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Post by cookie on Mar 6, 2009 19:21:48 GMT 1
My boy has had sweet itch in the past and this last week has been bitten on his chest and neck- where his bib clip is. He's then rubbed his neck a little...
I want to cover the clipped area from midges, his fly rug covers it but in the evening its been a bit cold for that and I've been putting his fleece on (he's stabled).
Q- would one of those lycra hood things stop the midges from biting the clipped area do you think?
when its not below freezing he is unrugged , or could have a fly sheet on, and has a good coat but its so difficult at the mo, flies are out late afternoon but its dropping below zero at night and I can't get up every dawn / dusk to change rugs...
would the lycra hoody work do you think? or would the midges just bite through it?
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Post by sunnylynn11 on Mar 6, 2009 21:46:58 GMT 1
I guess you could try the lycra rug. When I was poo picking yesturday I noticed midges flying around, when I got to the yard this morning Peppermint was scratching to I dug out her Rambo fly rug and put that on under a thin rainsheet.
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Post by jill on Mar 6, 2009 23:00:55 GMT 1
Maggie has one of the Derby House fly rugs on under her turn out rug, just to protect her head neck and tail, She has a boett, but it is a bit much under another rug, the fly rugs are nice and light and do do the job unless the midges are everywhere.
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Post by cookie on Mar 6, 2009 23:07:37 GMT 1
thanks guys, I did doubt whether the lycra thingy would do the job. He has a fly rug, I guess it would go over his fleece in the stable if he is in before dark.
daytime is fine, he can have the fly rug on. Its evening times / dusk he needs covered but I can't always get up later on to swap into his fleece and the fly rug has no warmth...
thank you
C x
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Post by jill on Mar 6, 2009 23:15:44 GMT 1
Why don't you pop a lightweight turn out on top of his fly rug and he could wear that 24/7? I'm not clear whether he is stabled (as in wearing a fleece) but there is no reason why he shouldn't wear a turnout in the stable if needs be.
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Post by cookie on Mar 7, 2009 18:39:53 GMT 1
thanks Jill, that makes sense. He is stabled at night, I noticed today that the midges are around most of the day so he'll be covered all the time.
Has anyone had any success with feed supplements for itching or flies? It seems highly variable but I just wondered if there was anything worth trying???
cheers
C
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Post by arabmania on Mar 7, 2009 20:55:07 GMT 1
i feel so repetitive saying this sorry, but....... my onloan mare was diagnosed with sweet itch and had injections from the vet prior to me getting her a year ago. she had no tail and hardly any mane due to rubbing.
a year on and she has a full upper tail that just needs to grow now (nearly down to her hocks now ;D ) and a mane that is now showing great potential ;D
i used, and still do, aloe vera ( holland and barrett natural aloe vera 99.9%) it soothed and stopped any reaction that caused the itching.
i don't know if it will work for you but maybe?
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HFM
Olympic Poster
Posts: 853
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Post by HFM on Mar 7, 2009 21:10:53 GMT 1
i feed global herbs superskratch to my lad, just started it this week actually, it seems to work pretty well. Its all about getting in there first, this year i am ON IT! ;D
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Post by gordo on Mar 7, 2009 21:14:19 GMT 1
Still spraying on Stop It All and no itching so far!
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Post by cookie on Mar 8, 2009 10:48:53 GMT 1
arabmania, thank you for taking the time to be repetitive  I'll ask the mods to move this to the horse health section so its easier to find in future, I am rubbish at searching I'm reassured about the aloe vera tho as I've been using that on the two teeny bits he has rubbed. Its early days. Sorry if I seem repertitive, its the first time I've had to deal with this and as some of you have already said, I need to get on tip of it quickly. He was quite good last year, rubbed his mane a bit, with benzoate application, fly rug and fly spray (I only met him sept so came to it all late in the year). But tbh, I hate the benzoate and rubbing insecticide in twice a day is pretty horrid. I'd love to find something a bit less harsh. Liz P recommended baby oil and thats okay at the mo when the midges are targeting his bib clip where its easier to bite (I can smear baby oil over his chest) but could get quite messy later in the year... Hannah with jack- I did look at superskratch, would be interested in how you find it. They also do Flyfree which doesn;t have ingerdients listed on line. I wasn't sure how to choose between the two... Gordo, how often do you apply the stop it all? realistically I won't be able to reapply more than twice a day... thanks for your patience guys C x |
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Post by Dragonmaster on Mar 8, 2009 11:18:25 GMT 1
Cookie, There is a thread called Sweet itch and another on Stop It All.
I upped them yesterday so you and others might notice them.
Lots of similar and different advice on both.
I'm a great believer in Aloe Vera as well, and mix lavender Oil in it for extra whammy.
I've been managing Sweet Itch for 5 years. I've just started Stop it All.... apply every few days at first then can go weekly. How easy is that?
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I'll ask the mods to move this to the horse health section so its easier to find in future, I am rubbish at searching 
SYNERGY EQUINE: