Thankyou Llanidan, I'll have a chat to the vet about it I think; my horse doesn't suffer, but my dad has a stallion that suffers so badly he was even considering pts at one point. Hopefully this might just work!
**Sweet Itch, Hints and Tips**
- Thread starter HAYLEY GITTOES
- Start date
ooooh, this thread is helpful
i think Ginny has sweet itch, but not 100% sure. the vet said her could give her a injection of steroids if we wanted, so we are think of that
now, which would you do/had most success with??
injection
Skratch
FlyFree
we would probably use the supplements for all the horses, especially if we are going to show the Shetlands.
i think Ginny has sweet itch, but not 100% sure. the vet said her could give her a injection of steroids if we wanted, so we are think of that
now, which would you do/had most success with??
injection
Skratch
FlyFree
we would probably use the supplements for all the horses, especially if we are going to show the Shetlands.
Sam suffers badly with severe sweet itch. Have had him on Global Herbs Skratch powder now for about 3 weeks and he's already got his SI Rug on. See how he goes this year.
I have a Boett rug and a Rambo SI Hoody. I prefer the Rambo one to be honest. Quicker to get on and off and i like how it goes round his ears so there's no gap between rug and face mask when i put that on.
I have a Boett rug and a Rambo SI Hoody. I prefer the Rambo one to be honest. Quicker to get on and off and i like how it goes round his ears so there's no gap between rug and face mask when i put that on.
Really interested to hear how the cavalesse pans out... I am a huge fan of Danillon so if its as good as that maybe there is finally going to be something out there that works!! Please keep us posted when it arrives!
Avons "So soft" is great. (the Army use this)
I have fly nets at his field shelter door way, and his stable door and window, plus Rambo protector (new one velcros under belly)
Fly spray tons
Sudo cream for open sores
Fly mask with ears.
I have fly nets at his field shelter door way, and his stable door and window, plus Rambo protector (new one velcros under belly)
Fly spray tons
Sudo cream for open sores
Fly mask with ears.
50% listerine mouth wash and 50% baby oil
personally never had to use it but mate swears by it every year
personally never had to use it but mate swears by it every year
Steroids - rang my equine vet and he advised not to go down this route, they have had several cases where laminitis started. One laminitis example she quoted was just 2 days in starting after the steroid jab and they were not horses prone to lami and had no history 
Can't be proven but I am definitely not risking it.
Marmite sandwiches, nettex weekly bath/lotion, boett, deet flyspray and garlic. Considering Global Herbs but seeing mixed reviews on Skratch so can't decide
Can't be proven but I am definitely not risking it. Marmite sandwiches, nettex weekly bath/lotion, boett, deet flyspray and garlic. Considering Global Herbs but seeing mixed reviews on Skratch so can't decide
Skratch works for us but not sure if its sweetitch or not as she itches all year round, snuggy hood in summer and full neck in winter just to protect her from rubbing at her mane.
Benzyl Benzoate is the only lotion i find works as well as regular bathing in insecticidal shampoo.
Rambo hoodie didn't work for us im afraid She ripped a massive (thankfully repairable) hole in it the first time she was turned out in it and rubbed the 'hood' bit off and down her neck within minutes of having it on
Benzyl Benzoate is the only lotion i find works as well as regular bathing in insecticidal shampoo.
Rambo hoodie didn't work for us im afraid
She ripped a massive (thankfully repairable) hole in it the first time she was turned out in it and rubbed the 'hood' bit off and down her neck within minutes of having it on 
Rambo sweetitch hoody isn't proving too great for Si. He's only had it a few weeks and it didn't take him long to work out how to get the mask off and slide the neck back so that it was no longer held in front of his ears. After a few times of this, I tightened the mask. That just resulted in him tearing the ear covers and the rug rubbed the front of his ears raw as it pulled back when he put his head down to graze.
Has nobody else had this problem?
Has nobody else had this problem?
