# Rubbing face till bleeds



## miss_molly (12 July 2011)

Last year my mare went through a phase of rubbing her face raw until it bled. Tried sprays, creams, washes etc. Spent about £600 on vet bills to get no answers (blood tests, skin scrapings, ringworm culture, anti biotics, sprays, creams, numerous visits, photos sent to AHT and vet spoke to them but no firm ideas). it eventually cleared up when I stopped all tretment. This was September. 

This year I went to feed tongight and since I left her this morning she has rubbed so much of face I can now not put a bridle on as bleeding and red raw from eyes out towards the cheek bones. She had a few little scrathes for last few weeks so ive been putting on fly repellent cream and her fly fringe to stop them irritaing her. 

Vets coming 2moro to have a look but I dont know what to do

Im thinking of a full face fly mask but don know if that will be worse if she rubs and it sticks to her face when blood dries?


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## Izzwizz (12 July 2011)

sounds like sweetitch to me, my friend's horse suffers from it and rubs his face sore.  She bathes it with Killitch sweetitch shampoo, he loves the cold water on his face too as it must soothe it.


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## Kellys Heroes (13 July 2011)

A friend's horse has very bad sweet itch and does exactly the same thing. She's feeding him flowers of sulphur, and he has a full fly rug and full face fly mask on all the time at the moment as if he doesn't, he tends to rub more  all his sores have sudocrem on.
such a horrible time of year for them
K x


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## Box_Of_Frogs (13 July 2011)

Text book sweet itch I'm afraid. Snuggy hoods do a full face mask and of course Boett are the gold standard for sweet itch protection.


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## popularfurball (13 July 2011)

Global herbs Skratch plus has stopped this for us

Last year





This year


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## miss_molly (13 July 2011)

I never knew sweetitch would affect face alone?? Why did vet not even mention this last year. Got a much better vet coming today so will discuss that with her plus find some skratch supplement and an a fly mask. Thanks


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## curran (14 July 2011)

I have heard good things about Skratch plus. A normal fly mask won't keep midges out as they're tiny. Best to keep in at dawn and dusk ideally and I've heard that Sweet Relief and Camrosa ointments work really well.  Good luck - at least its not a huge area to deal with


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## popularfurball (14 July 2011)

You can get fine mesh fly masks - I use the shires ones as they are super cheap to replace and she destroys them (or used to!) itching I didnt see the point in expensive ones (plus she pulls them off when itching...never to be seen again lol)


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## gem1979 (5 August 2011)

A friend's pony was doing the same a few years ago.  They suspected sweetitch for ages but turned out to be a reaction to sunlight.  He just goes out at night time now and so much happier.  Not so bad when it was overcast but sunny days were really bad.


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## MrsMozart (5 August 2011)

Will be interested to hear what helps it.

Out Little Lad had the tell tale signs of sweetitch when we got him (bottom of mane, top of tail), but the previous owner said nothing about it. I put Cornucrescine on the bald patches every day and the hair grew back 

The first year we had him he rubbed holes in his head, but the period was short lived.

The next year he was fine.

Last year I believe he was fine.

This year, back to the rubbing. I'm trying to remember what the lotion is called that we got to treat the bald patches. It's from the saddler's. Seemed to calm down the itching quite a lot.

I'm also trying to think what the landscape is like at each yard.

First one was large, open fields, with the muckheap in a corner of the field. Second one muckheap good distance away. Ditto the next one I believe. This one the muckheap is small, well managaed, and away from the field.

All places have been different in terms of what trees and open spaces, etc.

I hope you find a way of making your horse comfortable.


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## Tnavas (5 August 2011)

Try washing it with some Nizerol - it could be fungal - it's the right time of year and you've had quite a bit of rain recently - wet and warm ideal for fungal infections which do itch unbelievably.

Dilute with hand hot water and lather up well - include surrounding areas as well so that you kill of any stray spores.


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## Chestnutmare (6 August 2011)

interesting....hmmm as Mr Toby has also been rubbing his face (nose) raw til it bleeds, it has dried up a little, although seems everytime he goes out into his paddock and I get him in it's fresh blood again
I haven't put anything on it being as it's on his nose.

I thought at first it could possibly be an allergy to something in field/hay/feed... .

Here it is when I discovered it one morning last week...












and today it is quite dry, but looked like there was a tiny blackhead type of thing on it, thinking it was a scab I did try to pick it, but then left it alone...

he has no other signs of sweetitch though and only has a small amount of bites up his neck to one side only... scabbed up and I brushed most off last night


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## popularfurball (7 August 2011)

May simply be tr grass tickles it when eating? 

Sunlight is a big
Big thing for is - I stabled her for a week a few weeks back and her face cleared up.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (7 August 2011)

Mine will do this. He's got sweet itch, although he's been wearing a Rambo hoody and it isn't noticeable anywhere else on him.

The thing I've found works, is Killitch. Probably cheaper to buy Benzyl Benzoate, which is basically what I gather this product is, but I find if I apply it morning and evening if he's rubbing badly, then it clears it up very fast.

OR you could bung on a fly mask; although if the skin is raw & weeping that might just irritate the situation more initially. 

Mine's in at night (dawn to dusk) so if he's rubbed in the daytime, I put Killitch on when he comes in.


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## Maesfen (7 August 2011)

Could she have been stung and she is relieving it by scratching with her head?  Friend's mare did this when staying with me, made a right mess of her cheek and still bares the scar but by the time we saw her cheek the swelling from the sting had long gone.  You must know yourself how itchy a sting makes you feel.


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## NeverSayNever (19 August 2011)

just found this thread, mine has started scratching,arrrgh!   Ive only had him since June and have had him in a fly rug anyway as he was bitten all over within days of arriving, although no probs with mane and tail, he had a lovely full mane and tail!

I noticed a few days ago he had rubbed his face and had a scabby bit at the side of his forelock, and he had been rubbing his mane and tail ad thinning them out in places. Then after I rode today i popped him in the stable until he cooled off and he started to rub his neck....  he made himself bleed at the top of his neck just behind his ear.  So he is now lathered in killitch and flymask on with rug. Surely if it was sweetitch it would have started before now?


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