[Kalahari Rose]

My Friesian gelding has quite severe sweet itch due to allergies (dust and possibly bedding).
It's quite dry and dusy in our area so preventing it is nearly impossible.
We have also spent thousands on vet products, supplements, lotions and creams and none seem to work. Our insect control is extremely good, and we feed garlic, linseed oil and omega oil, yet nothing happens (besides him getting fatter :lol: ).
I'm really out of ideas and I'm standing with my hair... and his..... in my hands because I don't know what to do anymore. I cannot get him a rug because the temps reach up to 48 degrees Celsius and I KNOW he will destroy the rug within the first 5 minutes.

I've tried coconut oil and milking cream, yet it make the dust stick and he itches even more. I've read some forums and articles on what to use and found people talking about ACV, brewers yeast om marmite, tea tree oil, dandruff shampoo and even white vinegar.


Anybody got some good advice, please? I'm quite desperate now.

 

[walkinthewalk]

I am in southeast United States with high heat and matching humidity.

When my Arab was alive, I fought sweet itch every year during the warm months with him. It took me three years to get up the nerve but I ended up double dosing him with PURE Ivermectin. That is two paste tubes of pure Ivermectin at once.

I was a nervous wreck as he was only 13.3H but the Ivermectin did the trick. His winter coat even came in a much deeper/richer medium bay and was a lot softer.

I only had to double-dose him once but the double-dose can be repeated in 2-4 weeks, which I Would have waited four weeks.

The sores on the horse will get worse within 72 hours or less because the microfiliae of the Midge flies are dying off under the skin. After that you should see some improvement

You can also orally feed injectable cow vitamin A&D. 5CC's today for example and 5CC's in ten days and that's because A&D store in the liver.

I still have a horse with allergies that is prone to rain rot --- I gave him the (2) 5CC's dose and they helped. I also have him on a strict no-grain/no-soy diet and feed him magnesium Malate. The Malate is much more absorbable into the system than mag oxide

I also keep the sweat washed off him as needed and sometimes that is every day. I will shower him as needed. I will shampoo him 1-2X/month with an all natural shampoo called "MalAcetic" that is available on line --- it is NOT "MalAseb" they are two different products. The MalAcetic can be used on dogs as well.

I can miss one day of brushing but I had better not miss two or he has big flaky dandruff on his top line this time of year. I vacuum him in the winter as my arthritis won't let me get deep into the winter coat like I should.

Hope this helps, best of luck

 

[Smilie]

Wow, where do you live? 48 degrees C is 118.5 F !
I would think that a freisen would be a breed such a high temp would be very hard on!There is a reason they developed in Europe, and are more of a cold blood.
Do you clip all those feathers?
I only had ahorse get sweet itch in his tail dock, and what worked there, after he about took his entire tail out, and created ulcers, was a mix of baby oil and listerine

 

[Smilie]

OOPs, just read the small print, and see you are in South Africa !

 

[gottatrot]

That does sound too hot for a Boett blanket, although that was the best thing I found for my mare. My horse wore hers comfortably in the summertime with temperatures of up to 80 degrees F. They are very lightweight, yet tough.

Sweet itch is not an allergy to dust or bedding, but only to the bites/saliva of midges or gnats, the tiny little flies you can barely see.
Many fly products do not work on midges. The bite from one midge can set off a reaction that lasts two weeks. So you won't see improvement until a couple weeks after you solve the biting problem.

Besides the fine mesh blanket that covered mane, tail and underbelly, the only other thing I've found that works is applying 100% DEET spray. It is very effective against the midges. I spray it along the base of the mane, dock of the tail, and under the belly. The midges bite in those areas because they can get down to the skin. Some people have their horses stand under fans during the times of day when the midges are out.

 

[Kalahari Rose]

I am in southeast United States with high heat and matching humidity.

When my Arab was alive, I fought sweet itch every year during the warm months with him. It took me three years to get up the nerve but I ended up double dosing him with PURE Ivermectin. That is two paste tubes of pure Ivermectin at once.

