Sweet Itch

Silverado
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Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:52 pm

I meant to ask earlier but it my annual question....anything new that folks are using/trying for Sweet Itch this summer.

My pony Chase...

Covered nose to tip of tail with fly sheet (Amigo Bug Buster)

Ecovet fly spray

Bye Bye Itch Supplement

Just ordered Niacinamide 500 mg

any suggestions?

Thanks!!!

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby kande50 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:05 pm

Just ran across this article: http://thehorsesback.com/neck-threadworms/

Someone had mentioned to me that her horse, or horses, had neck threadworms, which sounded a lot easier to treat than sweet itch, so when one of mine started rubbing out his mane I gave him a double dose of ivermectin which did appear to work for him. I think the symptoms are similar, but horses with sweet itch are itchy around the tail, too? Or something like that.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Wed Jul 12, 2017 10:22 pm

They can be itchy all over....face, legs, tail, belly. Happy that your horse did not have Sweet Itch, it's frustrating trying to figure out what works best. And what works one summer, may not work as well the next summer

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:29 pm

Oh yes, sweet itch. I HATE sweet itch.
Fly sheet.
These fly boots. I've tried them all. These truly stay up http://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-an ... ots-01871/
Niacainamide-I use 1000mg per day on a 1300 lb horse
This supplement https://www.scahealth.com/scah/product/ ... supplement
Ecovet fly spray
I hang these from his fly sheet http://www.flyarmor.net/Fly%20Armor%20H ... oducts.htm
Alu-spray over bitten spots to keep them from becoming open wounds. I see this horse only once a week so I try to make barriers around the worst areas.
Am going to try hydrocortisone spray, calamine spray, and benadryl spray next.
Frequent baths even if it is just a water rinse. Anything to get the insect saliva off. I think this one is underrated. It has made a big difference for me this year. I got this tidbit from the head of Dermatology at UC Davis vet school. I'll have to thank him next time I see him. Other than everything that you and I are doing, the only other advice that this vet had to offer was allergy shots.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Chisamba » Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:52 pm

I suspect that perhaps you cannot do this, from your comments but i find environmental control the best option. I bring my horses with sweet itch in for the dawn hours and dusk hours when the gnats are most active, i keep their environment as clean as possible and give them a fan, all of which tends to dissuade gnats from entering. I do use swat on areas that are slightly raw, I have one horse that does reasonably well on benadryl, orally.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:08 am

Chisamba...Oh, yes....I bring him in before dusk and he goes out after dawn, I didn't think to add that to my original post but I should have. We have a farm so he lives right here. I try my best to keep his stall clean as possible and we even spray the sides of his stall with fly spray. And he does have a fan on him, and I have the fan on before I even bring him in so it can hopefully help get the gnats/mites out before he even goes in.

I have never tried Benadryl ...what dosage do you use? Our pony is probably a tad over 800 pounds.

Goldhorse...I am right there with you....HATE Sweet Itch....thanks for your reply and links!! Love the fly boots, right now the gnats/mites aren't bothering his legs. But...I'd rather be pro-active and not wait for them to decide to start biting his legs. And thanks for the information on your supplement, I may order that tomorrow. Interesting, I have started giving him more frequent baths and I know he really enjoys it.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Chisamba » Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:18 am

On the advice of my vet I give 10 25mg tablets twice a day. The horse is about 950 to 1000 lbs.

I buy the huge bottles at a bulk warehouse.

You can switch to Zyrtec if the benadryl becomes less effective, as humans do.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Fri Jul 14, 2017 2:10 pm

Thanks!! I will get some next time I am in town.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Abby Kogler » Fri Jul 14, 2017 3:16 pm

I would do what you are doing and also do the ivermec protocol re threadworm microfilaria. I also use 1% steroid cream on the places where my one guy scratches the most...mane, midline. It seems to be very soothing.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Sat Jul 15, 2017 9:14 pm

Goldhorse..I did buy some Niacainamide but wondering the theory behind using Niacainamide?

