# any help  with a horse that wont stop itching?



## SKY (17 August 2011)

one of my horses he is only coming 2 1/2 years old.  he in the last 3 weeks has been itchy uncontroable.  i have tried everything, vet has too.  1st with the itchies i tried lice products, but he is fine for lice, tried stuff for other mites.  was told about pig oil that was made up for horses he took allerigic reaction to that even though on the test trial he was fine, i tested him and no reaction and he liked it. but then 2 days later sever allerigic reaction, vet had to give steriods.  he has been on pencillin, have added flax oil to diet, was adding gralic then was told that it can make a horse that is itching more itchy so stopped garlic.  i didnt know that, he has to get washed twice aday with botanic wash and warm water, well after hose as some mornings he just rolls and rolls to get dirty, so wash then botanic.  he gets fly spray 3 sometimes 4 times aday.  

vet said to stable dust to dawn but he is worse in stable and will rub till sever blood, so he perfers out where he can roll ect, he has lost some mane and rubbed tail, but has also rubbed allover face body ect ears and vet said his systoms are not classic systoms of sweet itch, also tried the ivermecton nothing is working.  vets seem hopeless but they cant put a finger on it.  he has short moments during day when he seems so happy but mostly he is annoyed, and uncomfortable.  was going to get a waterproof fly rug with neck, but he has boils coming out so vet said he needs air at them hopefully sign of what ever it is coming out of him.  

sorry for long story but head is astray and just really upset for him, he's only a baby, you can see that when i wash him , he loves that and so playfull at them times, but he is so unhappy other times, i just don know what to do, my vets are great vets and have work with horses and massives studs for years so they do know there stuff , but they really dont know what to do as everything they tried isnt helping.  

vet has also said stop trying other product and just wait and see with washes ect, flies and midges do annoy him but as do my other horses and fly spray helps.  just dont know what to do, he is soooooooooo well behaved and he is a colt, but a big big baby.  manners to burn and great breeding, just hoping vet or someone can help, hes too young to have a bad start like this and cant see light at end of tunnel..  but i am staying postivei have to but just had to explain all of this and get it off my chest, i am just so annoyed for him, and worried sick.  just feel useless and i know i am doing everything i can but it seems like nothing.

really am sorry for long story but if anyone has experienced this, any info will be gratefully appericiated.  thanks for reading.
some mentioned using stuff that you wold use for a child that has allergic reactions e.g it a teaspoon for a child add a table spoon to a horses feed everyday, has anyone ever tried that, afraid to say to vet, as he said not to use anything and i wont untill i clear it with him.  also anyone used neem oil in ther fly pruducts.  i know you have to warm it but then add it and spray on, also just asking will tell my vet, just want some or any information.  i feel i am useless, and need to find a solution for him, its so hard to watch him like this when 3 weeks ago he was sooooooooo happy.  i check for weeds and other things nothing in his field that could upset him, also moved him to next field just incase and checked it but still no change.
ok i am finished or i will just keep going on.  thanks again.


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## OWLIE185 (17 August 2011)

I would suggest that you get your vet to refer your horse to a specialist equine clinic/hospital that can carry out the necessary tests so as to make a precise diagnosis of your horses problems.
Otherwise you may end up spending a lot of time and money stabbing in the dark.


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## LaurenM (17 August 2011)

Sounds like sweet itch.


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## Brandy (17 August 2011)

Its a hard one isn't? Agree about the garlic, this always made my itchy pony worse. 

Are you absolutely sure it isn;t lice? I had a pony come back from loan with a few bald patches and was quite thin. I used lice powder ( i did see some lice) twice. The bald patchs got worse, and the pony was stupidly itchy.To the point where she was laying down and rubbing her belly along the floor, until it was sore and bleeding. Also patches on flanks, behind ears, hind legs, chest, neck. Called vet, he had a good look, no lice. Was stumped. Gave me mud fever cream (has steroid in it, normal steroid cream would have been a fortune given the large areas I had to cover) and some shampoo. 

The belly patch improved with the cream, but new patchs appearing daily. Vet came back again - lice. Decided that because I had treated for lice, there were no live adults when he came and they can take a few weeks to hatch. We both felt a bit stupid, but pleased it was nothig more sinister.


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## MrVelvet (17 August 2011)

are you anywhere near rideaway in york ? i got a tube of cream from there as a last resort, only bought it because it was on sale!! it was about £9.50, and its absolutely amazing!!!! stops itching straightaway and keeps flies away, i used it on his sheath and tail and base of mane!! iv forgotton the name, but il check when i go to yard tonight and write back to you! its a white tube, with a greenish label and red writing haha!! its def worth a try though, i bet you can find it online! xx good luck, i know how frustrating it is! x


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## Tammytoo (17 August 2011)

It could be grass mites.  They are impossible to see because they are so small but our pony has got them at the moment and she is going mad itching.  The vet has given her a double strength worming injection and if she doesn't improve he's going to give another in12 days.She's into her 9th day and itching just as bad.  

I have been recommended to try a powder called Diatom on her bedding and in her coat which is the only thing which can actually penetrate the hard shell of mites and kill them (not just repel them like most powders).  www.flytesofancy.co.uk has an information sheet on it which you can print off.

If she didn'/t have the Rambo Sweet itch rug on she wouldm have rubbed herself raw by now.


