I have done everything I can think of to stop him but nothing is working, he was wormed, cleaned his sheath,bathed him. Any other ideas
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I have one that butt rubs --I think it might be “self stimulation” --like cribbing --or it just feels good. Anyway --after checking as you have done that it isn’t injury or worms or sheath --I washed the tail with Selsun Blue Dandruff Shampoo --following the directions exactly. I believe it is left on for 5 min . . .and I used my watch. That seemed to resolve the problem.
In the winter, when it is too cold to wash the tail --if he starts rubbing I use MTG Leave In formula. Again, seems to resolve the issue.
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with what? Can you list everything, and when, since he started rubbing?
For several years I tried everything to get my old gelding to stop rubbing his tail. I had varying degrees of partial success. For him it starts in the spring, before bugs come out. This year I tried putting Cowboy magic hair conditioner on the underside of the tail bone as well as working it through the hair on the top side of the tail bone - success! I do it a few days a week. The bottle says to rinse conditioner out but I never do. Not sure why, but it’s working. I had previously tried MTG and all the home remedies.
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Pinworms? You can worm for them and a couple weeks later, they come back.
But read up on them and you’ll see how common this is.
If you’ve dewormed properly for pinworms, they won’t be back for a while.
This means, if there’s resistance to ivermectin/moxidectin (which is a thing), then you need double fenbendazole. Normal cases will be taken care of.
Bigger cases may need a repeat in 2 weeks, MAYBE a 3rd deworming 2 weeks after that.
Shampoo every third day with a coal tar shampoo and Equiderma every third day (on a non-shampoo day). Most tail itching isn’t parasite related (but need to assure appropriately dewormed). Also just tail? Sweet itch won’t respond to the above, for that need to avoid turn out at dawn and dusk to avoid the no seeum bites that drive the allergy.
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Another vote for washing with anti dandruff shampoo and then conditioning (I rinse it out but not all the way). Take a look at the skin on the dock, if it’s normal, clean skin you may have deeper issues like boredom or sweet itch, but if it’s flaky you’ve probably just got dandruff. I try to wash once or twice a week, or whenever I see flakes returning. In winter I cover him up in coolers and wash just the tail/dock in a bucket with warm water and towel dry as much as possible. Seems to work!
My old man horse will do this if his anus is dirty. Wipe his anus off regularly (daily), and he doesn’t do it at all. He gets minor skin crusties on his anus that apparently itch - it’s not fecal water, it’s just dry scurf.
He is neg for any parasites, per his fecal every year.
Worth a try!
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I had one that was rubbing his tail and he had been heavily wormed. Ivermectin right before I got him. Fecal test then Panacur Power Pac. I used a slightly expired tube of apple flavored Ivermectin in/around his anus. About 3 or 4 weeks later I used the other tube I had the same way. No more rubbing. I read about this possible solution here on COTH. I figured I had the wormer so it was worth a shot and probably wouldn’t hurt anything.
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His sheath might need cleaning.
Same. I started doing this with my mare and am surprised at what a difference it made with her rubbing.
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My vet told me to use dandruff shampoo to deal with the flaking, and then flea shampoo to kill the mites that feast on the flakes. This worked great. I also have used Listerine (original yellow) sprayed on the tail and mane to help with itching and rubbing and that also helps.
My mare does this- it starts in the spring when she starts cycling but continues non-stop all summer. She can rub herself raw along the sides of her dock. She gets oozing cracks right at the top corners of her dock.
What has helped the most is keeping her dock (top and underneath ), anus and vulva very clean, and using and using a soothing lotion on any rough or dry skin. I use a stronger steroid cream if she gets cracks or sores . My husband’s prescription Mometasone cream and scalp lotion work great if things get bad! The vet gave me the mastitis stuff in a tiny tube that has steroid and antibiotic in it but the mometasone works better. I’ll have to try the flea shampoo idea.
I am also very careful to keep udder and midline to umbilicus clean and soft. The bugs love to bite there so fly spray to whole belly and top of tail to discourage midges.
WHEW! What a fuss.
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Do you use that straight or diluted?
Straight. I just put in a spray bottle.
Thank you!
I second this. I have a mare that will rub her tail out if I don’t thoroughly clean the underside of her tail and all the private parts underneath. I just use a clean rag and water and no more tail rubbing.
Avon skin-so-soft works for my girls. The new formula isn’t as good as the old but it still works.
Good luck
Pinworms can be caused by feeding in the same spot all the time.
Permoxin for sweet itch. Cover whole horse. 3 times a day if down to blood. Down to twice a day. Down to once a day. Down to every second day and if you are lucky once a week. Allow horse to dry and rug to keep insects from biting.
I permoxin after riding. I do not use hoods, only combos with neck rugs.
