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MirandaToo
Silver Member
England
381 Posts |
 Posted - 10 May 2013 : 12:46:33 PM
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Poor pony has always been an itchy girl, but never really had sweet itch as such. I normally use Benzyl Benzoate, a fly rug and fly repellent on her from early Spring onwards.... however, this year I think because it's been so cold I got a bit complacent and haven't used it.
Think I left it too late and she's been got at by the midges. Poor girl is now really itchy and within a couple of days has rubbed a piece of her mane out. It's feeling a bit crusty and horrible in her mane too.
So, any advice. What's the best way to treat the itching? What's the best preventative - any recommendations for a decent fly repellent? Just don't want it getting any worse. Thanks!
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Libby Frost
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4711 Posts |
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gossy
Platinum Member
England
3639 Posts |
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LadyLuck1
Gold Member
England
730 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2013 : 11:23:28 PM
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I use brewers yeast a Rambo sweet itch hoody, I don't use fly spray as haven't found any that work.
Mary |
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AnnaMaisy25
Gold Member
England
794 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2013 : 10:39:44 AM
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Just a warning about that Biteback, I used it on Freya and Splash last year, and both of them lost the hair in the worst areas affected by the midges [neck, withers and rump], and had scaly hard ridges come up where the hair came away, and the vet was sure it was an allergic reaction to both the cream and the midge saliva... He warned us off using it, especially as they both had the same reaction, which is quite unusual...
The 'Love the skin he's in' range is really good, soothes, protects and prevents. xx |
 
Splash&Freya. |
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jobo
Bronze Member
129 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2013 : 11:24:54 AM
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hi my mare pony suffers worse now since we moved to Ireland  ,and you don't get more midgey then here. I tried something new this year and there just starting as its been a bit cold and so wet,i cut her feed right down and replaced it with more fibre and so far she is not being tormented as she would be they make her life hell. I also use netex summer freedom and found that it still enables her to go out instead of having to come in and stay in when they are really bad. ive used this now for three years and found it to work for her,she to rubs her mane out on anything she can get to but so far she is happy. terrible thing sweat itch a real pain in the butt. so maybe there is a clue in the name I spose sweat maybe meaning to rich blood?? cutting down on the concentrates seems to of had an effect. good luck |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2013 : 4:23:45 PM
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I agree jobo, cutting out the sugar in feed is defiantly the way to go.
My mare has had Sweet itch for several years now. I have tried every type of sweet-itch rug you can mention and every lotion and potion going.
She is the best she has every been at the moment and i put this down to the feed she gets and getting the sweet-itch rug on early enough.
She used to have molli chaff and pasture mix with sugar beet in the winter months to bulk it up. Far to much sugar....!
Now she has unmollased Hi Fi Lite, Alpha A pellets and total eclipse from Simple Systems (Brewers yeast, linseed and seaweed). This has given her a lovely shiny coat, she is a lot less scurfy and she itches far less. I don't use any lotions or potions now as none i found actually helped. On the odd occasion when she has got the rug off during the night and has then been bitten i have got a steroid cream from the vet which really helps the itching.
I have a Boett rug, rambo Sweet-itch hoody, snuggy hoods sweet-itch and a Derby House one  . I switch between them depending on the weather and while one is being washed.
You need to wash the rug at least once a week in non-bio washing powder otherwise they get more itchy with the build up of hair and scurf.
There is a trail drug that the national Sweet-itch help line were selling. I tried it for a few years and i did think it made a slight difference but not that much that it warranted the cost! It was about £300 for the sweet-itch season last time i used it.
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kofihorse
Bronze Member
241 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2013 : 11:17:51 PM
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My vet suggested E45 Itch Relief Cream (for humans) and it worked well on my Shetland last April when he had rubbed himself raw in the 24 hours after the midges became active. It stopped his itching straightaway and the sore bits healed up in about three days. I put his Boett rug on instantly BTW
Not making the same mistake this year,he's been wearing his rug for a fortnight already (even though the weather is so dire LOL) |
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sweet itch help
