Garnet -- may I forward this post to my equine list? MA
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*From:* Garnet <[email protected]>
*To:* [email protected]
*Sent:* Tuesday, September 29, 2009 9:01:44 AM
*Subject:* Re: CS>CS for Equine sweet itch
If he has it in his mane and on his tail head it is allergy to the bite
of the
cuculoides midge. Other skin problems are associated, such as a tendency
to get rain rot.This midge is a carrier of Onchocerca. a worm that some
horses
are allergic to. The main problem is the immature stage of the Onchocerca
called filariads.
Onchoceriasis is a cause of Uveitis, Moon blindness, in horses and humans
when the migrating filariads enter the eye and cause an autoimmune
inflammation
that often results in blindness with no cause ever being detected. It is
more
commonly a cause of blindness in third world countries although I am told
by a vet opthamologist at Texas A&M that it just goes unrecognized in
humans in the US.
Generally it takes until at least 7 years of age for this syndrome to
manifest to
a severe degree. It is worse in the spring and summer, better in the
winter due
to the midge dying off. I had a mare who I bought at age 7 who declined for
the next four years and was seen by many vets until I found one who
recognized
the syndrome, he was an older man and very knowledgeable. He said many
practitioners did not know this syndrome and would give steroids for the
skin
condition.
The load of the worm builds over a period of years even with regular worming
at two month intervals. Often to a systemic reaction with sores breaking
out on
the belly, flanks, face and shoulders. The belly especially can then end
up with
fungal infections as secondary opportunists. Often the skin develops
wrinkles
over the shoulder from the inflammation.
You want to kill the filariads slowly and interrupt the short live cycle
initially to
knock the numbers back. To do this give half doses of Ivermectin every two
weeks for four doses, then every three weeks for four
doses, then a full dose once a month or a daily wormer. Some horses that
go untreated end up on steroids which further suppress their immunity and
then as they decline in health they succumb to something like the flu.
The allergic reaction to the midge bites may be due to a load of Onchocerca
worms causing a generalized immune reaction. Worming every 8 weeks is not
enough to control the population of filariads from building to a
critical level.
The sores on the skin that develop in certain areas are groups of the
migrating
filariads. One vet actually told me the sores on my mare's flanks were
Cancer!
I knew this was not true as she was biting at her flanks every spring
and the
sores went away in the winter..
Once the heavy load of filariads is brought under control worming using
the half
doses of Ivermectin a maintenance schedule of once a month will
interrupt the
cycle and restore immune health. Keep him on a once a month schedule year
round.
CS will help control the skin condition but you must treat the cause to
make any
real progress. I have also used Sugardine on the skin, which is Betadine
ointment
mixed with table sugar to the consistency of runny peanut butter, it
will thicken
over night as the sugar swells. It is effective against fungal
infections of the skin
and will stay on longer than CS.
Garnet
Misc. IP Group wrote:
> Hi anybody used CS for equine sweet itch or any other recommendations?
>
>
> Have a stallion who is suffering terribly and if any part of his
> body is exposed he’s bitten badly and now has scabs and open wound
> in those places. Tried fly sprays, sweet itch blankets etc but
> still to no avail.
>
>
> Was wondering if spraying CS would help or if it needs to be
> combined with something to 1) help heal the wounds and b) strengthen
> his system to be able to fight the sweet itch naturally.
>
>
>
> Many thanks
>
>
> Peter
>
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