Hi,
I was reading about queries regarding Queensland Itch and
thought I'd put in my two bobs worth.
I live in the same place where old Gazette is currently residing
(further south than Adelaide) so you know what sort of climate
that is and I have horses who suffer the condition.
It is caused by midges and they are the same sort that are in
Queensland.
I must say it is an absolute pain in the you know what if your
horse suffers from it for you and the horse and no products I
have tried seem to really work effectively. I have recently
started to sew extra pieces into my rugs to cover the areas
mostly affected.
There seems to be a genetic predisposition to susceptibility as
I have three foals out of one particular mare all with different
sires, two have the condition, one has not yet although he is
only 14mths and it usually takes time to build up an allergy.
The dam of these foals is not affected herself though.
Ponies also seem to be more susceptible.
I think that I must have a particularly large midge population
as the horse paddock is near a creek and sheltered from wind.
The horses of mine that have this condition usually end up at my
sisters place where the symptoms usually subside.
Cheers BB
For the lady with the Queensland itch, try this website
www.animalitch.com.au/Large.htm It worked on my horses rain scald
and it says it is for Queensland itch as well.
Dear HP
To the lady with the horse with Queensland Itch. My gelding suffers
from Qld Itch. He rubs out most of his mane and the top of his tail
during the warmer months. The skin is flakey and appears like a
chronic case of dandruff. The product I find the best on my horse is
called Brute. You buy it in a bottle and comes with a woolly type
mitt. You put about 30 mls on the glove and rub onto the affected
areas. You apply this every 7 days. If it rains heavily I apply it
twice a week just in case. You can buy it from most good produce
shops and costs around $50-$60 a bottle. The bottle should last
around 6 months.
Best of luck,
Jen
There are 2 popular long term pour on type treatments, Swift and
Brute.
Both have permethrin as the active ingredient, but in different
forms. Brute has permethrin 25:75 and Swift has permethrin 80:20.
The numbers refer to the ratio of cis to trans isomers, and the cis
isomer is 10 times more toxic than the trans isomer. Swift can cause
blistering on the skin of the horses where it is poured on.
Brute is the better option, but I still reckon Aeroguard works
better.
Chris
Qld itch is frustrating, because what works on one horse may not
work on another. All itch treatments work but only on some horses.
My mini horse had it bad, she would rub until she was bleeding. I
tried many things. Rugging doesn't work, I think it makes it worse
because they sweat. I took a two pronged approach, I used an insect
repellent to keep mozzies and midges away, and I used 1 teaspoon of
copper sulphate and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar in a litre of warm
water and applied it daily to the affected areas. My theory is that
they scratch because of the midges, damage their skin, get a topical
infection which makes them even more itchy, scratch more etc etc
etc.
The most effective repellent I have found is Tropical Strength
Aeroguard. It is much cheaper than any of the horse ones that
contain DEET. My girls weren't impressed with the aerosol at first
but I made them put up with it and now they are fine.
I have heard great things from a reputable source that feeding salt
bush leaves works wonders. A breeder of performance bred Paint
Horses reckons he completely cured 3 horses with salt bush leaves.
Cheers,
Chris
In reply to Ingrid, unless you have a pally or a white horse like
mine, you probably won't see midges. They are only about half a
millimeter or so. If you have them, stand out side just on dusk and
you will feel the itching on your legs and arms. I got shot down in
flames on a popular forum once when I dared to question the cause of
itch. Midges are one cause, but surely they aren't the only thing
horses react allergic ally to. Apply the chosen insect repellant
about an hour before sunset. That is when they attack.
Dried salt bush leaves are available from Mrs Janet Eykamp, Quirindi,
NSW 0427 667 876
Chris
Thanks to all. Most kind of you.