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Sun Jul 16, 2017 1:12 am

Niacinamide=Nicotinamide
In England, there is a product called Cavaleese that is purported to help with sweet itch (not available in the States) I believe it acts as an antihistamine.
http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Cavalesse-Sa ... AVALESSES/
Investigating it further, it is what we call in the USA niacinamide. I figured out the dose and it is about 750 mg for a 1200-1300 lb horse. Humans take 500-1000mg a day for usually high cholesterol. So the same dose for a horse seems very low.
The derm vet at UC Davis told me that new studies are showing that it's not very effective but he said to give it a try. It's cheap and harmless and if it helps, then great. So I give it.
Today, I used a hydrocortisone spray for dogs. My horse is itching his face raw. Anywhere that isn't covered is raw. I also ordered a shampoo with hydrocortisone in it. https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... fgodD-MHsg
I also have a call into a good friend who's a human dermatologist to see if there's a low cost product with hydrocortisone for coating large areas. Those little tubes of CortAid are worthless for this.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Sun Jul 16, 2017 1:26 am

And here's an article from a vet journal with some suggestions
http://files.eventsential.org/b6a3b65a- ... ergies.pdf
I am not a vet or a MD but I have a PhD in Biochemistry and can translate most of this into layman's terms if you have questions.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:19 am

Thank you so much Goldhorse, I really appreciate it. I was just curious as what Niacainamide did and your explanation was outstanding!! Thank you for taking the time to note articles, they are very interesting. A Ph.D. in Biochemistry....very impressive!!!

Thanks again!

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:11 am

Chisamba.... Do you give the Benadryl once a day or break it into two doses?

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Code3 » Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:27 am

I have a horse with sweet itch who is also a head shaker. Three years ago, at the age of seven, he was unrideable. FWIW, he is having a great summer with minimal headshakng and air loss after much experimentation. I realize you don't have the head shaking issue, but I'll throw out what works for my guy. He gets 1 Tablespoon spirulina 2x daily, Mag Restore 2x daily, and anti inflammatory herbal mix 1 tablespoon 2x daily, homeopathic remedies Calendula, Colocynthis, Hypernicum, and Arsenicum Album 2x weekly. I use Kill Itch topically as needed, usually once weekly or less, on mane and tail.

Good luck with your horse. These things are so frustrating.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:44 am

Thanks Code3, I write all the treatments down! Where are you buying you anti inflammatory herbal mix? I used Kill Itch last year but I haven't needed to use it so far this year.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Thu Jul 27, 2017 2:25 pm

I just found this thread. Emma has had two summers now of itching. I've done a lot to manage her condition but picked up a couple of ideas from the posts here.

I have been keeping her very clean, but mostly with brushing because I was worried daily baths would dry her skin. After reading what Goldhorse wrote, however, I will now give her daily showers but without shampoo. I give her canola oil twice a day which makes her coat really shiney so I assume her skin is not dry and the daily showers will be ok.

Another thing I will now change is her turnout. Because of other issues, I had given her 24/7 access to her pasture (she can come into her stall and fan as she pleases). She moves around a lot but does come in the stall quite a bit. I think the 24/7 turnout is best for her legs but now I am going to try keeping her in her stall/small paddock from before dusk till after dawn. I think....it's a hard compromise because I really think she is one of those horses that NEEDS 24/7 turnout.

I had trouble keeping a fly mask on her but Piedmont Fields suggested one (see the training forum) that I just ordered. I also ordered a fly sheet which I may use if I decide to go back to 24/7 TO. Then I would just put it on her from right before dusk, till right after dawn. It's just to hot and humid here to keep it on through the heat of the day.

As a last resort I am thinking about ordering Killitch for next year, but worry about it being too strong...

I have never had a horse with this problem and had never even heard of sweet itch!! This is quite the management issue.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Code3 » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:17 pm

Silverado wrote:Thanks Code3, I write all the treatments down! Where are you buying you anti inflammatory herbal mix? I used Kill Itch last year but I haven't needed to use it so far this year.


I make it myself. 1 cup each: MSM, Flax, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger root, and paprika. The original "recipe" includes DE but I stopped adding it and haven't noticed a difference in response.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Thu Aug 17, 2017 12:26 am

kande50 wrote:Just ran across this article: http://thehorsesback.com/neck-threadworms/

Someone had mentioned to me that her horse, or horses, had neck threadworms, which sounded a lot easier to treat than sweet itch, so when one of mine started rubbing out his mane I gave him a double dose of ivermectin which did appear to work for him. I think the symptoms are similar, but horses with sweet itch are itchy around the tail, too? Or something like that.


I'm going to post an update based on Kande's comment. Many years ago there was a long thread on COTH about neck threadworms and sweet itch. Here it is if anyone wants to spend hours reading and getting the itchy-crawlies. https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/foru ... ed-page-58

When that thread first appeared, I tried the double dosing on my horse and was underwhelmed. So I assumed that he was just allergic to the gnat saliva. The last 2 years have been bad for him and I've been resorting to anything and everything short of steroid injections. But Kande's post made me think, why not try this again?

