What else could be causing my mare to itch?

Question

My mare had a foal earlier this year and had never itched at all in summers previously, although her mother was known to be an itcher too. A few months ago she too started itching, which seemed as though it was sweet itch.

She itches and bites herself like crazy mostly neck, back, tail and behind her ears. We've tried a whole range of creams & sprays still to no improvement and some the vet perscribed. We also bought her full body fly rugs which ended up torn to pieces after a weeks wear.

With fly rugs not being tough enough, she's been wearing full turnout rugs which no flys/midges are obviously getting through. Yet it still hasn't calmed her skin any and she is itching and biting so hard through the rug she still ends up with sores.

Her diet is the same she's always had, although we have tried stopping feeding different things and changing it, still no difference. Stabling fully or turning out different hours doesn't effect her itching either.

Any ideas on what else could be causing her to be so itchy?

Answer 1

Have your vet do a skin scraping to diagnose this.  Until you know the cause, you can't know the treatment.

Answer 2

I googled 'itchy horse' and found this article.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare...

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Could she be allergic to a shampoo or conditioner you have been using? Wash all of your brushes and grooming supplies. Try using sensitive skin shampoo or an anti-fungal shampoo.  She might have a certain type of fungus on her. I just went through a fungus treatment with my gelding.  If all else fails you might want to ask your vet.

Answer 4

Sweet itch?

Answer 5

I wonder if there is a hormonal problem since she has had a foal.

She might also have mites.  I remember haymaking and all the family were covered in itchy rashes - turns out it was a grass mite, though you cannot see them.

I also wonder if she has developed an allergic reaction to something in her feed.  Supplements maybe?  Ask the vet to do blood tests to see what is going on and act accordingly.  Perhaps a course of antihistamines might help.

Without seeing her I cannot tell exactly what it looks like.

Hope you get sorted soon.

Answer 6

I would get the vet to do a skin test, she may have developed some kind of allergy. There are too many different things to speculate! I have a few ideas of what it could be and odd things you could try but I have to go to work now (grr d**n night shift) so I'll update this tommorow :-)

Jen

Answer 7

My mare also had a 'mystery itch'.  I tried so many solutions, I was going broke, and she was getting vicious whenever she saw me with a bottle of anything in my hands!  It was only during the spring and summer.  I finally tried MTG (Mane-Tail-Grow), which is a miracle liquid in a bottle!  It can be used for bacteria, sores, rain rot, mites, mange, rub spots, you name it!  It's a little stinky, and it must be shaken very well to mix the ingredients, BUT IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most feed stores have it.  I use it for almost everything coat and skin related!  Good Luck!