Sweet Itch

[sammy]

Well I am gutted!! My little Shetland has sweet itch.
We have had a biopsy done which was inconclusive but has had steroids, cream and shampooed with a special shampoo several times and the vet has now said it is S.I
Does anyone have a pony that suffers from this and if so have you found anything to be effective?
I am aware of the Boett and the S.I web site etc. Have been trying Killitch and just bought Beelzebug to try. We intend in future to stable her betweem 4pm and 9ish am and are fitting a fan in the stable.
I am also aware that they can take blood and a series of injections can be given all year but my vet has checked and they are not yet proven in the treatment of horses. (his own shetland also suffers from it)
I have read of people giving an antihistamine tablet and have also heard about something called switch made by Day son & Hewitt.
Does anyone know of anything that is effective in the prevention, apart from exterminating all of the blinking midges!!

[blackjack]

You really do have my sympathies. My first horse used to suffer from terrible SI and would rub himself totally bald on his neck, tail and top of his quarters until there was no hair left and he bled. I am going back 22 years now and there were no fly rugs or anything then, just liberal application of benzol benzolate (SP??) I was so upset because he was my first horse and I felt like I was not caring for him properly (I now know how silly I was). SI is so horrid and I really feel both both horse and owner.

No real help or advise I am afraid as it was a long time ago but lots of sympathies to you and your shettie.

[greydales]

Sorry to hear about your shettie, Dan also has it and it is a real pain, especially when they live out. I've tried all sorts of lotions and potions but you do have to be quite religious in administering them and I haven't found anything to be totally effective. Some were really messy and I ended up having to wash his mane quite often, others (like Beelzebug) actually made some of my horse's hair fall out!

I tried Dan with the SI course of injections and pills this year (it was very expensive) but it hasn't worked for Dan. Possibly made him itch slightly less, as his tail isn't the usual bottle brush mess it usually is at this time of year, but he has still rubbed a lot of his mane away

A Boett rug is probably as effective as you can get, but Dan outgrew his and it was a toss up whether to get him a new one or try the SI trial! I always feel sorry for them in really hot weather though, as the Boett's are so close fitting.

[sammy]

Oh no, the Beelzebug arrived this morning and I have already done a patch test. I will dread looking in the morning now! However I did it on a bit that the vet shaved last week to show me the changes in her skin.
I have applied Killitch for the last 4 days, poor mite loves it being rubbed in because she is obviously itchy.
We discussed a Boett rug and the vet said the same, he used it once and his Shetland was so hot in it during summer, that it made her rub more!!
Anyone used antihistamines???
Or a product called Switch???

[mickey]

Mickey has sweet itch. Ive tried all sorts of lotions and potions. Steroids didnt help (though not convinced YO at the time gave him them properly and whether he was in go out and itch routine...)
Switch didnt help, neither did benzyl benzoate.
The only thing Ive found to help is his boett. He's had it 4/5 years now and its starting to look tatty but is repairable. Saying that Im sure Ive saved a fortune in fly sprays, SI treatments etc.
Ive cut out the garlic having read the SI website and also found citronella makes him worse...
The year I moved yards his hind quarters were raw as was his mane. Now he's nothing sore wise and hasnt had since I got a boett.

[greydales]

Barbara I found that the Beelzebug made my horse lose bits of his mane and tail, and another Morgan owner who also tried it put it all over the horse's coat and it started coming out! I was always worried about the fact it is oily, and applying it in hot weather might cause burning. However, I do believe if it doesn't help, they will refund the money - they did with me but not sure if they still offer this.

[khristyne]

I believe there is a product called neem oil that when diluted 50/50 in water and sprayed on twice daily, oftern helps a lot. Never needed it myself, but my friends horse was much better on it.

[sammy]

Well, the Beelzebug remains in the container! I have I feel wasted my money as it's oily and in sun she might burn.
Tried her on Killitch for 7 days and no improvement.
Been rubbing sudocream in for the last couple of days and the vet has ordered in some switch for me to try. Oh! have ordered some Camrosa today as on the Shetland site it's had good reviews. Another £25 spent but I have to try everything.
Spoke to my vet today and he has got a couple of things for me to try in Feb next year.
Dinky rugs make a midge rug, along the lines of a Boett but a cheap version but I'm still not sure about wrapping her up and her getting all hot and uncomforable. Plus, what happens if a little blighter gets inside, nightmare for her!!

[Daftmare]

From my results with the stuff this year the global herbs fly free is excellent, it didnt keep the horse flies away but there wasnt a midge or small fly to be seen round mine and yet other horses that werent on it were stood next to them plagued to death.

[bevbob]

Thats interesting Sarah, I love global herbs stuff too but having Bobs on the restore, globalvit and now just introduced MudX again I felt I had to cut back somewhere. Might try it next summer though.
Hope you find something for her Babara, its an awful thing for a pony.

[sammy]

Well, she has improved greatly. I have been stabling her from 3.30pm until 10am every day. I have been using Camrosa on her mane and tail and applying Coopers fly repellant every morning.
Of course ther are less midges about but they are still around!
We have had a couple of little disagreements when it's time to come in but that's to be expected, she is only a baby at 2yrs old. She decided a few days ago that when she saw me going to catch her that she would leg it off down the field, I had to laugh, she did it a couple of times and gave up when she saw I had lost interest in her. I just inspected the grass, scratched her bottom and caught her. The little monkey!
She is so cute, I just want her better!!
We have a few more things to try in the new year around Feb time but this Camrosa is doing the job as the midges cannot penetrate it.
Barbara