Bug bites along underline and sheath

[Renn_aissance]

My poor horse seems to only be attractive to bugs who bite in awful places. Every year he gets bitten up along the sheath, umbilicus, and stomach, and he is VERY itchy! None of his field buddies are having the same experience. The bites are large and raised and scab over, and because my guy is a slow healer, they tend to stick around open for several days.

I use fly spray all over his body (currently Ultra-Shield, rest of the barn uses a mix of products.) At my vet’s suggestion I’ve added Deep Woods Off along his underline and between his back legs. I put Swat on the bites. The farm has traps hanging in the trees and the run ins. Nothing has helped ward them off. A fly sheet won’t cover the areas in question. I also have no idea what insect is responsible. Virginia bombers are terrible but at least you can see them coming.

Any suggestions for products to try that might be more aversive to bugs?

[EmilyM]

Sounds like gnat allergies. I use swat and neem oil in the bite/itchbareas. Also Platinum skin and allergy supplement. You can put him on xylazine but if you show at Usef shows, you need to withdraw 24 hours ahead and fill out a med report.

[allons-y]

I slather on Swat on my geldings’ sheath and midline. Two have blood dripped on their hind cannons from the bites if I don’t. (My third gelding doesn’t get bitten there at all, no clue why not.)

Mine are at home, so I’m able to put it on morning and nite at feeding time. This works for mine. At first they were at little shocked at my ministrations ‘there’, but I think they completely get it now and raise no objections.

Try the Swat to prevent, not treat the bites if possible.

[Renn_aissance]

@allons-y

Try the Swat to prevent, not treat the bites if possible.

Already on it- I thought “maybe at the very least it’ll be hard to bite through!” I think it either absorbs into the skin or loses effectiveness when he sweats.

@EmilyM

Sounds like gnat allergies. I use swat and neem oil in the bite/itchbareas. Also Platinum skin and allergy supplement. You can put him on xylazine but if you show at Usef shows, you need to withdraw 24 hours ahead and fill out a med report.

You’re not the first person to suggest adding neem oil to his life- I was hesitant about doing so in such a sensitive area without diluting it in some kind of carrier. Do you use Swat for the carrier? A product containing neem, or the oil itself?

Did you mean to say xylazine or do you have another medication in mind? Xylazine is Rompun.

[ryansgirl]

Flys Off/SWAT. Run a layer along the belly and over the sheath area. It WORKS. you don’t need a lot - just a thin layer over the area. You can also use generic Desitin which works great too but tends to get greasy and runs more the Flys Off/SWAT.

Bug spray will NOT work for these areas (or really any area).

Your horse will thank you.

[firefoot]

I second the neem oil. Last year I used the Equiderma spray with neem and it worked really really well, though I do think it’s best applied twice a day. I previously had been using human products like the DeepWoods Off, etc., but I think the Equiderma really worked. This year the horse has moved and he’s not having as hard of a time, but I lather his midline in MTG once a week or so as I was finding ticks there. Seems to help with the other bug bites, too.

If you think the Ultrashield isn’t working, you could try something like Pyranha which is oil based and sticks to the hair more. I think it also helps to change up the sprays every few years, but with other people using a bunch of different stuff, it might not matter.

Just a quick correction that xylazine isn’t ace, though they both have sedative properties. On the note of drugs, though, you could try an antihistamine? Maybe cetirizine or benadryl or something would lessen his reactions to the bites.

[going_gray]

Renn, I have two mares here at home. One (a gray) who really does fine with just normal flyspray (Mosquito Halt) used daily and one (a bay) who gets the full treatment for noseums (gnats) who attack her midline and belly button area. They even eat under her chin and jaw line. I use a lot of Swat and I use Off as well underneath her belly.

Last summer she developed edema along her midline that I had to treat with antibiotics. She wasn’t in pain but it was unsightly and I couldn’t use a girth on her. I ended up buying Smartpak’s Spirolina pellets as a supplement. She always has a cough come July so that was the reason I started with the spirolina in order to get some Omega Threes into her system. The reviewers said it helped their horses with sweet itch too.

It helped her cough a little but it also helped her resistance against those gnats big time. Her edema cleared up but we had a solid lump left midline up by her girth area. Vet didn’t know what to make of it. Two months after the vet visit the lump was gone. Spirolina helps horses’ autoimmune system and I think that is what happened with my mare.

