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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
 England
1333 Posts |
 Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:00:00 PM
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Hello
It's me again with yet another problem horse. Why aren't any of my horses normal??! 
One of my pregnant mares gets sweet itch and every summer manages to rub off most of her mane and tail which isn't very nice for her and does not look very nice, especially on an Arab! It then takes her ages to grow it back and by late spring/summer she has a few inches grown back before she rubs it all off again!
Anyway, so far this year she has been fine as she has been turned out with electric fencing so she has had literally nothing to rub herself on! I have now started to bring her in at night as she is due to foal in the next fortnight and she has started to severely rub her mane and tail, the damage and loss in just a few days is bad. I have even put a lightweight rug on her with a tail flap but she just gets her tail round the side of it or rubs it through the flap. I have tried many topical lotions and potions, but none of the feed supplements, which I can't try at the moment as she is in foal. Can't do the steroid injections either for the same reason. I have also tried a few expensive fly rugs which were pretty rubbish, got ripped and rubbed her.
I have thought about leaving her out at night again so she can't rub but she is a bit of a stresser in a stable and needs a few weeks to get used to the idea and the routine of coming in at night again. If I leave bringing her in until she waxes up and foals this could distress her more.
I really want to save her mane and tail but just don't know what to do! Any ideas please??! 
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Edited by - Sasha Melia on 18 May 2005 3:00:38 PM
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:24:29 PM
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If it really is sweet itch that makes her rub and not something else, why don't you put her out at night, when there are no midges, and bring her in through the day? I know there are lots of expensive anti-midge rugs on the market which don't help, but I know lots of people who swear by the Boet rug ---- it really does seem to work and is worth the money. It's not really very nice to think of preserving her mane by not giving her anything to rub on---she must still be feeling the discomfort of the itching , so the ideal aim would be to stop that. |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:36:58 PM
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Hi Sasha,
If you go to the Panel section I posted a request for help on sweetitch and loads of people contributed some great ideas, many of which I am using on my Andalusian who should also have a long flowing mane. He had it really badly and it's now being managed, which sometimes is all you can do. He's in a Shires Maxiflow rug with neck cover (stops the midges getting to the mane and dock, the two worst areas). The saliva of the female midge is the culprit; a harmless protein in her saliva causes a deranged reaction in some horses and the only way to stop it is to prevent the midges biting, which they are compelled to do since they need a feed of blood to be able to breed... (What a clever/wretched thing is nature?)
The midges can't fly in wind and can only fly about 150 yards maximum. Your horse is best away from rotting vegetation such as grass clippings, muck heaps etc, and in an exposed, windy place. Electric fencing is good but you must remember she's only rubbing because she can't bear the itching, and I always think it must be horrendous to be going mad with an itch but not be able to scratch. So stopping the cause of the itching is the aim.
Beelzebub and Camrosa (the very oily, smelly unctions) are good as the midges are repelled by the smell and can't get through the oil/grease. Once it's at the stage yours is currently, there's no quick cure. Getting them de-itchy can take a couple of months. You can give a cortizone injection but not advisable if she's foaling soon, plus there is the risk of laminitis from the jab.
Have a look at the Panel question - some of the foodie things are worth trying. My boy is on homeopathic treatment too, details on that site I think.
Best of luck, it's a real headache! At least your girl's mane grows back well. Otan's is very thin on the crest. Incidentally we've had midges right through the winter here so you can never drop your guard entirely. |
Roseanne |
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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
England
1333 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:37:09 PM
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Hi Zan
The reason I am having to bring her in at night is because she could foal any time now, so your idea is definitely a good one for once she has had the foal, but no good until then I'm afraid as she is more than likely to foal during the night and therefore needs to be safely indoors.
I also feel that once she starts to rub she gets into an obsessive habit of doing it, a bit like us humans scratching an itchy scab or something, once you start to itch it, it's very hard to stop! She does not seem distressed at all in the field, so it's hard to tell how much the itching might be bothering her. She does have a rug on as well to help keep the flies off her plus fly repellents etc.
Might look at trying a Boet but I know they rip like mad as I know someone who has one......
