Biting insects cause severe itching

Sweet Itch is a severe itching caused by the bites of sandflies, horseflies, black flies and the tiny midges sometimes called "no see um". Other biting insects including mosquitoes are sometimes implicated. Although Sweet Itch is generally seasonal, in tropical and warm climates the condition can often be a year round problem. There appears to be a genetic predilection and it gets worse with age.

Affected animals can be severely distressed and many strategies to reduce the incidence and severity have been devised and tried often with mixed results. Steps to ease the distress

The following recommendations are based on a survey of scientific literature and on practical experience in a number of countries over a range of environmental conditions.

STEP 1
Introduce Zinc and fatty acids to the diet on a permanent basis.
About 20 grammes of fatty acid a day should be adequate. Good sources are olive oil or evening primrose oil.
RCI supplements will provide sufficient zinc. Use any one of our feed additives Equestrix, Equestrix Racing or Theradiet C.

STEP 2
Clean and bathe the affected area to remove crusts, bacteria and other debris.

Manetame is ideal for this purpose as it incorporates a bactericidal and insect repellent agent in addition to the soft lather and foaming action, which positively revitalises. It is important to leave the Manetame foam on the animal for at least 5 minutes. A second shampoo with Manetame will help by removing dead tissue and protecting the area against bacterial and fungal growth, as well as against insect infestation.

STEP 3
Use cool dressings on a regular basis to provide cooling antipruritic effects.
Once these management steps have been introduced the problem will be alleviated in most cases.

In more severe circumstances it may be necessary to implement an intensive 5 day programme. This is best done under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon.

If after an intensive treatment there is no significant improvement it is possible one underlying cause may be a feed allergy. Your veterinarian will be able to carry out tests to diagnose feed allergies.