So, I double dosed him with Equimax. A week later, he had multiple exit holes on his belly and one on his face and one on his hock. The hock one was on the inside point to the hock and he was always bending around to itch that place. After one double-worming, that spot had an inverted volcano like opening.

2 weeks later, I did the second double-dosing. I saw him today (4 days later) The previous exit holes have healed over and a new one appeared dead center on his belly. His skin and coat are much improved and he was less interested in being curried. Usually, he mauls me for a good currying. I would say that he hasn't looked so good in at least 5 years. All the little scruffy scabs underneath his belly and on his neck have disappeared. He is less interested in rubbing his cheeks and chin raw.

So now I am a believer that the internal threadworm larvae are a contributing factor to this horse's misery. Thank you Kande for planting that worm of an idea (pun intended) into my brain.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:43 pm

I just read Goldhorses update and then read the article originally posted BT Kande. I am at the point of hoping that Emma has neck threadworms. She fits the all the symptoms except that she has intense scratching of the base of her tail.

I am going to call the vet again and ask about doing the double dose of ivermectin and repeating in two weeks....

Thanks all for contributing to this thread.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Mon Sep 04, 2017 6:36 pm

Emma's ear (the other one looks the same) and tail. The top tail hair used to be very full and long.

Image



Image

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:03 am

Demi

I hope it goes well. Those ears look painful.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:24 am

I called my vet to see about double dosing the ivermectin and repeating the double dose in two weeks. I didn't get a clear answer, probably because i talked to two different vets. The first one wanted a fecal sample so i took one in this morning. The second vet called with the results. He left amessage that she had a 100 egg per gram count and to go ahead and worm her with the manufacturer's recommended dosage. It was too late to call him back when i got the message so i will call in the morning...

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Wed Sep 27, 2017 12:51 am

Will this ever go away? This winter maybe? Is this just a particularly buggy year? We've had very unusual amounts of rain for this area this time of year.

When I first got Emma, November of 2015, she had no apparent itching problems. Her coat was dull and dry but it improved dramatically in just a couple of months with brushing, good grooming, and TLC. She did have several small bumps,dried pea size, under the hair coat and the vet said they were old, calcified bug bites. She also had a head flip that she did while riding, but I thought at the time it was a contact issue and when backed way off on the rein contact, the flipping stopped.

She rubbed her mane the first summer, and reacted to fly/insect/whatever bites on her legs with stickey, oozy small bumps. They went away with daily betadine washing. This summer she got the leg bumps again, rubbed her mane again, and added rubbing her ears and tail dock. It started in May and hasn't gone away. Vet has seen her three times, we did the standard treatments and I am still bathing, medicating, leg screen protecting, and fly ear masking (when she keeps it on). Because of her hind leg conformation I am allowing her 24/7 pasture access from her stall. I think the unlimited turn out may be critical to her soundness. Her pasture is only about an acre and I daily pick up poop as well as keep it mowed short.

So do these horses every experience periods of remission? My vets were not on board with the double dose of ivermectin and then another double dose in two weeks, so I didnt do that....

When I tried keeping her in stall/small 24X24 paddock from before dusk till after dawn, she stocked up.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby kande50 » Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:46 am

demi wrote:
When I tried keeping her in stall/small 24X24 paddock from before dusk till after dawn, she stocked up.


You could try just putting her in a dark stall for a couple hours AM and PM when the Culicoides are most active. I think it works best to start early in the spring to try to avoid sensitization, as once they become sensitized it's much more difficult to desensitize them.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:21 am

Demi I am so sorry and I understand your frustration, it's takes a long time trying to figure out what works best for your horse. I would encourage you to also consider supplements, starting in the spring. Bye Bye Itch Supplement (Healing Barn in Ohio) made a huge difference for our pony. I saw a difference within 2 weeks and I didn't find out about until August of the year I started using it. Now I start using it in the spring.