I was a nervous wreck as he was only 13.3H but the Ivermectin did the trick. His winter coat even came in a much deeper/richer medium bay and was a lot softer.

I only had to double-dose him once but the double-dose can be repeated in 2-4 weeks, which I Would have waited four weeks.

The sores on the horse will get worse within 72 hours or less because the microfiliae of the Midge flies are dying off under the skin. After that you should see some improvement

You can also orally feed injectable cow vitamin A&D. 5CC's today for example and 5CC's in ten days and that's because A&D store in the liver.

I still have a horse with allergies that is prone to rain rot --- I gave him the (2) 5CC's dose and they helped. I also have him on a strict no-grain/no-soy diet and feed him magnesium Malate. The Malate is much more absorbable into the system than mag oxide

I also keep the sweat washed off him as needed and sometimes that is every day. I will shower him as needed. I will shampoo him 1-2X/month with an all natural shampoo called "MalAcetic" that is available on line --- it is NOT "MalAseb" they are two different products. The MalAcetic can be used on dogs as well.

I can miss one day of brushing but I had better not miss two or he has big flaky dandruff on his top line this time of year. I vacuum him in the winter as my arthritis won't let me get deep into the winter coat like I should.

Hope this helps, best of luck

Hi there!
It's quite an odd solution, but I will definitely try it.
Thank you!

 

[Kalahari Rose]

Wow, where do you live? 48 degrees C is 118.5 F !
I would think that a freisen would be a breed such a high temp would be very hard on!There is a reason they developed in Europe, and are more of a cold blood.
Do you clip all those feathers?
I only had ahorse get sweet itch in his tail dock, and what worked there, after he about took his entire tail out, and created ulcers, was a mix of baby oil and listerine

Hi there!
I know right? Many people think we are crazy, but there are quite a few friesian studs in the area and they adapted quite well to the climate. The trick is not to work them too intensely during the hottest part of the day. Nope, the feathers stay.
I never thought Listerine would be a way to stop it. I'll also give it a try.
Thank you!

 

[Kalahari Rose]

That does sound too hot for a Boett blanket, although that was the best thing I found for my mare. My horse wore hers comfortably in the summertime with temperatures of up to 80 degrees F. They are very lightweight, yet tough.

Sweet itch is not an allergy to dust or bedding, but only to the bites/saliva of midges or gnats, the tiny little flies you can barely see.
Many fly products do not work on midges. The bite from one midge can set off a reaction that lasts two weeks. So you won't see improvement until a couple weeks after you solve the biting problem.

Besides the fine mesh blanket that covered mane, tail and underbelly, the only other thing I've found that works is applying 100% DEET spray. It is very effective against the midges. I spray it along the base of the mane, dock of the tail, and under the belly. The midges bite in those areas because they can get down to the skin. Some people have their horses stand under fans during the times of day when the midges are out.

Hi there!
Thank you very much for the advice, I will try it. What type of DEET products are available? I'm not sure if I will be able to find them in my country, so maybe I can order it online.

About the dust thing.... Our vets (we used both their opinions) said that it's not only midges that are the cause. They are still trying to figure our the condition.
We all started to think that it can be an reaction to both bacterial/fungal/parasitic infections and/or dust which agitates the exposed skin even more. I done some research and found a few sites that gave some info on sweet itch (here's one of them: https://wagwalking.com/horse/condition/sweet-itch) and it says sometimes allergies can cause it. (And yet one can't always believe everything on the web)

So basically, we just don't know.
All we know is, the first yard had no dust, the boy had no summer itch. Not even a little bit.
Now we have dust, now has summer itch.
That's what throws me completely because I also believe it's ONLY caused by midges, and all horses I've met with sweet itch, it's caused by midges.

 

[walkinthewalk]

Sweet itch is documented as being caused by the bite of midge flies BUT it is entirely possible the dust and extreme heat exacerbate it.

Some horses are more prone to Sweet Itch than others because their immune system is not as strong as it should be. It doesn't matter how excellent the diet is, how much they get cleaned.

