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Kazzy Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 10:16:43 AM
Has you may be aware I moved Kazzy to a new home and took under my wing 3 other horses in the bargain.

Well one of them suffers sweet itch, I have never had a horse with this problem and only know the basics about it, I have read a lot about it on the internet and thought the best idea would be to ask for advice on here from people who have horses who suffer this.

The mare in question wasnt too bad last year with it but have since found a Boett rug in the old tack room that Roger (who owns the place) said his Mum used to put on her in the summer time.

Anyone know when is the best time to put it on? I know from reading various webistes they keep them on 24/7. AT the moment she obviously has her outdoor rug on.

I cant stand by and watch her suffer if I can help in anyway, its not
in my genes to do it.

Any other advice would be most grateful

Janet
25   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
suyents Posted - 22 Feb 2010 : 2:31:48 PM
and then my filly seems to reacte badly to anything oil based, which narrows the field somewhat! Intend to use marmite this year with the deosect and see how we do. She started showing some signs as a two year old, after a particularly nasty summer of flies, but fortunately has not needed full rugging during summer yet, so i have time to save up for a boet if it gets worse!! small mercies.....
fidodido Posted - 20 Feb 2010 : 1:34:35 PM
Marmite is a yeast extract, that's why it works as it contains the same vitamins that help stop sweetitch.
highridarabians Posted - 20 Feb 2010 : 1:31:10 PM
I bought my mare who had sweet itch so basically the top of her tail was tufty and her mane consisted of short & long bits !

I tried the old wives tale of Maramite so off I went to Costco & bought 5 big tubs to see me through the summer months and after a spoon full each day she is now cleared & last summer I didnt give her any & ...'NO itching' and she now has a full mane & tail !!!

So she was cured after only 2 summers of Marmite...plus she loved it which helped !! Se used to lick it off the spoon lol

try it

Vikki
Callisto Posted - 11 Feb 2010 : 2:40:29 PM
Hi Fididido, I didn't express myself very well, I meant that offspring don't automatically inherit it. They were both born and brought up within 6 miles of eachother, were both bright chestnut and we don't have a chronic midge problem here. I think that to some extent the rubbing had become a bit of a habit with my mare, and of course the more she scratched the more she itched...this was before fly rugs etc., I'm sure one of those could have made all the difference.
fidodido Posted - 11 Feb 2010 : 1:51:40 PM
Hi Paulac,
Apparently Flower of sulphur powder mixed with vaseline and rubbed into roots of mane and tail is supposed to encourage hair growth. The best thing you can do is buy a rug to put on her before the midges start so that she does not rub out the mane she already has. Any type of good fitting fly rug is better than nothing. Have a look at the National Sweetitch Centre website, it has a lot of good advice.

Callisto - It is thought to be hereditory to some extent, but like anything some offspring will get it and others won't. Enviroment and where they are brought up (ie:- where's there loads of midges) has a lot to do with it also.
Callisto Posted - 11 Feb 2010 : 07:49:40 AM
The one experience of sweet itch that I have had was my Arab x New Forest mare when I was a teenager. The only treatment we had then was Benzyl Benzoate which kept it under control as long as you applied it daily - pretty unpleasant stuff. We bred one foal from her (sire was TB) and he was clear, so I don't think it's necessarily genetic
paulac Posted - 11 Feb 2010 : 01:06:23 AM
I am dreading spring. my 4 year old mare got it 2 years ago and last year nothing worked at all and she succeeded in rubbing the whole of her mane off and the top of her tail!!! I tried all sorts last year and nothing seemed to work except benzol!! i am trying global herbs skratch in her feed this yr and an oily lick they do 2 prevent midgies they also advised that i dont feed her garlick as this drys out the skin and can cause them 2 itch. Her mane has grown back and is about 2 inches long.... bless her. U will probably see me about in novice mares this year.... ill be the one with no mane again!!! knowing my look . My only problem is my field is surrounded by trees and she like going in them so may invest in one of these rugs ur all talking about any advice is greatly appreciated or if anyone knows a good product 2 make manes grow back super fast??? x
fidodido Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 4:37:35 PM
I always planned on breeding from my mare at some point, but would have the same dilemma as you Delyth. I did speak to here breeder who said neither of her parents had it. My mare has had one foal in the past for a previous owner, but the last time i saw her she was about 6 months old. I have tried to trace her to see if she has it or not, but have been unsuccessful .

If you can get a grip of it this year before the midges start you may be able to stop it or lessen it. I would speak to your vets about Cavalesse and see what they say, as it's only an allergy and i'm sure if caught soon enough you may be able to stop it.
Delyth Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 4:24:14 PM
My dilemma is if it is genetic then should I breed with the colt who has it ?? I had his great-granny, I have his granny & mother and nothing. I knew his great, great granny - nothing. His father is OK, his fathers father is ok and his father fathers father was ok bla bla bla !!! But he scratched himself silly towards the end of last summer.
Gerri Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 3:24:17 PM
No they are not born with it...... Milly has just started, hardly any tail left......not at the top (dock) which is strange but at the bottom and she has started rubbing her mane against anything which is breaking my heart as she has a very fine mane and tail at the best of times it has taken 17 years to show itself, but reading this thread is fab as I will now buy some of these boet rugs as my new black mare rubbed herself raw on the trees a couple of days after she arrived too but it is really hot here in the summer reaching well over 100% so I put it down to her not being used to the heat and then I thought maybe she was re acting to the baths I was giving her. Oh dear, we would have a very boring life if we didn't have the horses........well I would anyway
Kazzy Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 11:19:12 AM
After reading more into Sweet Itch I now find that they can become allergic to midge bites at any time in their lives!!!

