Sweet itch, also called summer itch or it's more technical name, Culicoides Hypersensitivity is an allergic reaction to the saliva of biting midges, or Culicoides. These are those little no-see-um's that swarm in the summer, especially in swampy/wet areas, but can be found pretty much anywhere, I've noticed.
This sensitivity takes several years of exposure to develop. I have owned Jazz for almost eight years and about five years ago she all of the sudden developed these lesions all over her body. My first thought was a fungus because they just "showed up". Jazz was boarded at a barn and no one had seen her itching, yet here she was!
During the fall and winter, midges aren't around so there isn't a problem. It's just when the weather warms up in late spring and summer (hence the name "summer itch") that there's a problem.
Treatments can involve putting the horse on antihistamines or corticosteroids to reduce the reaction. Talking to my vet, he advised against this because they would lose effectiveness in a rather short amount of time and Jazz's sweet itch is pretty well under control.
Here's what I do:
Flysheet
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| Kool Coat Fly Sheet |
Jazz wears a fly sheet pretty much 24/7. I have one with a neck cover and she also wears a fly mask. Typically I can at least get two or three summers out of a flysheet before they literally just fall apart, but it's worth it to protect Jazz. I opt for one without a belly band because they usually just end up ripping out within a couple weeks. This year I tried the Kool Coat Fly sheet and I really like it. It's durable and actually has a long enough neck portion and stays fairly well centered and doesn't rub. I also use Weatherbeeta fly sheets. Some might say that fly sheeting a horse this much is a little overkill, but in Jazz's case, it's needed. I also think she looks like a midieval war horse in it :)
I also like using the flysheet to protect Jazz from the heat. Being a black horse is tough in the sun! And of course she opts to graze in the heat instead of staying under the trees. Her coat also gets burnt so this keeps her coat a shiny black instead of a washed out brown-ish color.
Fly Spray
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| Nasty stuff. But it works! |
Jazz also gets sprayed with fly spray every day. She gets a roll-on fly stick on her face and SWAT on her belly. As much as I hate the greasy, smelly SWAT it does a good job of fending off little blood suckers on her belly and because it's sticky, the midges will stay away too. Baby oil is recommended to put on their muzzles because the sticky, oily-ness will deter midges, but I've found that the roll-on is just as good and since Jazz gets fussy when there's flies on her face, it does double duty.
Prevention
Another thing that can help with midges is getting rid of standing water. Unfortunately we have a large pond in the pasture, but moving the horse to another pasture would be a good alternative. Stalling at night (especially as the sun sets, when midges are most active) in a stall with good airflow, possibly with a fan and even plastic strips over the doorways to keep flies out will help too.
Other
The Boett blanket is another option. While I've never tried one, they are marketed specifically for horses with sweet itch and aim to cover every susceptible surface of the horse. There are also some relatively new treatment options available, but I haven't heard much of how effective and safe they are, but since Jazz's sweet itch is very manageable, I haven't looked further. Horses with a severe reaction may benefit from a medication.
Sources:
A side note, if you're looking for flysheets or fly masks right now, Smartpak is having a sale! Free shipping on all masks and sheets, plus some of the fly masks (the Cashel ones) have free embroidery. I love the Cashel masks :) Enter FLYFS when you check out and as long as you have a fly sheet or mask, your whole order will ship free. Make sure to check out this offer before the 25th (this coming Monday)!
Sweet Itch is the pits!!! We have a mare who has Sweet Itch this year... she had a fairly extreme reaction with swelling and hives all over her body. We felt terrible for her! Keeping her at the barn, in the shade (rather than in the sunny pasture), with fly spray and a fly mask that covers her entire head.... has helped a lot. We also put her on homeopathic remedies for bugs, allergies, and swelling. One thing you have to watch out for is the kind of fly spray you use! We've found that her skin is also sensitive to chemicals, and certain fly sprays make her itch even worse.
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