Sweet Itch?

Question

Does anyone have any good tips on how to prevent and or treat sweet itch? ive tryed fly repellent, ive mixed tea tree oil, alomond oil and citrenella oil together.Has anyone else got a horse with sweet itch?

Answer 1

Yea I had a horse that had really bad sweet itch...

The best thing is to get a fly rug. they keep the flys away from them totally... And they cant scratch there manes or tails in it...



http://www.equestriancollections.com/sea...

The one I have now is the rambo protector neck cover 1.

It doesnt rip like some of the other ones.

Answer 2

theres a pink cream called itch stop we used to put on our pony it comes in a tub  and it reduces the each and soothes skin.

also a snuggy hood rug set which covers pretty much whole body and v easy to put on - dont try boet very c**p pain to put on aswell!

if possible try to keep him/her in from the flies. put them in during the day as cooler in stables and away from the flies(makes alot of different)

also if possible bring in before the mozzis and flies come out and put out late!

good luck!

xx

Answer 3

I had a horse with sweet itch.  She got better very quickly when we would bath her often and spray her all over with apple cider vinegar.  I ran out once and white vinegar seemed to help also.  We also had to keep her out in an open field I don't think midges are great fliers.  I have heard that in a stall you can point a fan and that helps.  Good luck with it!

Answer 4

This question is asked all of the time.  I copied my last answer and posted it for you to see.

The last question asked what sweet itch looked like (I was assuming when it had been going on for a long time)

POSTED IN ANOTHER QUESTION:

**edit** Sweet Itch will have a 'scurfy' look in the mane and tail region. Almost like severe dandruff. This is not rain rot. Use a comb and loosen this stuff up and give a few baths to help get this out. Daily combing and massaging to get it out and help his itch. SWAT on his underbelly will help the midline itch and also around his sheath area. Don't forget his inner legs.*****

My gelding had/has sweet itch. I say has/had because if I don't take steps to prevent it he will have the itchies again.

The 'no-see-um' bugs (midges) dig in to the skin, biting and feasting. The horse has an allergic reaction which causes severe itching that drives him crazy. He will actually scratch the hair off his tail and his mane and at times his head and chest. His belly is also targeted.

For him to rub his belly you will see him drop to the ground then raise up on his front legs, rubbing his belly back and forth on the ground (like dogs do at times).

These horses should never be turned out at dawn and then at dusk. This is when the No-see-ums are active.

Keep your horse under a fan if possible during this time frame. It's when the sun isn't so hot is when they come out but there is still some daylight.

Fly spray coverage DAILY is a must. You should also rub this into his mane and tail. (I use so much I can't afford the $ stuff so make my own).

A betadine/medicated/oatmeal bath will help his skin overcome the present damage.

For severe cases (I had severe) cortisone injections to help the itch for a month, til I got it under control.

He was so bad he rubbed the top 6 inches of his tail completely raw and half of his mane (I had to roach it in the end)

For a long time I had to keep a fly sheet on him til he got over it. He also must keep a fly mask on.

Answer 5

i have a pony who gets sweet itch quite badly. i have tried every lotion and potion out but nothing worked.

the only thing that does work is Benzyl Benzoate ( i think it is originally for scabbies) you should get it at your chemist and is only about £4 for a big bottle.

i put this on in the morning and then put his rambo sweet itch rug on and also fly repelant and then i bring him in at night to get him a break from the migies and flies but also put more  Benzyl Benzoate on at night when he is in stable as it stops him from itching.

this is the only thing that works trust me

and its much cheaper that the stuff you get at £15 a small bottle out of a horsey shop which doesnt even work.

good luck your horse will feel much better after you do this

Answer 6

I've read all the answers above and none of them will work for more than a couple of hours, then they wear off. Even one tiny bite will set off the itch and it gets worse every year if you don't control it, until the horse rubs itself raw all over every summer. The poor creature becomes unridable and dangerous to handle eventually. There is only one method of controlling it that works and that is to get a Boett or other midge proof rug (not a fly rug, they are not close grained or close fitting enough) and have the horse wear it from the end of Feb to the first hard frost (in the UK). When you ride, smother the horse in a good midge (not fly) spray (Barrier Hygiene I find good) or if your horse has a bad case leave the rug on under the saddle or only ride in the middle of the day when the midges aren't around. There is no way to prevent it and no way to know which horses will get it - my older mare has it badly, but her daughter has never shown any signs. You can only control it;the rugs are expensive so when you buy one ease the pain with benzyl benzoate for about 3 days until the itching wears off, otherwise your horse will shred the rug in the first 24 hours

Answer 7

My Friesian used to have it.I made up a mix of Calamine lotion with Benzyl Benzoate(half&half mix),shake together well,then apply to area with rubber gloves on using a sponge thats only used for applying lotion.It didn't cure the sweet itch,but it soothed the areas affected.

Also,if you have the facilities to take him into a stable at dusk & again turn him out after sunrise(when midges attack the most)that will give great relief!

You'll only get the Benzyl from a pharmacy & may have to order it & they may ask why you want a large bottle!Just let them know what your doing.

Also the Calamine will 'split' when it settles in the bottle,so shake well every time you apply it(twice a day should be enough.It will also leave a blotchy finish on his coat when it dries.Hogging off his mane looks alot more tidy too,if its tatty.

One more tip!If he's stabled or in a field near water,ie.a river,lake,pond,stream,there will be lots more midges there than anywhere away from water,so you may have to move him if thats the case(sorry,I had to!).GOOD LUCK!Hope this all helps.

Answer 8

Try and get hold of a fly repellant called Stomoxin which was originally licenced for cattle, but my father used to bring it home for work and coupled with keeping the horse/pony in from about mid afternoon to say 10am the next morning when midges are less likely to be biting, we noticed a huge difference and several of my friends' horses actually regrew complete manes and tails.

They put this stuff on the line of mane and tail, kept them in and gently brushed and washed them with just baby shampoo.  It is a time consuming business but if you start early in the year, it is unlikely to get so bad that people will notice it.  And the horse is comfortable too.

You might need to get it from agricultural merchants.

Answer 9

Did you have a vet diagnose sweet itch? There are many things that look the same. They said my mothers pony had sweet itch but the only thing we found that helped him was Sulfodene for hot spots it can be found in some Hannaford supermarkets, or I found it at www.drugstore.com under pets, they also have a shampoo. If one thing does not work keep trying. Skin so soft works well for keeping away bugs. Soak a cloth in it and rub down your horse.

Good luck finding something that works.

Answer 10

Bath it regularly and try and find a fly repellant with garlic in it.  Some horses will do it no matter how many lotions and potions you try! Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't become infected.  Pony at my yard had it back on her hind quarters and was even bleeding from some areas.