Sweet Itch management

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Subject : Sweet Itch management
From : KAS
Date : 29.02.04 2:15:00 PM

OK - looking for some ideas. The new little lad Fin gets sweet itch and comes with his two made to measure fly rugs. So I understand they go on as soon as you see the midges rising and hopefully before you get home one night to find they've been biting your head!
I know there is a school of thought that it can be stress-related, so am working on that.
Any alternative or brilliant ideas that might also help? I remember years ago reading in a horsey mag about using some sort of perfumed oil for humans, it might have had lavender in it, but blowed if I can remember anything useful!


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Nicola
Date : 29.02.04 3:06:00 PM

I use itchnomore on my mare from equine america and it works wonders. (10% off from http://www.horseandponysales.co.uk) She also goes out each day for about an hour or so in a fly sheet.

regards

Nicola


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Tracy
Date : 29.02.04 3:39:00 PM

Avon's skin so soft moisturising bath oil (Green woodland fresh) diluted (some people uase it neat)with water and sprayed on is very good. Dont put on saddle area though as it is an oil and you may end up stunt riding !
In the latest Avon book it is 3 bottles for £6 so im stocking up ready
Hope this helps
Tracy


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : KAS
Date : 29.02.04 5:45:00 PM

Thanks folks. Nicola, do you mean your horse just goes out for an hour a day in sweet itch season, or that you rug for an hour a day?
Tracy - I've used SSS as fly repellant so that's a good thought. Have you used it on a sweet itch horse and with or without rug?
Sorry, lots of questions, but this is a new one for me :-)


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From :
Date : 29.02.04 6:45:00 PM

up


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Charlotte
Date : 29.02.04 6:46:00 PM

Hiya Kas!!!

For some bizarre reason, viv thought you were in Oz already...oops!

I have to say that having tried many things with Hylo, the best is for sure the boett. Without it he gets really horrible sweet itch and I feel awful for him, but with it he lives out 24/7 and now has a full mane and tail and is happy as larry :-)

The skin so soft helps when the horse is ridden; personally I found it wasn't good enough for field use. I also use 'switch' from the vet for his forelock as that seems to be a prone area and again that works a treat.

Watch out for the area between the edge of the rug and the face - this can be a problem. We have a great fly mask (I think its Kingshead but cant recall now...) that buckles onto the boett and works great. Loly refused to wear the boett hood though for some reason.

Also check the sheath area - sudocreme is good if its just a fly problem (I use this on Tiglet as the flies tend to eat her teats poor love) or the gold ointment from the boett people is good.

BUT - get the rug on early, as soon as it starts to warm up. Keep an eye out for the midges and whip it on straight away. I reckon mid-March but you never know. I've got a little bit of grace as his highness is in a rug with a neck cover but once the rug is on, it stays on until November practically. The reason being that once they've got it, the rug may only prevent it getting worse, not prevent it occurring.

It also pays to use a proper anti sweet-itch rug that is strong enough. Fly rugs don't do the job as I learned to my cost.

Another top tip is in the heat, bring the horse in and wash the rug and then put it back on damp - nice and cooling :-)

In case you didn't guess - I would never be without mine now and I have a spare.

Anyway, giz a call if you want a good chat about sweet itch, life and the universe. I go into hospital on Weds for the op so am all nervous at the mo.

Charlotte


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Hefina
Date : 29.02.04 6:51:00 PM

Hi,
I've had great results with several horses with nettle and dandelion leaves, garlic, homeopathic sulphur and my own home-made concoction (LOTS of garlic steeped in water for a few days, chamomile tea which helps with the inflammation and a little honey that helps heal). I'll be starting my filly on them in the next month so that they have plenty of time to get into her system! :-)


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Heather E
Date : 29.02.04 6:53:00 PM

Kas, I've used SSS for 3 summers now on a SI horse with success. I also use Benzyl Benzoate too, rubbed into the skin and the SSS just goes on top of the mane and tail and brushed in.


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : varkie
Date : 29.02.04 6:58:00 PM

My sweet itch strategy is as follows:

*Sweet itch rug goes on any day now, and stays on til about October except when ridden. Make sure electric fencing covers all of field, so pony can't rub and itch, or rip rug.

*Haven't yet used any lotion or potion or supplement which helped (and we tried loads!), so've given up on all of them!

*Exclude all sugars and grain from diet - this seems to have made a big difference.

*DON'T feed garlic. Everyone said this would help my horse, it actually made her worse.

This is what has worked for my mare, and we must have got something right, as she's gone from being a severe case, to do affiliated showing classes with a full mane and tail, and no-one the wiser!




Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : sobagirl
Date : 29.02.04 9:57:00 PM

Ya know the Boett rugs? Well are they the same as in the Hue and Hott catalogue? they are loads cheaper than getting them from over here.
Have a look and tell me what you think. If you go to Gooogle, you can get the pages translated.
www.hue-hott.de

Just wondering if anyone had had a boett rug from there.


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Tracy
Date : 29.02.04 10:42:00 PM

Hi Kas
Used the SSS on Floss last summer , not sweet itch but very allergic to fly bites and goes all lumpy, it worked a treat for them.
Jake, my loan horse has very severe SI and wears a Boett, this year I am going to use the SSS on him as well as he has got a full mane and tail for the first time in years. I didnt take him on until august last year so didnt get the chance to try it from the start of the spring midge season.
I also buy Garlic juice from Dorwest herbs and wipe it on ears and around eyes etc and that works well too. Good to use on any sores as well as its antiseptic.
Good luck
Tracy



Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : KAS
Date : 29.02.04 10:56:00 PM

Oooh - thanks everyone! A complicated subject. And thanks to Tig who emailed me - I'll reply soon :-)
Charlotte - will ring you kid. I don't go to Oz until later in March - about the time the fly rug needs to go on actually...
I don't know what sort of rugs he has, only that they were made to measure. His owner is bringing them over next weekend.


