In The Saddle with Anita Marsh: Sweet itch season is upon us
It’s starting to finally feel like summer - and with the amount of rain we’ve had during winter, it’s seriously a welcome relief.
However, with spring comes the start of the debilitating Sweetitch season for many horses, including my own Appaloosa - Sully.
So what is it? Sweet itch (also called equine insect bite hypersensitivity) is an allergic reaction in horses to midge bites, causing intense pruritus (severe itching), especially along the mane, tail, and belly.
Horses will rub and scratch to relieve the pruritus, often leading to hair loss, sore skin, and discomfort, particularly during warmer months when midges are active.
Luckily for me, I’ve a good vet, Richard Coppack, who is fully aware of Sully’s condition.
Indeed he originally diagnosed when he was two years old running a series of tests.
He has over thirty-five years experience as a vet, including specialising in treating horses with skin conditions and I totally trust him.
He’s a really good vet, but up until now he’s only been available locally within my area.
Fortunately, this has changed as he’s recently branched out and now offers an equine dermatology online referral service.
This enables horse owners from all across the UK to be able to receive a diagnosis and a recommended treatment plan.
His passion in life is diagnosing difficult skin conditions and he’s one of the few equine vets to hold a dermatology certificate in the UK.
To me, he’s not just any vet.
He’s like the Marks and Spencer version of a vet.
He has been a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons since 1985, with a certificate in Equine GP since 2006 and gaining his Advanced Veterinary Practitioner – Veterinary Dermatology in 2015.
He really knows his stuff and regularly gives presentations to other vets on equine dermatology and holds client evenings in collaboration with the Equine Veterinary Centre.
I’ve been lucky to find such a good vet, but now his equine dermatology online referral service means anyone who needs advice on horse skin conditions can contact him, including other vets.
This year, Sully will continue his treatment under Richard and so far we’ve had great success.
We’ve been able to reduce his symptoms from severe to mild. There’s no current cure for sweetitch, but I’m really pleased with the results. Anything that helps my horse is good.
You can learn more about his dermatology service at www.equi-cutis.co.uk.
You can also follow Sully’s progress via Facebook at ‘In the Saddle-Anita Marsh’ too.
I’d love to hear from you.