ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: itching

Re: itching

Don and Jennifer (dandj@thevision.net)
Tue, 21 Oct 1997 23:42:13 -0700 (PDT)

>
>This might be a problem specific to Florida. I have a gray half Arab/Moyle
>that is miserable with itchiness. Years ago he rubbed his mane & tail into
>nonexistence, but we corrected that by keeping a fly mask on him during the
>gnat & fly season of the year. The fly mask worked like magic. Today he has
>a beautiful mane and tail.
>
>My current problem is that now he is itchy everywhere else!!! His sides, his
>legs, his face. He scratches a lot, but not to the point were he is raw and
>bloody. I don't want to go with steroids since we compete him in
>endurance/CTR. My vet has suggested Ly-Tar shampoo, but he keeps on itching.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>He also has ripples (that look like fat) along his sides. I don't know if
>this is connected to the itchy situation or not.
>
>Any other Floridians having this problem? Anyone have a cure?
>
Have you checked for lice? That can cause an all over itch. If it's not
lice it sounds like an allergy. Joe, my Morgan gelding came from Oregon
where there seems to be different or less flies, of course out fly season is
still going on and can last 9-11 months. He is horribly allergic and will
scratch his stomach area until he bleeds, rubs his rear until his tails
starts to wear off, rubs his face, neck, and underside on the ground. It
was so bad he was losing his hair. I tried lice powder and fly spray.
Finally, after a class at the local JC, the vet told me that anything that
can coat the midline of the underside to keep flies will work. He gets bit
there and it starts a systemic reaction. Anyway I use vaseline now, and
while it is goopy and collects dust it works so well that I forget to put it
on. The rule for him is that whoever is in the pasture and sees him
scratching needs to grab the vaseline and goop it on. Apparently this is
common for horses from Oregon transported to the California's Central
Valley. Hope this helps.
J.C., Don, and the Gang

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