Hi Folks!
Have you found any of the supplements for itchiness actually help? Or maybe just a good, stabilized flax seed dosage?
Thanks!
Itchiness due to what? Rolled on an anthill? Tick bites? Flies or gnats? General allergies to pollen/grasses?
Cetirizine at .2-.4mg/kg every 12-24 hours works very well for a lot of horses with seasonal allergies.
Chondroitin sulfate does too, believe it or not.
Wait, what? How did I not know this? Please expand on dosage and any other info you may have if you can.
Signed,
owner of an itchy horse who is better after allergy shots but not as great as Iād hoped
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My mare gets Benadryl and is basically coated in coconut oil every day. She is allergic to grass pollen but also suffers from very dry skin, which mimics allergy symptoms
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Iāve had some luck with spirulina. My generally itchy mare has been rubbing less since Iāve had her on hempseed oil (2 oz twice a day).
While immunotherapy shots were the game changer for my mare, we had decent results with Uckele Bio-Quench for respiratory symptoms (coughing, sneezing) and UltraCruz Horse Skin and Allergy pellets for hives. (Note: I did not try using those two together; I used them at different times for different issues.) I have also tried Platinum Skin & Allergy, but it worked about the same as UltraCruz, which was cheaper and pelleted.
Get Allergy Control (equisearch.com)
Chondroitin sulfate, the same as used in joint supplements, can be very helpful in suppressing allergies. The effective dose is 2,500 to 5,000 mg/500 lbs. of body weight, given twice a day. Laboratory studies have proven that chondroitin sulfate suppresses the development of IgE antibodies, the antibodies of allergic reactions, and also suppresses inflammation. A combination of chondroitin and Spirulina works particularly well. Like most things, it is most effective if started before the allergy season begins.
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Thank you!
My TWH reacts to fly bites, rubbing his neck.
I suspect flies, as the rubbing creates tiny round bare spots. Only on his neck.
I use bag balm to treat this & it gives him relief, but if I could shortstop the itch reaction I think heād be happier.
Off to look up chondroitin/spirulina supplementsā¦
Vitamin E supp has helped mine.
Anyone have a good source for stabilized ground flax seed? thanks
Iāve been trying the Ultra Cruz skin and allergy pellet for the super itchy one who is already on Zyrtec, and sadly, it does not seem to be helping.
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I buy the triple crown ground flax from Tractor Supply. The key has been to start on a loading dose a month before the exposure. So I feed it for sweet itch, and started the higher dose at the end of March. I feed 2 heaping cups a day now, and in the fall cut back to a cup or less. It definitely helps.
Sometimes I get it whole from the feed mill and grind it myself, but then you have to refrigerate it after you grind it if you donāt feed it right away. I still use fly masks and sheets and douse in fly spray.
I tried Zyrtec and it did nothing.
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My question about the triple crown ground flax is that its a 25lb bag, so after its opened, (unless its in a refrigerator) isnāt it automatically rancid. Everything Iāve read about ground flax seeems like it needs to be in a reseal-able bag, in the fridge. Thats how the human ground flax is sold. thanks!
TC āgroundā flax is actually milled, which preserves the integrity of the oils.
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I use this with success for one equine who reacts to bug bites.
Just make sure the flaxseed isnāt what is causing the problem. It gave my horse terrible hives. No flax, no hives!
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Ribes nigrum, glyceric macerate. I give her 2 ml a day with a syringe without the needle. I start it at the end of february (very mild climate here) until the end of october usually. It really helps and itās cheaper than ribes products for horses
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The best thing I ever did for my very itchy horse with allergies was get her a boett sweet itch blanket. It took me forever to bite the bullet because I kept saying ābut iāve tried fly sheets and they donāt really workā or ābut she gets hot and that will make it worseā. Finally after dealing with a basically raw and bloody horse I thought I had nothing to lose. And well, after getting one, I felt like an idiot for not trying it earlier.
Iām not sure WHY itās so much better than a regular fly sheet, but it is. The material feels thick but my horse (who does not generally do well with the heat) does great in it even in peak summer in the southern US where itās not just hot, itās humid too.
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What dose of zyrtec have you been told? I am reading .2 to .4 mg/kg. The vet has me dosing .2 and I think he needs a higher dose just because this rain has been causing so much pollen and bugs and mold. I have ordered SmartImmune pellets, but I am also giving flax, vitamin e and msm.
