find me artichles on mites and skin problems on the heels of horses and ponies, and sweet itch?

Question

my pony has started chewing and biting at his heels, he had long feathers before i shaved them off, there is no signs of mud fever and no sign from what i can see of mites, the skin looks pinkish where he has been chewing, he was stamping the ground with the affected legs and looks very down and fed up with it all

Answer 1

Skin irritation of horses’ legs is most commonly caused by parasites, but allergies and bacterial skin infection can also be associated with itching and rubbing.

Three types of parasite commonly cause skin irritation of the legs – the chorioptic mange mite, ticks and harvest mites.

The most common cause of itching and foot stamping is the chorioptic mange mite.

It is particularly a problem of the heavily feathered breeds.

Low numbers of mites are present in many horses, but they generally cause little or no irritation.

In a small proportion of horses mites are carried in higher numbers and cause crusting. Irritation can range from occasional foot-stamping to severe self-trauma with the horse chewing and rubbing its legs.

Ticks can also be a problem on horses’ legs and faces in the summer months, especially if they are grazing pasture previously grazed by sheep. There can be swelling and crusty yellow scabs at the site of attachment of the ticks.

Harvest mites can cause a sudden onset of severe itching and crusting on the legs and face of grazing horses.

It usually occurs in late summer or autumn and it is the larval stages that can be an opportunist infector of equine skin.

All of these conditions are associated with foot-stamping, rubbing and biting of the legs and heels, which can be taken as symptoms of parasites.

A useful indication of itching and irritation of the legs is the twitching of the upper lip in response to rubbing the skin in the heel area.

In heavily feathered breeds it is most likely to be due to the presence of the chorioptic mange mite. The mites live on the surface of the skin and feed on the skin cells. They are too small to be seen with the naked eye and can only be detected by examination of skin scrape under the microscope.

This problem can occur at any point in the year, but mites seem to more active in the winter months.

Adult ticks can easily be seen with the naked eye, but the immature stages can be difficult to spot, especially if they are embedded within the crusts.

Harvest mites are bright orange in appearance and, although tiny, can be seen with the naked eye.

They drop off after a day or two, but the crusting and extreme itching persists; so, unless examined in the early stages, the mites may not be detected.

Treatment for chorioptic mange is in the form of hair-clipping and insecticidal washes. An off-licence injection of a drug used as a worm and parasite treatment in cattle and sheep has proved to be extremely effective against these mites.

There are no licensed tick treatments available. Some of the spot-on treatment licensed for other species has been known to be effective against ticks in horses, but advice must always be sought before using these products.

Treatment of harvest mite infestation is in the form of anti-inflammatories to control the itching. The mites will not persistently infect the horse so specific treatment is not usually required, but repellents may help prevent the problem in prone areas...

Answer 2

Sounds like he has mites - our horse had the same problem, but you couldn't see them. The first step is clipping the legs, which you have done - they don't get feather mites without the feathers. Next you need to get something like hibi-scrub (an antimicobial soap) and wash his leg thoroughly. You might need to repeat this after a few days. Make sure you rinse his legs really well as the hibi-scrub shouldn't be allowed to soak on his legs for more than five minutes. This will kill anything alive in his hair, and the cold water will soothe any itching left in his legs.
You should also dry the legs once they have been washed, as much as possible, then wrap them up in the stable bandages, fleece onces are best. This stops him from developing cracked heels from having his legs washed in the cold.

Answer 3

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RE:
find me artichles on mites and skin problems on the heels of horses and ponies, and sweet itch?
my pony has started chewing and biting at his heels, he had long feathers before i shaved them off, there is no signs of mud fever and no sign from what i can see of mites, the skin looks pinkish where he has been chewing, he was stamping the ground with the affected legs and looks very down and...

Answer 4

Unless you need to shave his feathers it is much better to leave them natural, especially in the colder winter months. Hibbiscrub would probably be really good, diluted with some warm water. Clean the area first then soak with hibbiscrub using cotton wool to put on then dry the area. Without seeing the legs I can't advise that this is all that is needed, changes in his behaviour could signify another more serious problem so if in doubt check with your vet. Also try to make sure he doesn't have to stand in wet mud in his field as this will only increase irritation. Sounds like it could just be sensitive skin that is now itchy and sore from him chewing them.

Answer 5

You may not ever find what the problem is, but my recommendation is to buy a bottle of "MTG" or Mane-Tail-Groom (same name, same company). Follow the directions on the bottle and it should heal your horse's itchy leg within a week. This stuff is awesome for almost any cut, skin abraison and itchy skin problems, plus it won't make hair fall off like most creams and ointments. Bad thing, it smells like bacon grease...gross. *shrug*

I learned about this stuff from my trainer who has worked with horses for over 30 years. Since I've used it, I've been impressed with the product and can't recommend it enough for various skin problems and grooming needs.

Good luck! :)

Answer 6

If you can't find another cause it could be due to the cold. Have you ever been out in winter and come in and had your hands or something warm up too quickly and it itches like mad? Watch him to see if there's a certain time he does it more and you may find a pattern and a cause. Good luck

Answer 7

All the horses at my livery are swishing their tales and the one who normally gets Sweet Itch is scratching like mad already. Bad times.

Answer 8

OK i think that the hair is maybe to short. He likes it when it was longer. Also when it is short it could be bothering him

Answer 9

Ever heard of please?