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T O P I C R E V I E W
Vera
Posted - 19 Nov 2010 : 3:59:16 PM I really hope that I am not speaking too soon but all of you with seriously itchy horses where the cause appears to be unknown you may be interested in this.
Dennis developed a mysterious itch last year. I spent 4K trying to find the cause, treatment included steriods, anti histamines, malasab baths, camera up the bottom, wormed - wormed and wormed again, change of diet, rugs and bedding etc. He ended up with a massive abscess from a steroid injection.
About a month ago he started to itch again - last year it was December time so this time a month or so earlier. He broke out in intensly itchy little hot lumps under his dock - exactly like he did last year. I have immedately clipped him, everything off apart from legs, he is only rugged with one 200g (medium) rug. The little lumps have completely gone. He rubbed for about a week, and now hopefully hasn't rubbed for a couple of weeks.
I am seriously wondering if it is heat related. He's just got to the stage where he was getting very sweaty working and hey presto rubbing. I've wondered if the little lumps on his dock are like a heat rash?
So those of you with itchy horses and you've done all the usual checks for lice, worming etc it might be that you are keeping your horse too hot.....
6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
georgiauk
Posted - 25 Nov 2010 : 9:16:12 PM I agree Vera, I know with my girl it is definitely heat related. It got extremely cold up here in the North so the neds were stepped up a rug weight and literally after only the day turned out in a heavy weight rug my girly came into her stable and started rubbing. I've down graded her rug again and back to normal.
Vera
Posted - 25 Nov 2010 : 3:15:12 PM Good luck finding the cause of your colts itch. Dennis too was treated for mites and it made no difference at all.
He also had extensive allergy tests and turned out to be allergic to Maize, Wheat, Horse Chestnut Trees, Dust and Dogs. He did not test positive to Sweet Itch, nor fly bites.
herts_babeuk
Posted - 25 Nov 2010 : 11:32:49 AM Hi
I have previously put a topic on here about my itchy colt who started itching his neck from July.
After trying lotions, remove alfa and garlic from his diet, de-licing him, worming him etc - it was always a 5 inch section of his neck that he would rub away at and also started on patchets of his face. Someone mentioned to me that it might be mites, so we had the vet down yesterday who gave him an injection for mites, though he thinks its probably a skin allergy instead - which i find weird as the horse has been itchy in two different fields so it cant be about location or time of year
Doris
Posted - 22 Nov 2010 : 11:30:20 AM I have had this problem with one of mine this year. To cut a long story short and trying most of what you all have done it turned out to be hay. I have nine and the others where fine just my one gelding was effected. Put back on haylage and he's ok. He did have a reaction to Alfa A many years ago which made me question food. I have a contractor make my haylage from a none fertilised field and it really suits all of mine so buying in this unknown hay was not something I will be doing again. Just wondered if you having problems had thought of this. Doris
Vera
Posted - 19 Nov 2010 : 4:42:00 PM Yes Lisa we have spoken
I also applied Sudocream all over his bottom when he starting itching. I haven't used any for well over a week now as the 'rash' has gone and his skin feels cool to the touch.
geegee
Posted - 19 Nov 2010 : 4:07:20 PM Vera, I think I may have spoken to you about my gelding before as I am sure that he has something similar to Dennis. He would rub his backside against something and within 20 minutes you could see a wet patch. When you touched it, it would feel very warm. A while later it would be boiling hot and excrutiating for my gelding to touch.
We have had skin scrapes, steroids, worm counts, this cream and that cream!!! My vet said it was sweet itch initially
Sudocrem is the only cream that soothes the discomfort.
Once the burning is over with he gets a crust forming and then the hair comes away with it, leaving a bald patch.
I do put it down to heat sometimes but I also put it down to his immune system, something which I am delving into deeper with at the moment.....
