Ideas- Colt rubbing neck raw

[zoey829]

He keeps rubbing both sides of the neck. I have been putting neosporine on it as soon as it scabs he rubs it again. He still has his winter coat. He is too young for bug spray so to top it off the knats are eating him alive.

Help

 

[Ashley]

There really isnt such a thing as to young for bug spray. IF he still has his coat then you probably need to clip him. More then likely it either lice or sweat that is makeing him itch.

 

[pepperhill]

Check in the mane area for any sign of mites. They can look like tiny white, or red, or black dots. They are hard to see, but if you look close you can spot them. I think as a yearling he should be old enough to handle either permethrin or pyrethrin (sp?) sprays. Those are the same active ingredients as used in kitten and puppy sprays so they aught to be OK. If not mites or lice, then he may have a touch of fungal infection going on. There are sprays for that, and even some shampoos. Someone once told me that they cleared their heat rash up under their horses mane by putting a little Lysterine on a cotton ball and wiping it down. I'm not a vet, but I know of people that have tried these methods to clear up problem areas. I think first you need to determine just what the actual problem is and that may take a call to the vet. You don't want him to scrath himself into a scarred up mess, and he is obviously very uncomfortable if he is scratching that much. Good luck!

 

[nootka]

What Ashley said makes sense.

I would guess it is lice. You can consult with your vet about his age and the treatment, but if he has a winter coat, then I am guessing he was born early enough to use the lice dust and/or also treat for worms with Ivermectin, which is what my vet recommended when I had a yearling with a similar problem.

The Neosporin is only treating the scabs from the itching. You need to stop the source of the itch, which is likely lice, though it could be rain rot and/or ringworm as well as other pests.

Clipping him will help to stop whatever is causing the problem as oxygen and sunlight often help kill bacteria and fungus, also it won't be so hard to medicate.

Good luck with this!

Liz M.

 

[zoey829]

I start worming at 2 months. So he has been wormed and he is due again. The sprays say 12 wks that is why I was worried about the spray. But he is about 12 wks now. When he was first doing it the vet said he had a reaction to the halter (even though it was only on him for a few minutes while we were playing with him). So he hasnt had the halter on him since and it was clearing up. Now the scab is falling off and he is itchy. I am off to see if it is lice. We will clip him. It is just last wk it was so cold. But I think we are out of the cold. Thanks for the help.

 

[Marty]

Too cold, ouch! Where are you located?

I totally vote for lice too. They are nasty creatures. Open up the mane really good and take a look, and the tail too while you are at it. Have fun. yukky.

 

[Flaxenacres]

I live in Pa. not to far from you I have had my babies clipped for 2 months. When we got the first warm spell. I think the babies always itch. The long baby hair and the shedding. And I think it takes so long for them to shed. You just need to clip them and when you get a warm day bath them. It also makes it easier to do when they get older, because it is like imprinting them like tis is a part of life. Lorie

 

[SilverDollar]

Poor baby! :no: Here's another thought..."Sweet Itch".

My pony suffers from this and in years past would rub off her mane and her tail, and would rub her body raw. But where she was REALLY itching was her belly--she just couldn't scratch it. She is severely allergic to the "no-see-ums" (I think they're midges), which is what sweet itch is. We have used a nose-to-tail fly sheet in the past but it gets too hot. This year, I bought a "Belly Dickie"; it's actually a belly guard type of thing and it is a miracle!! For the first time in years, her mane and tail are beautiful and silky and she is not miserable. It was expensive but well worth the price. I don't know if this could be your colt's problem, but check his belly for fly bites and scabs. If he has a lot of them, this could be the source of his misery.

Here's the link to the Belly Dickie website; even if you don't need it, it's quite an interesting invention! And it really stays on the horses. http://www.elitehorseclothing.com/bellydickie.html

Just a thought. I've never heard of lice in our part of the country--maybe it's too dry. Ponies are more prone to sweet itch; I don't know if minis are, and it's prevalent in Icelandics.

Good luck!