Also...since, you need to have her on turn out for 24 hours perhaps you can consider Excovet Fly Spray, worked wonders for our pony. That fly spray works on a different principle that other fly sprays. Also...we got a really strong long term fly spray ...and sprayed the sides of the stall. I repeat that every few weeks. And of course, a fan. I feed Fish Oil Powder (Equivision) to help maintain the coat especially since I may be washing (mostly without shampoo) with just water every day. As much rinsing off with water (no soap) as I did this summer, his coat is amazing.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Josette » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:51 am

Check out the Equiderma products on Smartpak site. I had to deal with scratches on my pony this year due to so much rain. Expensive products but really worked well. I've used the lotion, zinc oxide cream and shampoo.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/query?se ... =equiderma

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Wed Sep 27, 2017 2:06 pm

Thanks Kande, Silverado, and Josette.

I just ordered the Equiderma lotion and zinc oxide creme from SmartPak. They are on backorder till mid Oct. They also carry the ByeBye Itch supplement and Ecovet fly spray which I also ordered.

I give her canola oil and her coat is in great condition (other than the itchy spots) so I'll continue with that.

I read the articles that have been posted here and my best guess is that it's the culicoides because she itches her tail and with threadworms they dont itch the tail. I read (somewhere) that the culicoides are most active not only dusk/ dawn but at night also. I may try again to keep her in from pre-dusk till post dawn but not till next spring. I am thinking about how to modify my barn so she can be in but will still walk around. Maybe leaving her stall door open so she can walk around visiting the other horses. I'll have to put up gates to keep her out of the tack and feed rooms. I hate to keep the big outer doors closed because of ventilation in the summer but maybe if I put gates up in place of the doors....oh my, it does go on and on.

Thanks again for all the advice.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Abby Kogler » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:40 pm

Honestly, I would go ahead and do the neck threadworm worming protocol anyway.

Baby oil or Skin So Soft rubbed on her belly line and tail and mane also helps...when I lived in MA my vet recommended that and it helped. He told me they culicoides lay eggs/try to lay eggs and they drown/get stuck in the oil. Old wives tail maybe but it did help at the time.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:11 pm

Abby Kogler wrote:Honestly, I would go ahead and do the neck threadworm worming protocol anyway.

Baby oil or Skin So Soft rubbed on her belly line and tail and mane also helps...when I lived in MA my vet recommended that and it helped. He told me they culicoides lay eggs/try to lay eggs and they drown/get stuck in the oil. Old wives tail maybe but it did help at the time.


Do the double dosing. Choose ivermectin if you're nervous about Equimax. It would take over 10 doses to overdose a horse with ivermectin. Incredibly safe. You'll know quickly if neck threadworms are an issue.

And I agree with Abby about the oily stuff. I often smear vaseline or Belly Balm down the midline. And I opt for the oily fly sprays including EcoVet. I love that stuff even though it makes me gag

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:35 pm

Ok. Ok. Based on your Ph.D in biochemistry, Goldhorse, I will double dose her! But I just single dosed her with Zimectrin Gold, 1.55% ivermectin and 7.75% praziquantel. I did that on Sept. 11. So now what? Two more doses tomorrow, which would be 17 days apart?

I put Bag Balm on her mane, tail and midline which is greasy stuff. I've also used MTG on mane and tail.

I used Skin So Soft years ago when I lived in CA. When I moved to Texas I noticed that it attracted bees. These bees would fly very close to the horses, hovering. The horses would switch, bite, roll and finally start running. When I quit with the SSS the bees were no longer a problem.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:47 pm

Yep, 2 more doses tomorrow. Use Zimectrin Gold or Equimax if you have it. If not, you can use 2 tubes of Ivermectin. Then in another 2 weeks, hit her with 2 tubes of ivermectin. Then 2 weeks after that, give her a single dose of Quest. Sh!t, that's a lot of wormer!

I was not a believer in NTs but I just saw my boy today and he's looking fabulous. Almost like a normal horse.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:00 am

Ok. I have two doses of Zimectrin Gold. She'll get it tomorrow and then two doses of Iverectin on Oct 12. Then a single dose of Quest on Oct. 26. Yes, that IS a lot of wormer.
What are NTs?

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:18 am

NTs are neck threadworms. I'm trying to type with 2 young kittens on my laptop

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby kande50 » Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:38 am

It's always possible that she has neck threadworms along with Culicoides (and possibly other) sensitivities, so double deworming may have some effect without completely curing it.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:27 am

kande50 wrote:It's always possible that she has neck threadworms along with Culicoides (and possibly other) sensitivities, so double deworming may have some effect without completely curing it.


Good thought, thanks for the input.