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## SKY (17 August 2011)

thanks for posts, i am in northern ireland but would love to here the name of that cream please, he has been doubled wormed and repeated in 2 weeks and still hasnt done it, has been treated with pour on for lice which i normally use and it works a treat he hasnt lice and treated for mites.  he came out in all bumps and very very high temperature, but bumps have gone.  he has some boils at min and still itchy.  he has never had a rug before i will have to get him sized.  he is 15.2hhs at min and only coming 2 1/2 years.  in middle of another growth, so what size do you think, is there a expandable one for when he is growing.  i will have to measure but to be honest i havent used rugs in about 16 years, my horses get great winter coats and have field shelters and stable if needed.  but they are happy out 24/7.  so havet really a clue with rug size.  i will have to wait a while for boils to heal before i can get one.  whats best, i would like a medium weight waterproof fly rug with anti rub neck, do you know of any brands that is good.  
waiting on vet to get back to me about doing blood tests.  thanks for all help.


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## Tnavas (17 August 2011)

This can't hurt but may help - give him a very thorough bath with Nizoral - you can buy it from the chemist. If you can get the 2% solution it will go further.

Dilute with hand hot water and lather up well working well into the skin. Leave 10 mins and scrape off excess, you can either allow it to dry or can rinse off. I usually leave it on.

If he has a fungal infection - which does itch terrribly Nizoral will clear it.


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## LittleBlackMule (17 August 2011)

These could be worth a try:

http://www.eqyss.com/skin_problems.asp

This company's products in general are very good, and the mega-tek range is supposed to be very effective at curing damaged and itchy skin.


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## cptrayes (17 August 2011)

Do you feed him lots of carrots? I have a friend whose horse is allergic to them and comes up in itchy bumps all over. Or use Top Spec?I have another friend whose horse was very itchy until she took him off Top Spec.


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## SKY (17 August 2011)

so what size of rug do you think i would need for him.  thinking a med weight waterproof rug with antirub mane and tail.  he is 15.2hhs at min and is in middle of a growth, he is only coming 2 1/2 yrs old.  he is a colt and is out 24/7.  any rugs you would reccomend.  as i havent bought one in bout 16 yrs.  thanks


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## Annagain (17 August 2011)

My old boy suffered with sweet itch and the best thing I found for him was a regular bath in head and shoulders followed by dousing him in a mixture of 50% calamine lotion, 40% benzyl benzoate, and 10% methylated spirit. It cost a fraction of the horsey products and worked far better than all of them. I know yours isn't necessarily sweetitch, but it should work on all itchiness.


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## Barney860 (17 August 2011)

Just a thought, Im sure you have looked at this already... But have you looked at every tiny detail in his routine? 

The food he eats, the bedding he's on, the shampoo you use, the hay/haylage, horses he's out with ... look at absolutely everything, even the water! lol 

Have you had bloods done? 

I found with my itchy mare she gets on way better with out a rug, she just ended up getting hot and itched even more when she had it on.

How about in the winter? Does the itching stop? 

As for things to help with itching, try apple cider vinegar mixed in with baby shampoo and also mixed into his feed... 


Really hope this post hasnt come across as a total 'know it all' post!! :/

xxx


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## magichorse (17 August 2011)

This has stopped my horse from itching this year-

http://www.bitebackproducts.co.uk/sweet-relief-sweet-itch-lotion-78-p.asp

Fantastic stuff.  Good luck!


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## Barney860 (17 August 2011)

Just the thought of him itching has made me want to itch all over!!! lol 

xxx

P.s what washing powder do you use? Do you wash his rugs and do you towel dry him after a bath? xxx


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## jhoward (17 August 2011)

ask your vet about blood testing for allergies, ive had an itcher that after many arguments with a vet went the blood test route horse was allergic to most things. 

a skin biopsy is also avalible but not very pleasant!


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## Samantha008 (17 August 2011)

Would defo get the bloods done!! A horse at my yard sounds like this- it turned out to be sweet itch that just hadnt been managed as the owner didnt know. 

Add brewers yeast or marmite to feed. Thats supposed to help a lot. I bought a cream called 123 itch stop from my tack shop, im not sure who its by and it wasnt expensive but its blooming worked. My mare hasnt itched once since it was on her!! 

Good luck though! Let us know what happens!


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## Miss L Toe (18 August 2011)

You could try homepathic remedies, though I found them difficult to administer as they should be given  on a clean palate, and horses are eating all the time, but is is cheap, though they tend to be over-run if you are using any strong chemicals,
A very plain diet is essential, no cereals, no feed at all if possible, I use anti-itch wash, but my boy is not extreme in any way, just a bit allergic to his own sweat [proteins]
In the UK you have to ask a vet to use almost any remedy, but you will find most vets are sceptic [as I was before I used a homeopathic doctor]
http://www.alternativevet.org/horse_homeopathy.htm


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## Fransurrey (18 August 2011)

Hi OP, you haven't mentioned anything about his diet. My Sweet Itch mare is managed on a laminitic routine of limited grass, low starch feeds and no sweet treats (she only gets the odd carrot in winter).

For fly control I'd ditch the sprays. They're all bloody useless and at 4x a day, you must have an extensive overdraft!! Try Neem Oil. It lasts through the rain showers and you only need to apply once a day at most. Hyperdrug do a Neem Oil solution, which is easier to apply than the neat stuff, but still effective.

Also, try added Brewer's Yeast to his feed. It lowers inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) and increases anti-inflammatory ones.


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## ihatework (18 August 2011)

To my mind, if he is that severe, the only course of action is to get him referred to a specialist and start a structured allergy testing program


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## Pale Rider (18 August 2011)

It has to be I feel a scatter gun approach when you're in a situation like this.

All the lotions and potions which have been advised may or may not do some good and nothing will be lost in trying any or all of them.

I've been giving neem leaf (soaked in boiling water for a few hours) to a horse with sweet itch for the past 6 weeks and the problem is much improved.

Take a look at neem leaf on the net, it has all sorts of properties which have an effect on skin and insects.


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