I have switched to Uckele’s Lung Eq supplement which also has a lot of spirolina in it. It has continued to help her resistance to the gnats. I would find a product with spirolina in it and give it a try. I’m a big believer in Swat, Off, and now spirolina. My bay mare is proof for me! (We are now fighting hordes of mosquitoes along with flies and gnats. Rain! Lots of rain! Sigh!)

[EmilyM]

@Renn/aissance

Already on it- I thought “maybe at the very least it’ll be hard to bite through!” I think it either absorbs into the skin or loses effectiveness when he sweats.

You’re not the first person to suggest adding neem oil to his life- I was hesitant about doing so in such a sensitive area without diluting it in some kind of carrier. Do you use Swat for the carrier? A product containing neem, or the oil itself?

Did you mean to say xylazine or do you have another medication in mind? Xylazine is ace.

I meant hydroxyzine. Oops. Sorry. The neem oil I use is this. I put it right on. Neem Oil Organic & Wild Crafted Pure Cold Pressed Unrefined Cosmetic Grade 12 oz for Skincare, Hair Care, and Natural Bug Repellent by Oleavine TheraTree https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013FAJDVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Idb9CbN4T8WHM

[Renn_aissance]

Well, sounds like neem oil is the next thing to try- it’s so uncommon for half of a discussion thread to agree that it must be worthwhile.

This horse has previously lived on cetirizine all summer (hives- allergy to something in the soil) and that didn’t do much for the itch. My vet felt that based on his responses to previous medications hydroxyzine was not worth trying. @EmilyM have you had luck with it? A couple of his fieldmates have had hydroxyzine trials, either for sweet itch or skin allergies, and it hasn’t been effective on the problems those horses have had.

Spirulina might be worth looking into. My horse has some respiratory difficulty in our humid summers and while that’s currently well controlled (Yoder’s Horse Heave Powder. It sounds like voodoo but it works) a Cushings horse with a tendency towards breathing issues would probably find it worth a try.

Thanks, all. Some good ideas to try!

(I edited my post upthread as I’d mistakenly conflated xylazine with ace. Wrong sedative. Rompun was the drug I was looking for. No more posting before coffee.)

[EmilyM]

@Renn/aissance

Well, sounds like neem oil is the next thing to try- it’s so uncommon for half of a discussion thread to agree that it must be worthwhile.

This horse has previously lived on cetirizine all summer (hives- allergy to something in the soil) and that didn’t do much for the itch. My vet felt that based on his responses to previous medications hydroxyzine was not worth trying. @EmilyM have you had luck with it? A couple of his fieldmates have had hydroxyzine trials, either for sweet itch or skin allergies, and it hasn’t been effective on the problems those horses have had.

Spirulina might be worth looking into. My horse has some respiratory difficulty in our humid summers and while that’s currently well controlled (Yoder’s Horse Heave Powder. It sounds like voodoo but it works) a Cushings horse with a tendency towards breathing issues would probably find it worth a try.

Thanks, all. Some good ideas to try!

(I edited my post upthread as I’d mistakenly conflated xylazine with ace. Wrong sedative. Rompun was the drug I was looking for. No more posting before coffee.)

I’ve honestly had the best luck with neem oil. The one I linked actually heals the skin as well as repel gnats. I use the Platinum Skin and Allergy supplement as well. Combined w the neem oil I’ve had better results than w hydroxyzine. I really think the neem oil is the biggest help. If you put it on for two days some spots heal remarkably in that short period. I’ve only tried this cosmetic grade one that I’ve linked. It coagulates when the air temp is below 60 degrees so you have to drop the bottle in hot water after cool nights.

[J-Lu]

I use anti-itch creme liberally on the umbilicus.

This is a great thread! My horse points he nose to his lower belly and lifts his leg to signal that he wants his umbilicus scratched. I oblige and he usually grooms me while I scratch him. Flies and gnats love this area because there isn’t much hair. I usually use anti-itch creme and triple-biotic ointment over the whole area and fly spry over this. Ointment to keep the flies out usually helps.

[Renn_aissance]

@J-Lu

I use anti-itch creme liberally on the umbilicus.

This is a great thread! My horse points he nose to his lower belly and lifts his leg to signal that he wants his umbilicus scratched. .

Mine does the same thing! He holds his leg up on either side while I’m rubbing the Swat on. It’s an excellent self-adjustment of the pelvis.

Neem oil should be here in a few days, and fingers crossed that helps him.

[wildlifer]

You don’t want attractant traps IN your run ins, that just lures more flies to horses trying to escape them. Traps should be away from where the horses are congregating. Not sure what type of traps you meant in first post.