They are not necassarily born with it!!

Janet
Nichole Waller Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 10:45:35 AM
No never bred from my mare. She is the Bay jumping in my signature picture. She is 3/4 welsh section D and 1/4 arab.

My intentions when i bought her at 18 months old was to put her to an Arab stallion when she was older and produce my dream baby... However she was diagnosed with Arthritis in her right hind hock when she was only 5. I asked my vet's advice and they said breeding from her could mean the foal also developed Arthritis at an early age so i decided not to take the risk.

She has developed arthritis in many other joints since then so i'm glad i stuck to my original decision.

She has been a challenging mare to own and ride but i wouldn't be without her.
Delyth Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 10:30:34 AM
10 !! Oh crikey - do you breed from her ??
Nichole Waller Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 10:24:15 AM
My mare's started when she was about 10 (so 7 years ago this year). It does appear to get worse each year.

I've tried the 'trial drug' that the sweet itch helpline are trying to develop. It doesn't completely cure it but it does help and the symptoms are not as bad. I think i've used it 4 years on the trot now.

Before i used this drug she used to get bitten on her udders and on the armpits of both front legs (both areas that the boet rug doesn't cover). I tried an udder guard (which boet make) but when she peed she kept filing it up with wee... So i took it off and went back to the 'Pure Gold' ointment that SI helpline sell. This works well cos the midges get stuck in it but when they swish their tail it flicks onto the grease and they end up with a really guncky tail....

Since she had the injections and then the drug from SI helpline she doesn't get bitten in these areas anymore so no more need for guncky mess...
Meggie-Lu Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 8:53:09 PM
I think u shuld all give ur horses 2 me! I live in Lowestoft on the suffolk coast i have never seen a horse with sweet itch down here!!! Lol
sarahlock Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 6:25:58 PM
Both of mine got in in their 3rd summer ( as 2yr olds )
fidodido Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 4:47:24 PM
I don't know what age my mare started with it as i bought her not knowing she had it, at rising 6 years old (she was in very bad condition, bought straight of a field on new years day covered in mud, rainscald and mudfever), was told that her foal had chewed alot of her mane.

When she was returned to health and the midges started it was very clear she had sweetitch. It has however got worse as each year as gone by (you wouldn't really know to look at her apart from a part of her mane she rubbed out last year when she ripped her neck cover ) and she will run away from any type of fly even none biting ones.

We have a young partbred mare on our yard who is given no protection (apart from the odd application of switch) at all and she is a mess. Her coat, mane and tail are awful and she gets a form of dermatitis with the constant rubbing, i beleive she started as a 2 year old and is now rising 4.
Delyth Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 4:31:02 PM
At what age did everyone's start ?? As babies or something that developed later/much later ?? I've never had anything like this and was overjoyed last year as you can all imagine !!

Pop Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 3:20:51 PM
Saralock - LOVVVVVVL
sarahlock Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 3:01:55 PM
Yes mine have theirs on as soon as winter rugs are off & no i`d never buy a sweet itch sufferer as my life revolves around them & those blessed midges all summer

Unfortunately my mare passed it on to her daughter yet my friend`s mare had a foal that never inherited her mum`s dreaded itch .

Oh & if anyone is thinking of quietly sobbing in the corner please make sure your hands are Benzoyl free before rubbing your eyes
fidodido Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 2:28:42 PM
I agree with the 24/7 and putting it on BEFORE they start to rub. I put my mares on as soon as her winter rugs come off. I also put a sweetitch type oil lotion on her mane about once a week just to make sure that any stray midges can't get a bite of her, as it's more diffcult with something like an oil for them to take a bite.

If you can catch it earlier enough (when there youngsters) and stop the cycle you may be able to stop it from becoming full blown, as they do get worse with each year that goes by.

Yeast is also a good thing to feed as it's full of B12 and i'm sure i read somewhere (think it was the nettex site) that this is what is in Cavalesse the treatment you get from the vet.

I always cover in fly spray too (Leovet Power Phaser is a very good one, but it really stinks), and NEVER feed them Garlic.

Angie

P.S i'm in my 7th year and would NEVER have another with sweetitch, i've sobbed in a corner many a time Delyth LOL!.
sarahlock Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 2:21:30 PM
Originally posted by Delyth

This will be my 16th summer of sweet itch care !

I'm now quietly sobbing in the corner !!

No Delyth its honestly not that bad i promise

I see horses that don`t suffer from it swishing their tails & rubbing on trees & those dreaded midges used to eat me alive until i discovered the Buzz off spray !
Once mine have their rugs on & i`ve sprayed them i see them grazing amongst those dreaded midges without their tails swishing ...Job done !
Kazzy Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 1:56:30 PM
Thanks again for your replies.

Delyth I might try Global Herbs because I use to swear by them with my Laminetic mare I used to use the Laminitis prone supplement and the Bute alternative for her and I thought it helped her out a lot even my vet and farrier could tell the difference.

Rose is the horse with Sweet Itch and she's a greedy little monkey so i think she will eat Global herbs producst because they are very strong tasting ans smelling.

Janet
Mrs Vlacq Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 1:19:28 PM
Boett goes on in February and stays on 24/7 until November! Alison and the rest of the gang at the SI centre will offer lots of advice. The rugs will get wrecked if you have hedges or wire though... which is a shame when you've forked out over £150 for a blanket! Get it on now, before she starts rubbing. Once they've started, they will trash anything you put on them. The riff Raff rug is also good, and cheap enough to have as the spare, when the boett is in the wash!
Delyth Posted - 09 Feb 2010 : 1:11:12 PM
This will be my 16th summer of sweet itch care !

I'm now quietly sobbing in the corner !!


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