Sweet Itch
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k s swigart
Mar 22, 2015, 10:42:08 AM3/22/15
to Ridecamp Teeter
Kelley said:
> I am giving fresh ground flax seed to my horse that has sweet itch.
> Do you have any suggestions for what to do for sweet itch - allergic
> reaction to gnats or noseums?
I had a friend who had a horse with "sweet itch" and she thought that a flax seed product would help. She tried everything including different fly sprays, fly sheets, .....
She finally had allergy testing done on her horse to find out if she could start doing allergy shots to address it.
She found out that one of the biggest things her horse was allergic to was flax. She took the flax seed out of the horse's diet and the allergic reaction to the bug bites abated.
Of all the people I know of who have had horses with allergies, greater success came from taking things out of the horses' diets not by adding things in.
I have known a couple of people who have had success with the allergy shots formulated specifically for the specific cullicoid sensitivity that the horse was diagnosed with through blood testing.
kat
Orange County, Calf,
:|
mary palumbo
Mar 22, 2015, 10:48:24 AM3/22/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Speak to Tigger at Biostar My friend had great success using her products plus a Boett sheet .
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Kelley Brough
Mar 22, 2015, 10:49:44 AM3/22/15
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Interesting. Well this is the first time he has had flax seed but I could try taking him off any feed but I would need to keep weight on him he is a growing three year old. I am going to try the hands on approach with flax seed, fly sheet and some stuff I bought from Hawaii called mosquito Magic. It cost enough I thought it would work. If that doesn't work this year I'm going try the allergy testing. Kelley
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Kelley Brough
Mar 22, 2015, 10:50:32 AM3/22/15
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Ok rhanks I'll get it touch with tigger
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Diane Trefethen
Mar 22, 2015, 1:14:49 PM3/22/15
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On 3/22/2015 7:49 AM, Kelley Brough wrote:
> I am going to try the hands on approach with flax
> seed, fly sheet and some stuff I bought from Hawaii called mosquito Magic.
> It cost enough I thought it would work. If that doesn't work this year I'm
> going try the allergy testing. Kelley
Why postpone the testing and possibly make your three year old suffer
> I am going to try the hands on approach with flax
> seed, fly sheet and some stuff I bought from Hawaii called mosquito Magic.
> It cost enough I thought it would work. If that doesn't work this year I'm
> going try the allergy testing. Kelley
another year of discomfort? The old adage about going slowly concerns
treatment, not diagnosis, yet people, NOT just horse people, put off
definitive testing in favor of spending lots of money on what their
neighbor tried or what “everyone” is using.
Why?
Diane Trefethen
AERC #2691
West Region
Kelley Brough
Mar 22, 2015, 2:45:04 PM3/22/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Good point Diane!
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karen standefer
Mar 23, 2015, 11:26:00 AM3/23/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Biostar gets such good results because they work on healing gut issues. Allergies start in the gut (colon, not stomach). There can be many reasons for a bad digestive system (sand, encysted strongyles, ulcerations, permeability, acidosis). It's difficult to pinpoint and some of the issues can't be easily diagnosed. Proactively treating for encysted strongyles with a 5 day Power Pack, treating possible sand for a couple months with 2 cups psyllium (which is also helpful for rebalancing gut bacteria), and giving Succeed for a couple months along with Equishure for acidosis can't hurt.
From: taf...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 10:48:19 -0400
To: ride...@endurance.net
From: taf...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 10:48:19 -0400
To: ride...@endurance.net
Bobbie Brown
Mar 24, 2015, 5:56:33 PM3/24/15
to ride...@endurance.net
A long, long time ago one of my horses had it...I used apple cider vinegar in her water...it did help.
Bobbie Brown
Laney Humphrey
Mar 24, 2015, 11:39:02 PM3/24/15
to ride...@endurance.net
I've used Espree all natural fly spray diluted with half apple cider
vinegar & half water. It doesn't last all that long but it does help.
I boarded at a barn where about half the paddocks were shady & damp
while the others were in the sun & less damp. All the horses that
developed sweet itch were in the shady/damp paddocks.
Laney
vinegar & half water. It doesn't last all that long but it does help.
I boarded at a barn where about half the paddocks were shady & damp
while the others were in the sun & less damp. All the horses that
developed sweet itch were in the shady/damp paddocks.
