse sore!).
Sweat scrape and towel dry as best as you can, but don't let the horse totally dry out (you want to seal in some moisture to help stop the skin cracking).
Take a large bottle of Johnson's Baby Oil (this is best and remains on the skin longer than most other, cheaper, brands) and add 1 teaspoon of iodine solution. This is best put into a spray bottle (so long as your horse doesn't mind sprays!!) as it distributes it better. Always shake well to ensure the iodine is mixed well as it does separate.
HEAVILY spray all affected areas. It may help to rub it into the skin a little to ensure it gets into the scabs as this can help lift them a bit without making them sore, and then the iodine can help with the healing.
You can then put some fly spray on top of the oil to help keep the bugs off a bit, but if you put enough oil on any little bug that lands will get stuck and die! Most of them won't even think about landing as they can see/smell the oil.
This does all make the horse a bit mucky, oily, but it works SO well here.
This wash/treat can be done every 3 to 4 days, but you could every 3rd time use a teatree wash to help dry out the scabs.
As you see the scabs healing you can reduce how often it's done. The horses here now only get washed every 3 months or so, just for the sake of it really, and only with a mild iodine shampoo. However, they get oiled every 3 or 4 days, and more often if there are bugs about, such as just after it's rained.
This oil solution is also really good for rain scald. If you get a horse with it bad then use the same process as with sweet itch, to begin with, but quickly reduce the washing, but keep up the oiling. This will help the horse to get back it's natural oil to help himself, but the baby oil will help keep the rain/mud off him and stop the bacteria getting under the skin. The iodine helps kill off the bacteria too.
Sorry, that's all a bit waffly. I can send you photos of Pepsi who was really bad with the sweet itch and I had to clip and hogg her. She now has a full mane and tail and I just spray her two or three times per week. she lives out 24/7 and if it rains, boy do we get bugs!
Let me know how you get on or if you have any questions. It's a bit labour intensive, but it works! My vet keeps saying she can't believe how well it's worked and says I should bottle my remedy - problem is, you can't make people do the work and that's what will get rid of it.