That is why I suggested the double-dose of Ivermectin to kill them off and follow that in 7-10 days with the Vitamin A&D.

There is a several hundred page thread on another forum that discusses Onchocerca worms (midge fly microfiliae) and how to treat them. I read that thread for three years before I decided to try the Ivermectin. Unfortunately I can't post the link as it is to another forum and HF really frowns on that

 

[4horses]

Have you tried stalling in front of a fan? Get a drum fan and set it to high.

If he's allergic to something in the soil- either the dirt itself, the plants, or the organisms in the sand, I would give him a bath and then keep him stalled. With broken skin you often get secondary infections which need to be treated. Chlorhexidine shampoo is what my vet recommends for skin issues. Chlorhexidine works great for killing bacteria, but does not take care of fungal infections. So you need a second shampoo for fungus. My cat has skin infections constantly and he gets both bacterial and fungal infections at the same time. You have to treat both!

What type of bedding do you use in his stall?

If environmental changes do not work there is an autoimmune disease called pemphigus that only responds to steroids.

 

[jaydee]

If its midges some horse develop an allergic reaction to the saliva they produce when they bite so an anti-histamine might work


It also helps if you can use a barrier of some sort to prevent them getting into contact with the horse's skin, its messy but helps - you can try various things like Vaseline, Avon Skin so Soft, etc.
If you can get TCP antiseptic where you are then that we used to find that was a good deterrent
Powders also work to stop the midges getting into contact - try one of the many sold for treating lice/fleas etc


I think its too hot where you are for the fly sheets, you could find they cause a problem rather than solve it


Stabling when the midges are worst helps - they don't like going into barns and stables - early morning and evening are high midge times of day


If its caused by threadworms then the double dose of ivermectin will help or a single dose of moxidectin


Be sure to regularly wash under the tail in the hot weather - sometimes that's where the horse is itchy and its the top of the tail that suffers. In mares it can be caused by a build up of sweat, dirt and normal gland secretions so they need to be kept clean in that area


If its mites then the de-wormer will help remove them and then treat with a normal insecticide until no more eggs are hatching

 

[SilverMaple]

Sweet itch is documented as being caused by the bite of midge flies BUT it is entirely possible the dust and extreme heat exacerbate it.

Some horses are more prone to Sweet Itch than others because their immune system is not as strong as it should be. It doesn't matter how excellent the diet is, how much they get cleaned.

That is why I suggested the double-dose of Ivermectin to kill them off and follow that in 7-10 days with the Vitamin A&D.

There is a several hundred page thread on another forum that discusses Onchocerca worms (midge fly microfiliae) and how to treat them. I read that thread for three years before I decided to try the Ivermectin. Unfortunately I can't post the link as it is to another forum and HF really frowns on that

I have a gelding itching himself raw, and have tried the ivermectin/threadworm treatment twice and also did a dose of Quest Plus with absolutely zero change. The vet gave him a round of Dex and no change. He's had every test under the sun, his coat is otherwise glossy and smooth, he's healthy, he's on a ration balancer and a magnesium and vitamin supplement, and he was improving when it was dry, but now that it has rained again, he's back to rubbing his chest, neck, and face incessantly. I feel so bad for him. Nothing seems to help. Even in a stall under fans, he's getting bit by something. I can't wait for it to freeze and kill the bugs. They've been just horrible this year.

 

[walkinthewalk]

I have a gelding itching himself raw, and have tried the ivermectin/threadworm treatment twice and also did a dose of Quest Plus with absolutely zero change. The vet gave him a round of Dex and no change. He's had every test under the sun, his coat is otherwise glossy and smooth, he's healthy, he's on a ration balancer and a magnesium and vitamin supplement, and he was improving when it was dry, but now that it has rained again, he's back to rubbing his chest, neck, and face incessantly. I feel so bad for him. Nothing seems to help. Even in a stall under fans, he's getting bit by something. I can't wait for it to freeze and kill the bugs. They've been just horrible this year.