Laney
heidi larson
Mar 26, 2015, 3:40:34 AM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
I don't profess to know everything about sweet itch and up until my one horse started reacting quite severely to no-see-um bites I didn't have a clue what people were dealing with - it's a nightmare. He was a clinical case starting at 2+ years in the spring - we had a bug hatch and within 2 days his mane was completely gone and he was racing from tree to tree itching frantically. He was a bloody, bald mess. It was just awful. He's coming 8 now and has been itch free for almost 2 years. Believe me over that 4 years I felt like I tried everything. Supplements, apple cider, brewer's yeast, extra B vitamins, benedryl, Bug Check, flax, deworming purges, fly sheets, a fan in his stall, allergy shots, MTG, hydrocortizone creams, sprays, salves, you frickin' name it and other than steroid shots I think I tried it. The only thing over that time that helped was a fly sheet with a neck piece early in the spring and leaving it on 24/7 til our fall freeze (the Bug
Buster was my favorite - has a belly band) and slathering any potential itchy spots with Vit. A&D diaper rash ointment and then using Pyrhana fly spray over that, a fan in his stall and bring him in early and let him out late. He still lost his mane due to the neck piece rubbing, he still itched his face bald in spots (Schnieders tack has a nice fly mask with sleezy material that goes down over his face better) and this was the only thing that got us through a bug season. It was still hell. An endurance friend had her horse at Pilchuck Vet in Washington and brought me a new fly spray to try. Not made with the usual pyrethrins or permethrins, but with fatty acids from plants that the military was using in malaria areas. It doesn't repel in the normal sense we think of - it confuses the bugs internal senses so they can't FIND your horse. It was August and bugs were at full force for us, but I'd tried everything so why not one more? I left the sheet on and
started spraying him 1-2 times per day. He had some itchy spots I still treated and the spray will sting on an open wound so I kept the ointment on that til it healed. After 3 weeks I took the plunge and pulled his sheet and it hasn't been on since. That was the summer of 2013. He has a mane! It even tangles! He's not frantic! He gets to be out and be a horse! (I do keep the fan in his stall at night - he knows the bugs are out and he stomps and gets nervous having them be around him.) He's such a smart horse - I had burned a huge brush pile the spring before and he learned that if he stood in the smoke that the bugs wouldn't bother him. He'd stand there for hours and would paw the smoldering ashes to create more smoke. This fly spray is called EcoVet and they are working on licensing it in all states - right now I think they are up to 44 or so. I spray early in the season before I see bugs, I spray once and sometimes twice per day, I don't care if I
waste some - I haven't had to throw away a shredded $125 fly sheet in almost 2 years! This product (that I don't sell) has been a godsend to us and I can't say enough good things about it. Some people don't like the smell but I actually do, if I can smell him I know he still has some on! And it works, so who cares about the smell right? I have some great photos but unfortunately didn't get any of the horrendous ones with the bloody neck to show the difference, but you can see over our timeline that he's now looking like a normal horse. If you call and order, do say I sent you - http://eco-vet.com/ and if you'd like to see Cal's photos they are on the EcoVet Facebook page about 3 posts down.
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 11:44 AM
Buster was my favorite - has a belly band) and slathering any potential itchy spots with Vit. A&D diaper rash ointment and then using Pyrhana fly spray over that, a fan in his stall and bring him in early and let him out late. He still lost his mane due to the neck piece rubbing, he still itched his face bald in spots (Schnieders tack has a nice fly mask with sleezy material that goes down over his face better) and this was the only thing that got us through a bug season. It was still hell. An endurance friend had her horse at Pilchuck Vet in Washington and brought me a new fly spray to try. Not made with the usual pyrethrins or permethrins, but with fatty acids from plants that the military was using in malaria areas. It doesn't repel in the normal sense we think of - it confuses the bugs internal senses so they can't FIND your horse. It was August and bugs were at full force for us, but I'd tried everything so why not one more? I left the sheet on and
started spraying him 1-2 times per day. He had some itchy spots I still treated and the spray will sting on an open wound so I kept the ointment on that til it healed. After 3 weeks I took the plunge and pulled his sheet and it hasn't been on since. That was the summer of 2013. He has a mane! It even tangles! He's not frantic! He gets to be out and be a horse! (I do keep the fan in his stall at night - he knows the bugs are out and he stomps and gets nervous having them be around him.) He's such a smart horse - I had burned a huge brush pile the spring before and he learned that if he stood in the smoke that the bugs wouldn't bother him. He'd stand there for hours and would paw the smoldering ashes to create more smoke. This fly spray is called EcoVet and they are working on licensing it in all states - right now I think they are up to 44 or so. I spray early in the season before I see bugs, I spray once and sometimes twice per day, I don't care if I
waste some - I haven't had to throw away a shredded $125 fly sheet in almost 2 years! This product (that I don't sell) has been a godsend to us and I can't say enough good things about it. Some people don't like the smell but I actually do, if I can smell him I know he still has some on! And it works, so who cares about the smell right? I have some great photos but unfortunately didn't get any of the horrendous ones with the bloody neck to show the difference, but you can see over our timeline that he's now looking like a normal horse. If you call and order, do say I sent you - http://eco-vet.com/ and if you'd like to see Cal's photos they are on the EcoVet Facebook page about 3 posts down.
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 11:44 AM
Kelley Brough
Mar 26, 2015, 11:50:50 AM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Heidi - I'm going to order that fly spray. I'm desperate because the bumps have started although he is scratching much yet. Also what fly sheet was that that you recommended. is it this one?
heidi larson
Mar 26, 2015, 1:38:50 PM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
It was this one - https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/amigo-bug-buster-vamoose-with-nofly-zone-4569?cm_sp=CS-_-Amigo%20Bug%20Buster%20Vamoose%20with%20No-Fly%20Zone-_-NA&cm_vc=Rec
Also on the spray I tend to use the more stream spray than the misting - it seems to float on the air and you inhale it that way - I spray trouble areas with the stream setting and then do a mist where he's not bitten much just to be safe. I spray on a mitt and wipe his face.
