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  Discussion on Horse scratching herself on cactus
Author Message
Member:
tdiana

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - 10:47 am:

Hi Everyone,
I am attaching some info and a picture of a 17 year old TB/Holsteiner mare with a skin problem. I do not own this horse. She belongs to a neighbor who does not believe in bug repellent such as "spot-on" etc.
The horse is in so much agony, she is scratching herself on cacti. I do not normally inquire about other owner's horses but this is so agonizing to watch.

Another issue (although maybe not related) is that she is lactating lately although she is NOT pregnant.

O.K. here is some info on the itch:

spots are extremely itchy,
spots are mostly in the front parts of the body (face, chest, neck),
horse had been recently bitten up by insects severely and did not show this condition before,
horse has been showered every day or every other day,
horse had in past years rubbed out her mane and tail because of itch but does NOT do this now,
ventral midline looks unaffected,
horse has been dewormed regularly,
repellent spray used is lemongrass/citronella,
horse is not feverish or shows any other signs of fatigue,
appetite is normal and no food changes have been made recently,
the other horse (her buddy, a 6 year old QH) does not have this,
owner gives her Benadryl and says it seems to help,

Any insight on this would be greatly
appreciated.

skin
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - 12:09 pm:

How miserable.

The appearance almost makes one wonder if there is a fungal or other infection.

I would use some Betadine scrub on these lesions.

Having a horse who is highly allergic to Citronella (and very allergic to Skin So Soft) makes me wonder if this horse is having a reaction to this repellant product. Just because a product is "natural" doesn't mean that all will tolerate the ingredients.

That Benadryl gives some relief seems to imply that allergy is involved.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jul 17, 2010 - 9:54 am:

Hello Diana,
There are so many possibilities that fit your scenerio that we can only guess at the possibilities and you should consult your veterinarian and get an examination. Certainly the distribution, appearance, and timing suggest fly bites and a bit of a allergic reaction to them. For non-specific treatment the article associated with this discussion area has information. For a more specific article on dealing with biting flies see HorseAdvice.com » Horse Care » Routine Horse Care » Controlling Houseflies and Biting Flies.
DrO
Member:
tdiana

Posted on Saturday, Jul 17, 2010 - 3:29 pm:

Thank you Dr. O and Vicki for your thoughts on this. I hope to get my neighbor convinced to do more insect control.

I personally have started to use Fly Predators this year. In prior years I have only used fly traps. This year with the Fly Predators, it is remarkable how few biting flies we see.
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