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www.mukhtaribneternity.co.uk
****************************SILHOUETTE ARABIANS****************************
Home of Mukhtar Ibn Eternity (Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D x Monsoon by Djammal) AKA Mooky! |
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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
England
1333 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:41:10 PM
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| Thanks Roseanne will have a read! I have used Beelzebug before and found this to be probably the best of the bunch but as you probably know it's horribly messy on a white horse! |
www.facebook.com/MukhtarIbnEternity
www.mukhtaribneternity.co.uk
****************************SILHOUETTE ARABIANS****************************
Home of Mukhtar Ibn Eternity (Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D x Monsoon by Djammal) AKA Mooky! |
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jo c
Silver Member
United Kingdom
476 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 3:42:19 PM
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hi- on another website (don't go there often as it's nowhere near as friendly as a-lines  ) I know of a guy who uses a secret recipe for a fly repellant which allegedly is fantastic for sweet-itch and very cheap to make. He will give the recipe out for a donation to his favorite charity, i could pm you with the site address as i don't want to put it on here jo |
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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
England
1333 Posts |
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Esther
Gold Member
United Kingdom
866 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 5:06:25 PM
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| I'm trying a proper sweet itch rug on Harry this year and so far, the results have touch wood been very good. I'm not used to having an arab with a shiny coat and a long mane and tail- it's going to take some getting used to. |
paranoid horsemother
 
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Lorna
Bronze Member
England
98 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 6:51:59 PM
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Sasha
My daughter's dartmoor mare suffers from Sweet Itch, we bought a Rambo Sweet Itch Hoodie rug last summer, it's excellent, doesn't rip and pony now has a mane and tail. We use Net-tex salve - can't remember what it is called, but your feed merchant would probably stock Net-tex products. We use the salve when she is ridden and once you have applied it to mane and tail, you then only have to apply once every 7 days, it is not sticky like Beelzebug and rubs in nicely.
Lorna |
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Mike
Platinum Member
Eire
1872 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 7:02:33 PM
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Something that actually works very successfully is "Summer Fly Cream" made by Battle, Haywood & Bower Its really for the treatment of maggot fly strike in sheep and is a combined analgesic, antiseptic and fly repellant. Slap some on every one or two days and the rubbing stops There is only one drawback with this stuff....... its very bright YELLOW But is really does work and washes out pretty easily
Mike |
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Jingo
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3632 Posts |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 7:20:43 PM
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Mike I tried that on Otan and it didn't seem to work (possibly it was when he was in a bad, acute way at the beginning) and he had yellow stain for AGES!! It was originally prescribed for a horse I no longer have for suspected lice! White Arab, yellow fetlocks!!
Jo, Any chance I could have the site address too? My email is roseanne_edwards@journalist.com - the AL link hasn't worked so far with my email address. |
Roseanne |
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natalie whittington
New Member
Scotland
13 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 9:24:20 PM
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| Hi living in scotland in a valley we suffer really badly with midges and consequently have a few horses with sweet itch, we use the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody which is brilliant and then we wash there manes and tails twice a week ,and in the rincing water we add baby oil and citronella oil ,we now have no problems and they don,t rub as long as this is kept up. |
nwhittington |
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Aztec Arabians
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1468 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2005 : 9:37:45 PM
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Hiya Sash,
Annie had a Welsh Sec. C gelding, he had real bad sweet itch and we tried allsorts of things including Camrosa. We found the only thing that worked for him was Beezlegug (great tip from Jingo). As others have mentioned it is thick and gooey and takes ages to get off but is worth it in the long run. Best of luck. |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 09:15:15 AM
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Hi,
My friend has a welsh sec. d mare that suffers the awful sweet iche
she has even been along to the place in Wrexham and she has had
the injections (apparently a new thing on the market) and it hasnt worked.
She has tried nearly everthing on the market and has gone back
to the tried and tested boet rug. I know she paid a lot of money
for it but it is the only thing that works for her. She has
tried the cheeper rugs on the market and they either get ripped or
they let in the midges to do there work. Apparently she told me
the midges cause the damage on the belly thats were they bite and
then cause the reaction elsewhere e.g rubbing manes, bums neck etc.
dont know if its true.
Glad mine dont suffer from it, poor Breeze she no mane left at all
and has rubbed herself raw. But since she put the boet back on
shes ok.
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 11:24:49 AM
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Hi
My arab also gets sweet iche this time of year. I have tried the rugs but it still didn't stop iching the best thing with him is to feed D-itch made by Naff and use Benzel Benzate which is actually for scabbies in people and is available from Tesco pharmacy for about £4 a bottle - last about a month. The vet suggested it to me and although its a bit greesy it stops the rubbing.