I was at a veterinary lecture on the subject of sweetitch last week and the Cavalesse product was discussed by presentation by a lady that works for the company... I think it sounds interesting but quite expensive.
She started the lectire by saying it was an over the counter, non POM product that was completely natural with no side effects and can be used in competition horses... to saying that it can only be purchased through your vet?!
She said it worked out at about a pound per day for the treatment but i guess the vet would want to at least get a call out fee out of you on top of that?
I found this a little patronising - as someone who has been trusted by my vet to inject my horse for sweet itch treatments, has worked out his weight ratio for antihistamines etc i think that we competent owners should be allowed to administer this natural product in line with the companies recommendations?
After all i can now front line my dogs and cats and I am trusted to worm my dogs, cats and horses which are all pesticides which can do great damage if not applied correctly.
The results from the trial sounded promising and the 2 vets (one of which was a world class expert) were actually quite encouraged by the product as an aid to all the other things us sweet itch owners are already doing.
I think it is essentially a high concentrated dose of vitB3 which is proven to help with class/grade one type itching (which sweet itch in it's true form is) and she said it has been proven to help in 77% of cases. But not to use it as a miracle cure on our horses - continue on with our rugs, sprays, creams etc and just add a few drops of this daily on a treat. Ideally starting the suppliment before the onset of any signs of sweet itch.
She started the lectire by saying it was an over the counter, non POM product that was completely natural with no side effects and can be used in competition horses... to saying that it can only be purchased through your vet?!
She said it worked out at about a pound per day for the treatment but i guess the vet would want to at least get a call out fee out of you on top of that?
I found this a little patronising - as someone who has been trusted by my vet to inject my horse for sweet itch treatments, has worked out his weight ratio for antihistamines etc i think that we competent owners should be allowed to administer this natural product in line with the companies recommendations?
After all i can now front line my dogs and cats and I am trusted to worm my dogs, cats and horses which are all pesticides which can do great damage if not applied correctly.
The results from the trial sounded promising and the 2 vets (one of which was a world class expert) were actually quite encouraged by the product as an aid to all the other things us sweet itch owners are already doing.
I think it is essentially a high concentrated dose of vitB3 which is proven to help with class/grade one type itching (which sweet itch in it's true form is) and she said it has been proven to help in 77% of cases. But not to use it as a miracle cure on our horses - continue on with our rugs, sprays, creams etc and just add a few drops of this daily on a treat. Ideally starting the suppliment before the onset of any signs of sweet itch.
Just want to add that there is a lot of reference to 'fly masks', midges are tres small and will go through a lot of normal fly mask mesh used for normal fly masks and some rugs.
I'd only ever use midge masks which are available from the national sweet itch help line, the people who sell the boetts.
I'd only ever use midge masks which are available from the national sweet itch help line, the people who sell the boetts.
I really like the sweet itch hoody and prefer it to the boett. Both of my cobs manage to get the ears out now and again but I wonder if your rug is big enough as they have no rubs around the ears at all and wore the rugs for 8 months last year
. Perhaps your chap has a longer neck than my boys.The midge masks are on and off all the time and I am constantly repairing them
I too have a Rambo hoody and a Boett and prefer the Rambo.
It's loads quicker to get on and off and i can count the number of times ears have come out on 1 hand. With a mask on the ears have never come out the holes.
It's loads quicker to get on and off and i can count the number of times ears have come out on 1 hand. With a mask on the ears have never come out the holes.
My pony has very severe sweet itch. The following pictures are of rubs he made through a Boett rug! Many peoples horses can keep full manes and tails with the correct rugs and lotions.
I never really take pictures of his sweet itch because it's not the nicest thing to look at. His legs were terrible one year when he bit them until they were bald and covered in sores. I have to bandage his legs overnight now during sweet itch season
I never really take pictures of his sweet itch because it's not the nicest thing to look at. His legs were terrible one year when he bit them until they were bald and covered in sores. I have to bandage his legs overnight now during sweet itch season
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