ADVICEFROMTHE VET
The mostimportant factorinpreventing Sweet Itch is preventing midge bites. • Full-body flyrugs and masks • Fly repellents • Avoid turnout in early morning and early evening when midgesare active
• Avoid grazing near hedges, woods ,damp areas and stagnant waterwhere midgesbreed
• Prevent midge access to stables with netting and fans
The areasworst affectedare the areaswhere
midgesprefertofeed –face, along the mane and topline to the tail, and the midline of the belly. Symptoms areseenatany time of year when
midgesare active–the exact beginning and end of the ‘midge season’ will depend on when temperatures start to rise in Spring, and when the temperaturefalls again in the Autumn. As arule of thumb,mostinsects will be activewhenthe daytime temperatureconsistently reaches10°C or more, usually lateMarch to mid- September.
PROGRESSION YEAR ON YEAR
Likeother allergic conditions, Sweet Itch tends to get worseasthe horse
getsolder.This is because the immune response againstthe midge salivahas a‘memory’ –itremembersit’s ‘enemy’ and keepsaconstant watchready to battle it again. The effectofthis is that every midge season, the over-reaction of the immune systemtomidge bites getsworse and worse, and the symptoms become harder and harder to control. Rapid and effectivetreatment of allergic episodes, and careful management to prevent midge bites help to slowthe progression and keep theSweet Itch under control.
TREATMENT Likemostallergies, the symptoms aremosteasily
controlled using steroids and soothing lotions and creams such as benzyl benzoate. However,like mostdiseasesofany sort, prevention is better than cure! By the time we see clinical signs each year,the cycle of itch and scratch is already established and canbevery hardtobreak.
Forthese strategiestobemosteffective, it is essential that theyare put in placeBEFORE midgesbecome active! This means you need to start thinking about Sweet Itch now, beforethe weather warms up! Other treatmentscan help damp down the
immune response to limit the allergic response if midgesdoget past the
defences.These include nutritional supplementsand removing alfalfafrom the diet. Some casesare made worsebyother allergies, such as to certain typesoffood. The morethings ahorse is allergic to, the lowerits ‘allergic threshold’ –the pointatwhich it starts to showsymptoms. Avoiding as manyallergens as possible will help keep itchinessunder control.
Formoreinformation about Sweet Itch and allergy testing, speak to one of our Equine Vets!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sally Hodgson BSc(Hons), MA, VetMB, Cert AVP(EM), MRCVS Sally is ancient enough to remember the first,proper JamesHerriot series. Whether or not she’dreadthe books first is lostinthe mists of time,but the appeal of spending time outdoors solving bizarreproblems and making a(positive) differencetothe lives of animals and their ownerswas strong. Having been told by the careersadvisor that veterinary medicine was‘too difficult, youwon’tget in,’Sally took the long wayaround and completed adegree in Zoology at Liverpool beforestudying Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge. She wasasked to leaveCambridge in 2007(having successfully graduated) and went straight intoequine practice, working forpractices in Lambourn and Suffolk beforejoining HNVGin2010.
•HookNortonVeterinaryGroup WhiteHillsSurgery,SibfordRoad HookNorton,Banbury,Oxon,OX155DG T
el:01608730085
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
SweetItchphotoscourtesyofTheBlueCross,Burford. PleasementionCentralHorseNewswhenresponding toAdvertisementsAPRIL/MAY2021 15
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