I am so very sorry

If you have tried everything "traditional", I would look for a holistic DVM in your area. My equine chiro is a holistic DVM. She managed to get rid of the mystery puffiness in one of my horse's sheath while clearing up digestive issues. The traditional vet had run blood tests on him and couldn't find anything wrong, yet when the holistic vet felt his chest she said "he is full of crap".

Here is the link to Dr. xie's Jing Tang Herbal. If you key your zip code in, on the left, it may help you find a holistic equine vet in your area.

https://store.tcvmherbal.com/Default.asp?

Something is really off balance with your horse's immune system --- worse than anything I Have had to deal with.

You have tried everything under the sun, IMO you've got nothing to lose by trying a holistic vet who is versed in Eastern medicine:grin:

 

[jaydee]

@SilverMaple The midges are more prevalent in damp and wet weather which would make me think that's what's causing your horse's troubles if it tends to go away in dry weather
The Ivermectin and Quest won't do anything to get rid of them


We used to use a lotion made with cold black tea, cider vinegar and Avon Skin so Soft that seemed to work as well as any of the over the counter products. I have a friend in the UK who's mare had awful sweet itch that uses that along with a lightweight fly sheet with neck cover and stabling evenings and early mornings and her mare has been free of it for several years now


As its an allergic reaction you could also try an anti-histamine drug - ask your vet about that


There are trials currently being carried out on a new vaccine which will hopefully prove to be effective.

 

[walkinthewalk]

@SilverMaple

There are trials currently being carried out on a new vaccine which will hopefully prove to be effective.

Really!? YAY!!

Do you have any links to the studies?

I sure would like to follow along

 

[SilverMaple]

I am so very sorry

If you have tried everything "traditional", I would look for a holistic DVM in your area. My equine chiro is a holistic DVM. She managed to get rid of the mystery puffiness in one of my horse's sheath while clearing up digestive issues. The traditional vet had run blood tests on him and couldn't find anything wrong, yet when the holistic vet felt his chest she said "he is full of crap".

Here is the link to Dr. xie's Jing Tang Herbal. If you key your zip code in, on the left, it may help you find a holistic equine vet in your area.

https://store.tcvmherbal.com/Default.asp?

Something is really off balance with your horse's immune system --- worse than anything I Have had to deal with.

You have tried everything under the sun, IMO you've got nothing to lose by trying a holistic vet who is versed in Eastern medicine:grin:

He's a mystery. His immune system seems healthy enough otherwise-- he's never been sick even around sick horses, his coat looks amazing where he hasn't rubbed it out, his bloodwork is good, his muscling and topline are good, he's got lots of energy and when he's not itching, he seems to feel great. The antihistamine powder doesn't seem to help. If steroids didn't, I can't imagine that would. I'm almost wondering at this point if it's more of a habit than actual itchiness-- when he's being worked with, he won't itch. Then when left to his own devices, the first thing he does is go back out and find something to rub on for ten or fifteen minutes, then he grazes. He does have welts and crusties on his lower legs and chest and chin that nothing helps, and he rubs his neck and face on anything he can reach. I really hoped the threadworms might be it, but it doesn't look like that's the cause. Antifungal/antibacterial baths and treatments don't help. He rubs off fly sheets and masks, fly sprays do nothing to keep the bugs off of him (but seem to work on the other horses). When he rubs off his mask, his eyes get puffy and goopy from either some allergen or the swarming flies that won't stay off of him, but if he leaves it on, his eyes are bright and clear. I'm just at my wit's end.

When I went to look at him before I bought him this spring, he looked great and didn't have this issue, so it started up around the end of May/early June. Usually by now we've had a hard frost, but it's now humid and supposed to be 90 degrees today and tomorrow, so I'm sure he'll be worse again.

No holistic DVM's for horses within a several hours' drive. I wonder if any of them might be able to help him without having to haul him all that way.

I feel so bad for him :-( You can see the welts and rubbed hair on his face and neck below. Otherwise he looks good. I'm clueless where to go from here, as is every vet I've visited with.