I am worrying about doing the double dosing against the vets advice, but still, in addition to what this threads contributors have posted, I have found other references that say anywhere from 10 to 60! times the dose of ivermectin will not harm a horse.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:40 pm

It's not, by any means, that I am disregarding or don't appreciate the info posted on this thread, BUT I didn't do it. I went out to feed earlier, wormer in hand, and at the last minute, changed my mind. Emma coliced shortly before I bought her. I know this because the trainer she was with uses the same vet clinic that I do. It was a mild colic and the cause was not determined. She also coliced once since I've owned her, also mild. She is a very sensitive mare in many ways. So what if she colics after I double dose her and then I have to call the vet? I need to maintain a good relationship with them, where they trust I will follow their advice.

So I will talk to the vet again. Emma is not truly struggling. She scratches a lot, but she is bright and alert. Her ears, as the picture shows, are the worst and they look better now than when I took the pic just a couple weeks ago. She has no open wounds any where else on her body. Maybe the double/double dosing is too extreme for her condition. The vets have told me her condition could be much worse. If she was rubbed raw all over her face, neck, etc., maybe I would try it, but she is not. I think the best thing to do right now, is wait to see if the Bye Bye Itch supplement as well as the lotion, the zinc oxide creme, and the Ecovet make a difference. Plus, the weather is changing and culicoides will soon go away ( I hope).

It can be difficult to separate my dressage desires from my love of my horses. Sometimes I get overly concerned with gettin a horse back into work. I REALLY want to get Emma back into work so I was considering all treatment options. But armed with the info from this thread (thank you :) )and after thinking it through more, I'll go with the more conservative approach, for now.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby goldhorse » Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:08 pm

Demi, you know your horse better than anyone else. You have to do what you are comfortable with. No judgements here.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Tsavo » Fri Sep 29, 2017 2:17 am

Wow I think I have been misinterpreting what my horse was doing these last several weeks. All these issues are new... never saw any of this before with him...

1. He was looking at his sides and biting them. I thought he was trying to colic from being pulled out of work suddenly and asked that the manager consider him on colic watch.

2. He has been coming in with obvious signs of rubbing his butt.

3. Then he has two small sores on the back of each of his hind pasterns that I have been spraying with H2O2 and spray antibiotic but they are not resolving.

4. Then there was the small hairless spot on his haunch that I started scrapping with a shedding blade and he absolutely loved that. It was bleeding before I realized what was happening but it healed immediately and there is no lesion there. I biopsied whatever it was into oblivion basically.

5. Then he started shedding very easily and was really interested in being curried. He never did this type of shedding before. The hairs look like they are breaking off, not falling out.

His coat is shiny and he looks to be a very healthy dappled bay so that doesn't fit but the other symptoms do fit. I have not used shampoo on him in at least 10 years so he retains the natural oils and always looks like a million dollars in his summer coat because of that. He has crazy dappling which is hereditary of course.

I rarely see him scratch himself. Maybe once each day while I am with him. But the new interest in being curried and being okay with me scratching him raw means he is itchy and I am going to deal with that symptom at least. I will go to Walgreens tomorrow and get several meds to try. I rarely buy horse meds for anything any more. Except MTG (4% S). I think I will try that. I have had great luck with that.

I will read the material posted in this thread. Thanks for that.

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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Tsavo » Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:37 pm

My mind is still blown about this sweet itch / neck threadworms issue.

I bought several different items that struck my fancy at the drugstore and went to see my horse. I examined him very carefully. He has no lesions anywhere (neck, midline, haunch, etc.).

Yesterday he was begging to be curried but not so much today. He had a powdery substance come off his skin using a stiff brush. I asked him if he was using cocaine and he denied it. So I put him in the shower stall and curried him under the hose. He did not like this for some reason. He was dancing around like a mofo, something he never does.

Then I dumped an entire large bottle of minty fresh antiseptic mouthwash over the areas that were most itchy yesterday. This he liked. He did not like being scraped off over his haunches but did like being scraped everywhere else. When I put him out he did not roll which he usually does when I hose him off. And the minty freshness seemed to keep the flies away.

I am not sure what is going on here. I will ask my vet about this issue when I see him again.

Tsavo
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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Tsavo » Sat Sep 30, 2017 1:31 am

http://www.moraycoastvetgroup.co.uk/ser ... weet_itch/

There is anecdotal evidence that stress (e.g. moving to a new home, sickness, or severe injury) can be a factor when mature animals develop Sweet Itch.