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Marianne
Date : 01.03.04 10:30:00 AM

Hi KAS,

Being doing some research on Scabies. It looks like they have many similiarities to the SI mites.

I came across OREGANO oil (specifically Oreganum vulgare). Now its supposed to be best wildcrafted, however when found it is hideously expensive and diluted to an undisclosed quantity. But did find some and 30ml pure cost me £18 from the net (company in Lockinge nr Wantage). It has to be diluted as it is very stong/toxic in high dosage, but if you are looking for an alternative it might be worth considering, as it is also very powerful anticeptic, antifungal etc etc and worth having on the yard as disinfectant.

See what you think. I dont have any with SI or would try it myself!

Best of luck


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : Jessica Little
Date : 01.03.04 10:36:00 AM

Benzol Benzolwate (if that is how you spell it) you can buy it from the chemists in Huge bottles- on percription! Have to explaint to them what it is for. Needs to bea applied at least once a day, combined with thin neck covers you should be fine!


Subject : re:- Sweet Itch management
From : sam
Date : 01.03.04 10:40:00 AM

Anyone know what to put on the hard lumps that often form as a result of an allergic reaction to fly bites. My girl was covered last summer and still has two bites on her tummy that won't seem to heal despite the vet precribing some cream and me using every potion under the sun. I'm currently using a T Tree Hydrosol (flower water) and neat lavender essential oil and it is helping slowly but surely.
Any other ideas anyone ?
thanks

[princess]

i had a pony with very bad sweet itch, and i used these methods:

* i put benzo benzo on his tail every night (benzo benzo is a human lotion for nitts n crabs, and i got it from the chemist)

* i put his fly sheet on every time he went into the field, except winter when no flies are out.

* i washed his tail once a week with medicated shampoo that stops itchiness

* i sprayed fly spray under his belly as thats where the flies bite them and then the reaction comes out on mane or tail so i sprayed fly spray at the primary point.

basically keep there itchy points like manes and tails clean and itchy free, and targeted flies at the first point of sweet itch which is under the belly! from having this pony i got rid of sweet itch in two weeks and his mane and tail grew back, and bald, scabby bits went fast! i was so proud!

hope this hepls!

[mags]

Has anyone tried moskito netting round stable when horses is in at worse time, id be interested to know?

[kas]

Fin is a very stable stressy horse, so I don't think I'd consider stabling him. If it is stress related then I suppose it could make it worse. Certainly he's much more relaxed this year and it hasn't been such a battle, although it is still there.
He don't do rugs very well either (I know, he's a trial!), but in any case there are too many bushes and trees he could trash a rug on, so that idea's out the window as well.
I had Tim Couzens the holistic vet come and visit and he has given Fin some remedies. We're still tweaking the doses, but I think that he is scratching less. He has one particular spot where he rubs his tail, but it seems almost like a habit, if you see what I mean. He has his breakfast, then has a rub, then goes off to graze every day.
He also has his mane and tail washed with a mild tea tree rinse and sometimes some NetTex Stop Itch put on, and although he is looking a bit rough, it's not too bad.

[mags]

Can i ask what remedies he gives Kas

[kas]

I don't know exactly because he makes up a homeopathic tablet tailored to the individual horse. So in Fin's case he is trying to help with the Sweetitch, Photosensitivity and nervousness.
One thing I noticed within days. Each time I'd walked the horses to swap fields I'd had to have a friend take one and I'd take Fin with them, because he'd get so het up and stressy. I'd lead him practically on his back legs and throw him in the field. After about 4 days of remedies we changed field and Fin walked like a donkey. It made the whole experience much more pleasant for me and the other horses.

[bojangles]

Hi
I had a cob that came to me with terrible sweet itch he had rubbed himself raw on a tree all along his wither and neck and most of his dock...
I smothered him on the sore itchy areas with Sudocream (you can buy from supermarkets and chemists)..I applied sudocream morning and evening and he always wore a fly rug with a tail flap and neck cover..the hair was totally grown back in 4 weeks and the sudocream stopped the itching..I have also used this cream for mud fever and works as well as any other expensive horse creams....give it a try I think its deffinatly worth it......

[kas]

Thanks, I have tried Sudocream but he still itched. Didn't I read somwhere that it can cause problems with strong sun? He's very photosensitive, so I need to be careful about that.

[fmm]

Ours wears a rug ALL the time (including head and ears). He is happy doing this - the scratching was awful for him. It is one of the £170 jobbies with the silver anti bacterial lining and although the zip breaks continuously, has lasted him indoor and outdoor for 4 months. The other option is the new injection that is being trialled. Many vets are looking for guinea pig sweet itch sufferers to trial the injection - may be worth finding out more from your vet about this.

[kas but cant be bothered]

Thanks fmm. I will ask the vet again, last time he said that the horse had to go to Wales.
Having said that, I think the homeopathic route is helping, so maybe we'll crack it completely that way next year.
Fin is a horse with behaviour problems, and has come on leaps and bounds. As he does have a bit of a rug issue I try minimise the time he has to wear them. He is a lot better about it, but I have visions of him getting caught up in the bushes in his field in his fly rug, and if that happened I think it could be a huge setback for him. We aren't sure, but his current rug phobia may date back to an incident where he got trapped or tangled while wearing his fly rug. Nobody saw it happen, but he was found in the field wearing what remained in tatters, and the rest of it was never found!