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
Also on the spray I tend to use the more stream spray than the misting - it seems to float on the air and you inhale it that way - I spray trouble areas with the stream setting and then do a mist where he's not bitten much just to be safe. I spray on a mitt and wipe his face.
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 3/26/15, Kelley Brough <reckles...@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2015, 8:50 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Laney Humphrey
Mar 26, 2015, 1:46:01 PM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
I order some of the Eco-Vet spray maybe a month ago. At that time
they couldn't ship to California so my sister in PDX forwarded it to
me. So far, so good. I don't really like the smell but it does let
me know if he's still got some on. How thoroughly do you spray it on?
Because I don't want to waste any, I've been putting it on a brush
then brushing it on. Do you cover his entire body? Because
(theoretically) it's still too early for the little buggers to be out,
I've been just spraying his leg, belly & mane then lightly brushing
his body. Should I be doing it differently? For the first time in
years, Dino actually has a mane but that's more thanks to winter than
to the Eco-Vet. I'm hoping it will keep him happier this summer than
he's been before.
Laney
12921
On Thu, Mar 26, 2015 at 10:38 AM, 'heidi larson' via ridecamp at
they couldn't ship to California so my sister in PDX forwarded it to
me. So far, so good. I don't really like the smell but it does let
me know if he's still got some on. How thoroughly do you spray it on?
Because I don't want to waste any, I've been putting it on a brush
then brushing it on. Do you cover his entire body? Because
(theoretically) it's still too early for the little buggers to be out,
I've been just spraying his leg, belly & mane then lightly brushing
his body. Should I be doing it differently? For the first time in
years, Dino actually has a mane but that's more thanks to winter than
to the Eco-Vet. I'm hoping it will keep him happier this summer than
he's been before.
Laney
12921
On Thu, Mar 26, 2015 at 10:38 AM, 'heidi larson' via ridecamp at
heidi larson
Mar 26, 2015, 1:56:05 PM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Early on with maybe just a hint of bugs I'd say you are doing what I do - a light covering and brushing it on certainly would work I'd think. I live next to a forest in wet SW Washington so when they start hatching they are really terrible here - we have to close our windows as they come in our screens and bite us in the evening. I spray him about 4-6 pm (before dusk) fairly heavy and sometimes in the AM when I let him out - but mostly just along his mane/tailhead then and wipe a bit on his face. It has rained here all week and today is gorgeous and sunny and going to be 70 degrees - I'm expecting a full fledged hatch any time now. They now have gallon refill sizes and free shipping over $75.00 - I think there are only 2 states left and of course Calif. is one!
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
. o o o o
. o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
. (*)~(*)\_______/
. / \
. \______/ /
. \_______/\ /-
. o-- /_/ \ /
. / \ / /
. o o o-- /
. / \
. o o
heidi larson
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 3/26/15, Laney Humphrey <laneyh...@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2015, 10:45 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Sweet Itch
To: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Laney Humphrey
Mar 26, 2015, 2:13:51 PM3/26/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Thanks Heidi! I used to live on the Monterey Peninsula. The paddocks
in the shade & damper were where the horses got bitten. Now I'm in
the Sierra foothills where there's more live water & irrigation. Last
summer in an irrigated pasture, he got itchy. Now that he's finally
got a mane again, I want to stay ahead of the game! I sure hope they
get the paperwork for shipping to CA. My sister is glad to be the
intermediary but it's a hassle. I'll definitely go the gallon refill
next time!
Laney
On Thu, Mar 26, 2015 at 10:56 AM, 'heidi larson' via ridecamp at
in the shade & damper were where the horses got bitten. Now I'm in
the Sierra foothills where there's more live water & irrigation. Last
summer in an irrigated pasture, he got itchy. Now that he's finally
got a mane again, I want to stay ahead of the game! I sure hope they
get the paperwork for shipping to CA. My sister is glad to be the
intermediary but it's a hassle. I'll definitely go the gallon refill
next time!
Laney
On Thu, Mar 26, 2015 at 10:56 AM, 'heidi larson' via ridecamp at
Kelley Brough
Apr 5, 2015, 9:02:16 AM4/5/15
to ride...@endurance.net
Karen - you mentioned the Succeed and Equishure... Henly is now at the trainer and he is not eating well. The trainer suggests ulcer guard. I see that you suggested Succeed and Equishure. Do you feed these two supplements at the same time or is it one or the other. What if I do the ulcer guard for a period of time and then add the Succeed or Equisure?
Dang why is it we have to rely on each other so much and we can't get enough answers from our vets!
Dr. Susan G. - can you weigh in on this.
Kelley (Driftwood, TX)
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