What is summer eczema in horses? Symptoms, causes and treatments
Summer eczema in horses, also known as tail and mane eczema (SME) or Sweet-Itch, is a bothersome condition and the most common allergy in horses that causes severe itching. This condition occurs primarily in the summer, but can occur from March to October. In this article, we will discuss exactly what summer eczema is, how to recognize it in your horse, what treatment options are available and how to try to prevent it in the future.
What is summer eczema in horses, what causes it and how do you recognize the symptoms?
Summer eczema is an intense itch in horses caused by the saliva of the tiny Culicoides Robertii mosquito, also known as the knut. When this mosquito bites, the saliva triggers an allergic reaction in the horse. This reaction causes severe itching, causing the horse to begin to rub violently at anything it encounters. In addition to rubbing, a horse with summer eczema may also bite, belly shake and roll to relieve the itching. This rubbing can be so intense that the mane and tail may bleed. Excessive rubbing, especially at the tail and/or mane, is the main symptom. Other symptoms include thickening of the skin around the mane and/or tail due to fluid accumulation, bald patches, and broken-off mane or tail.
Horse with summer eczema? Here's how to treat summer eczema
Summer eczema comes from the inside, which is why we think it is important to prevent the condition from the inside as well. Prevention can be from the outside; we will come back to this later in this article. At the time of writing, there are no medications for summer eczema in horses. However, there are several nutritional supplements on the market that help somewhat against (summer) itch in horses. Our team of experienced nutritional experts specializing in equine supplements took on the challenge of developing a complete supplement against summer eczema for horses that can be easily carried. We are finally proud to announce that our product will soon be available.
Our remedy for summer eczema in horses, developed by our nutritional experts
The ideal miracle drug, or any drug or therapy at all, does not yet exist. Fortunately, our nutritional team has developed its own natural supplement, HorseAdds Itch Reliefwhich helps reduce summer eczema-related symptoms in horses. It helps reduce, relieve and prevent summer eczema. Below are the ingredients of our supplement and their primary functions against summer eczema:
- Extruded linseed: Contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids and is anti-inflammatory.
- Birch bark: Contains betulin (BE) and betulinic acid (BA) which have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Dandelion: Supports liver function and prevents the accumulation of waste products. Due to its detoxifying properties and the fact that dandelion is blood-, lymph- and skin-purifying (depurative), it is effective for eczema and other chronic skin conditions.
- Marigold: Works antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal and promotes tissue repair of the skin.
- Diamond V: Supports the intestinal flora in the digestion of starch into useful volatile fatty acids (VFAs). VFAs provide at least 30% of the energy required by the horse, in addition to stimulating cell growth, blood flow and normal function in and of the blind and large intestines, keeping them healthy.
- Spirulina: Contains a high level of Gamma Linoleic Acid, which supports the skin's healing ability. In addition, Spirulina has been shown to prevent the release of histamine by the immune system, which is the immune system response that causes allergies.
- Fenugreek: May help lower blood sugar levels and postprandial glucose spikes. Elevated sugar levels in the blood can aggravate eczema symptoms and thus should be avoided as much as possible in eczema-prone horses.
- Zinc: Promotes skin recovery.
These carefully formulated ingredients, after a long period of development, have resulted in the dietary supplement against summer eczema in horses. Does your horse suffer from summer eczema? Order HorseAdds Itch Relief now. HorseAdds Itch Relief helps reduce summer eczema-related symptoms in horses.
What else helps against summer eczema?
Besides our horse supplement, which helps reduce and prevent summer eczema, there are some other measures you can take to prevent summer eczema as much as possible:
- Eczema blanket - An eczema blanket can prevent most bites by the knut, making it an effective remedy. Have your horse wear this blanket from spring until late October. Although it can seem pathetic on warm days, this is much better than the severe itching that can occur without a blanket.
- Location - See if you can change anything about your horse's location. Horses suffer less or no summer eczema at the coast or in colder climates. Gnats are especially active during dusk and prefer damp and shady places to sun and wind.
- Mosquito or fly sprays. - There are mosquito and fly sprays for horses that can provide relief, but many sprays do not work adequately. Get advice from your veterinarian to find the right spray.
There is no miracle cure yet and several studies are currently underway on various methods to effectively treat SME. Until then, you can accomplish a lot with the tips mentioned above and our natural remedy Itch Relief that helps reduce summer eczema-related symptoms in horses. Still have questions? Don't hesitate to contact one of our nutritional experts for expert advice.