Hope this helps
Lisa |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 12:40:18 PM
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Hi Janet, it's horses for courses I guess. I found Otan got through the Boett rug in hours. It is only a nylon jersey material. Plus being an Andalusian the neck wasn't deep enough!! He has a HUGE neck. We've settled on the Shires maxiflow which is cheap to buy (about £60 vs £180) and has 'airflow'. He used to sweat quite badly in the Boett in hot summer.
Benzyl Benzoate is good for easing the itching. It's used on people with excema but the chemists are now only stocking it in TINY bottles and it works out quite expensive considering how much you have to put on. YOu used to be able to get it in pints at Boots or chemists but now only in 250ml bottles which go nowhere. Same with citronella oil. Tiny bottles only. All reduced so they get more profit!
I've never bought the D-itch cos it's £28a kilo. Does it work Lisa?
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Roseanne |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 12:58:11 PM
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Hi,
Yes tracey my mate says thats the only downside of the boet in that
on hot summers days (ha ha) it does make Breeze sweat but she keeps
it on her because she is REALLY REALLY bad, she tried one of them shires rugs last year and within 4 hours she had ripped it, she was not amused.
janet |
Sunny Cheshire |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 2:25:42 PM
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Hi Roseanne,
Try Tesco for benzel benzate they do 1/2 litre for £4.20 and they hold it in stock specially. D-Itch does work well but I find you have to wait about a month for it to work so I normally start feeding it in March. You can get a smaller tub for about £16.00 of the D-itch but it is expensive my other horse has mud fever and the mud guard is really good to
Hope this helps  |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 2:39:53 PM
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| Hi all I can help with is kill itch, I have used it two years in a row on my shetland mare who has it really bad, but if you rub it on every day it will work, ( I even used it on myself as the midges really get to me and it stopped itching right away! I expect I will be bald next year! I find that putting them out at night is not really a good idea, as I have seen the horses in the moonlight still swishing wildly! also midges will get up before you do to get them in! It is a horrible thing to watch a horse suffering with sweet itch and I do sympothise with them as I know how it feels, I run for the house when they start on me ! |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 3:47:04 PM
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| Lisa, I will def give the D itch a go, can't hurt to try it! Plus I'll stock up on Benzyl Benzoate at Tesco. I did actually buy the last 2 litre bottle the town veterinary hospital had (was able to as my next door neighbour works there and got it for me as a staff member!. Wonder if some of that mixed in the home-made fly repellent would be a useful extra ingredient?? |
Roseanne |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 3:54:05 PM
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Hi Roseanne,
Good luck let me know how you get on. If you mix benzel benzate with anything made with citronela (I can't spell it!!) try a little bit first coz my horse is really alergic to it came up in a sort of neetle rash and I had to bath him  poor boy. I don't know if this is commen but I wondered if horses with sweet itch are a bit more sensitive. |
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Eve
New Member
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 10:31:54 PM
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Hi Sasha
I've always had really good results with Benzel Benzate - it seems to stop all itchyness after a couple of days - I used to use lashings of it on my TB and it seemed to make his summer months much more pleasant -
Please check your email tomorrow evening - some rug info and horsey update :-)
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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
England
1333 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2005 : 10:24:58 PM
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Hi all
Thanks ever so for the tips! I have used Benzyl Benzoate for years, (usually mix it up with a bit of calamine lotion as well) and find it great for soothing the skin after rubbing but not so great for stopping the itching in the first place on this particular horse. They all seem to react to different treatments don't they? One of the fly rugs I have tried is the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody and I thought it was rubbish and you have to have a fly mask on otherwise the neck part that goes over the ears falls down constantly, and it also rubbed her on the shoulders as well, however it obviously works really well on other horses, just not mine! (Anyone want a 5'9" hoody rug?!)
Haven't tried Kill Itch, D Itch, Camrosa or bright yellow stuff so will have to give them a go next. It's very expensive all this exploratory investigating! Anyway, will let you know if I find a miracle! I will be over the moon if I can keep her mane and tail this year for once.
Eve, how you doin? Will check my email next!
Thanks
Sasha |
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Home of Mukhtar Ibn Eternity (Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D x Monsoon by Djammal) AKA Mooky! |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2005 : 11:38:44 PM
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| The Shires Maxiflow rug has two loops at the ears end of the neck so it loops onto the headcollar to stop it rolling down in any way. It's worked on Otan and he was very acute at one stage two years ago. There's midges in vast amounts around at the moment too. Soon as the breeze dies down. Good luck. |
Roseanne |
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