Help with itchy mare!

[HeritageHollowFarm]

My mare is being treated for mites, but she is scratching so bad she has large patches of hair missing and is creating open sores.

I don't know what to do to help with the itching, and it's complicated by the fact that she is roughly 302 days pregnant. Part of me wants to clip and blanket but I don't know that that would help, and because it's still cold here she would need a blanket 24/7 which would not be conducive to foaling I'd imagine.

How can I help her be less itchy?

 

[chandab]

What is her full complete diet? How long has she been itching this hard? What's your general location and are you unseasonably warm? How fuzzy is she? You might be able to relieve the itching with like a blanket clip or reverse clip leaving enough hair to keep her warm, but removing enough to relieve the itching, if it might be related to long winter coat and unseasonably warm temps.
I ahve one that every year, in January, she rubs herself bald in large patches; once she makes the bald patches, she mostly quits rubbing, so now I mostly attribute it to warmer temps we've had while she has full winter woolies going on.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

What is her full complete diet? How long has she been itching this hard? What's your general location and are you unseasonably warm? How fuzzy is she? You might be able to relieve the itching with like a blanket clip or reverse clip leaving enough hair to keep her warm, but removing enough to relieve the itching, if it might be related to long winter coat and unseasonably warm temps.
I ahve one that every year, in January, she rubs herself bald in large patches; once she makes the bald patches, she mostly quits rubbing, so now I mostly attribute it to warmer temps we've had while she has full winter woolies going on.

She is on first cutting grassy hay, with some second cutting(she cleans up what the bottle calves she's in with during the day leave behind from the night) she gets 1c tribute essential K and 1/2-3/4c mare and foal morning and night. Mineral block in her stall at night.

She is quite fuzzy, we are in Northern Michigan, USA and it is warmer than normal for this time of year, however we are in a cool spell vs last week. Our weather has been very up and down this winter.

 

[LostandFound]

Poor girl! I have used freedom 45, which is a spot on fly treatment on both lice and mites. Along with ivermectin. It usually stops the itching pretty quickly. If she's scratching worse rather than less, I'd worry your treatment isn't working. Aside from that, I'd probably throw the barn at it. Bring out hot water to spot bathe her, then blow dry. Maybe tea tree oil, aloe, mtg, whatever you've got....but try it in one spot first and make sure it doesn't make it worse. Way back in the day we used listerine on tails if the horses were rubbing them. It seemed to work, but I would think it might burn where she is rubbed open.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

Poor girl! I have used freedom 45, which is a spot on fly treatment on both lice and mites. Along with ivermectin. It usually stops the itching pretty quickly. If she's scratching worse rather than less, I'd worry your treatment isn't working. Aside from that, I'd probably throw the barn at it. Bring out hot water to spot bathe her, then blow dry. Maybe tea tree oil, aloe, mtg, whatever you've got....but try it in one spot first and make sure it doesn't make it worse. Way back in the day we used listerine on tails if the horses were rubbing them. It seemed to work, but I would think it might burn where she is rubbed open.

Is the spot treatment safe for pregnancy?
She is on ivermectin, we aren't doing the double dose for concern for the foal, but she's had 2 doses, third is due Thursday. I thought about trying to put some witch hazel on the bare spots, I have witch hazel pads that they give people postpartum.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

What is her full complete diet? How long has she been itching this hard? What's your general location and are you unseasonably warm? How fuzzy is she? You might be able to relieve the itching with like a blanket clip or reverse clip leaving enough hair to keep her warm, but removing enough to relieve the itching, if it might be related to long winter coat and unseasonably warm temps.
I ahve one that every year, in January, she rubs herself bald in large patches; once she makes the bald patches, she mostly quits rubbing, so now I mostly attribute it to warmer temps we've had while she has full winter woolies going on.

Do you have an example of a reverse clip? I can't find one.

 

[LostandFound]

I had to google that, yes it says it's safe for pregnant mares. I've used it on pregnant mares, but never even wondered if it was safe. When they itch, I itch, so I will do pretty much anything to stop it. It google says not to use witch hazel anywhere it's open, but it might help in some spots.

 

[HeritageHollowFarm]

I had to google that, yes it says it's safe for pregnant mares. I've used it on pregnant mares, but never even wondered if it was safe. When they itch, I itch, so I will do pretty much anything to stop it. It google says not to use witch hazel anywhere it's open, but it might help in some spots.

I didn't plan for the witch hazel on the wounds, just the bare skin to hopefully keep her from rubbing the skin off there too

 

[chandab]

Do you have an example of a reverse clip? I can't find one.

Clipping with the hair, instead of against the hair. Clipping with the hair takes off less hair than clipping against it.