 

[4horses]

Have you tried a flea and tick shampoo for dogs? In my area, there is some sort of mite in the forest. Some horses are extremely sensitive to it and break out in oozing sores, sometimes swollen legs, and scabs. I asked my vet who recommended antibacterial shampoo. It did nothing. We tried bell boots combined with sports medicine boots and they helped but anything not covered would break out. Finally, i read a forum about draft horses with a similar condition related to some sort of mite. Now, i use pymethrin flea and tick shampoo after every ride in the woods and no more sores. If you have tried everything and nothing has worked, that might be worth a try. You may need to use it daily to see a difference.

What ever mite species it is, is probably carried by deer, and likes the wet environment by the river. The other park doesn't seem to have a problem. It's not ticks as those show up on white legs. It seems to only affect certain parks. I got into it once and itched for a month.

 

[walkinthewalk]

@4horses has a good idea -- something worth trying

Those two full body pictures ------ how far apart were they taken? Is the middle picture more recent than the last picture. If so, I am really curious to know what time of year the bottom picture was taken and where

He is "slicker n a peeled onion" as my grandad used to say. My allergy coat also has a sleek coat. at a glance they look like nothing is wrong and blood tests come up empty, yet they are allergic to something.

Rusty didn't show that he had environmental allergies until we moved to the Tennessee Valley, aka "The Basin". The air hangs stale over us until really strong winds come along and blow the old air up onto the Cumberland Plateau. Our air stays clean for a few days, Rusty's nose stays dry and I stop sneezing for a few days, lol

I would call the holistic DVM's and at least see if they would be willing to help over the phone.

Sometimes the small animal vets who practice holistic medicine might help.

I think @Acadianartist ended up consulting with her small animal holistic vet for her Arab, Harley's, coughing issue. I THINK they got it pretty much resolved, although maybe not 100%. I can't remember, hopefully she will come in even though Harley's issue was completely different from your horse, the only genuine help she received was from the small animal holistic vet

 

[walkinthewalk]

I tried several times to load pictures inside my typed post and couldn't.

This is my horse with environmental allergies. He has been fighting them since we moved into the Tennessee Valley 14 years ago. He is now 23. This pic was around June or July this year.

I had just shampooed him with MalAcetic, he is partially dry and has a big barrel fan blowing on him.

Today is 79F, Feels like is 81F. That would be decent if the humidity weren't 74%, the dew point 70 and my horses already have a good start on their winter coats. I've been keeping them showered down to keep the sweat off them in the hopes neither one gets rain rot

This is not the same horse that's in my avatar. The avatar horse is insulin resistant <sigh>-----

 

[SilverMaple]

@4horses has a good idea -- something worth trying

Those two full body pictures ------ how far apart were they taken? Is the middle picture more recent than the last picture. If so, I am really curious to know what time of year the bottom picture was taken and where

He is "slicker n a peeled onion" as my grandad used to say. My allergy coat also has a sleek coat. at a glance they look like nothing is wrong and blood tests come up empty, yet they are allergic to something.

Both are about 2 weeks apart. The bottom one is in late June, the middle pic in the first part of July when he was more sunfaded. I don't have a photo in good light to show him now, but he looks even sleeker, now. I'll have to try to take one tomorrow when I can get out there in good light.

He looks nicer now, but the itching, while not worse than it was earlier this summer, is certainly no better, and it is worse than it was in late July/early August when it was hot and dry and hadn't rained in months. Now it's wet and humid and everything is green again and the bugs are worse than they were earlier!

I will try the flea/tick shampoo. It certainly can't hurt. His fly spray has pyrethrins and permethrins in it and it doesn't seem to do much for more than about 10 minutes, but I'll give it a shot. I feel bad for him out itching and stamping and scratching when his pasturemates aren't nearly as bothered, but he seems a happy, contented horse in spite of it.

It's supposed to be 90 degrees here for the next couple of days, and it is HUMID. Blech. He's got a winter coat on him already, so I'm worried the sweat will make it worse. I have tomorrow off so he's getting a bath, but I won't have time today to go mess with him (thanks appointment, work, and a meeting). It's been cooling off nicely at night, but it seems like the flies are even worse then, looking for something warm.