What a coincidence that would be if my horse develops sweet itch for the first time in his life at the same time I pulled his front shoes. Hmmm. What a nightmare this barefoot business might be turning out to be.

Abby Kogler
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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Abby Kogler » Sat Sep 30, 2017 3:18 am

Tsavo,

For an 'evidence kinda gal' you are making some big pretty conclusions based on...nothing >;->

Issue 1. You have no idea if your horse has NT or sweet itch. The powdery dust just sounds like scurf. Looking at his tummy is not a sign of Nt or sweet itch. Loving/needing to be curried harder on certain spots of his body does not mean he has NT. It could be dry skin, it could be (I cant remember is he on Prascend? is he a Cushing horse?) some Cushings issue. You have not biopsied it. You say he has no lesions on his midline but has been rubbing his tail. NT are not generally a tail rubbing thing. Maybe he has two small scratches things on his heels. He had an itchy scabby thing that you scraped off and now its gone. Rub some ivermectin on then or Dry Cow Tomorrow on the scabby things on his heels and see if they go away, or mix triple antibiotic and antifungal (lotrimin or something) and see if they go away.

Horses with NT rub themselves bloody. They rub out their entire manes. Their midlines are crusty and their hair is gone. They are miserable. They are scabby. NT can make lesions appear all over their bodies. They can make their crests lumpy. They can make nodules on their legs and midline. Ask me how I know. I got a horse three years ago with nodules all over his back legs and scars from rubbing. That poor horse still suffers and every day I slather him with steroid cream from the vet, coat his tail and tummy with oil, wash off his sweat, have him under a fly spray system when hes in and fly sheeted when hes out. He still gets bare places every year. Its miserable for him. I have him on the herbs that Code 3 suggested and Benadryl and have tried many things. Some help a little. But he is seriously allergic to the microfilaeria (sp) The nodules are gone now. NT maintenance is prevent new bites from the vectors and treat the symptoms.

Issue 2. There is no/zero/zippo evidence that your horse took those lame steps because of his ringbone. It could have been anything. You really have no idea, and less evidence, but you have concluded and convinced yourself that its because he is barefoot.

For his scurf issue, put him on Omegashine or some nice high fat flax or rice bran supplement and curry him more often. Maybe he needs a shampoo once in a while with a nice coconut oil based medicated soap. Jeffers has a really nice shampoo. In your climate maybe he needs to actually have a real bath once in a while.

For his feet, you could have just gotten some Magic Cushion and put him standing wraps or braced his legs or something useful.

But no. You, Miss Science/Evidence are jumping to two conclusions: that your horse needs to be shod because of his ringbone, and that the stress of going barefoot has affected his skin and resulted in an allergic reaction to the microfilariae (sp) of a parasite you have no idea if he has or in some way has triggered some skin thing.

So you are going to ask your vet, who you dismiss when he suggests Adequan for your horse's ringbone, which might actually HELP him, because there is No Evidence, but you are going to expect him to advise you about a condition that you are now, with no EVIDENCE, convinced your horse has, and has because he went <gasp> barefoot, because, with good reason, you were trying to help him grow a healthier foot. Your need for Evidence(tm) is pretty darn fluid.

Good grief.

demi
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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby demi » Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:02 pm

All of my sweet itch products have finally arrived from SmartPak. The Equiderma lotion goes nicely on her dock and roached mane, and the creme applies very nicely on her ear edges, and midline (which is not problem this year but it doesn’t hurt to smear some stuff on before she goes out).

The Ecovet and the Bye bye itch supplement just arrived last night. I was expecting to barf when I smelled (very carefully) the Ecovet fly spray but thankfully, I didnt mind the smell. I started the supplement in her feed this morning, one third the dose till she gets used to it.

She is still scratching, her neck mainly, which, of course has me re-thinking the neck thread worm.....there must be a good reason why vets are not on board with the double dosing of ivermectin, but I am going to ask another vet and see what he says. I usually use my regular vet for dental work as they have power tools, but this fall I will use a vet/dentist who is highly recommended in this area, even by my own vets. When he comes out I’ll see what he thinks about the NTWs.

At any rate, Emma is letting my touch her ears and generally less agitated. I put her bridle on last night and she was fine with it so I will do some ground work with her today....

Silverado
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Re: Sweet Itch

Postby Silverado » Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:20 pm

Demi.....Happy to hear that you got the products & don't mind the smell of Ecovet. I hope Bye Bye Itch and Ecovet works wonders for your horse!


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