Summer dermatitis is a condition that affects our horses in summer, caused by tiny stinging insects called Culicoides that bite the horse.
A manifest symptom are wheals
What are wheals and where are they located? Wheals are typical wounds found on the horse’s body similar to those we get after a mosquito bite. You can find these wheals mainly on the horse’s snout, neck and back. You won’t find them on the limbs or in the horsehair area, which is underneath the mane and in the areas where the tail manages to drive these insects away.
Itching
As a consequence of a mosquito bite, the horse will experience severe itching. The larger the areas, the more intense the itching. The horse will do anything to scratch itself, by throwing itself on the ground or scratching against the trees or the box walls. This is why we often find bleeding wounds that are not caused by the primary ailment – dermatitis – but rather by the fact that the horse scratches itself, and these wounds can get infected.
Practical tips
What are the practical measures to adopt after the Veterinarian has done a diagnosis and given us the right treatment for summer dermatitis? Here below some tips that are not a substitute for the opinion of a Veterinarian. We can:
- bring the horse in its box between mid-afternoon and sunset
- place a mask over its snout, an anti-mosquito blanket, if horse can stand it
- rub some repellents onto its body
- disinfect the environment
- remove any stones from the paddock ground and nails on the fencing
- prepare a soft and non-dusty bedding.
Also, during the day, we can administer Equibar Hemofluid, an all-natural nutrition bar that, by supporting peripheral microcirculation, soothes the itching. This occurs because microcirculation makes the itching region go away quicker, makes the skin more oxygenated and soothes the itching, a reduction in wheals and also the bothering itching in the horse is lessened. Equibar Hemofluid is very easy to use, it can be administered in its entirety, like a biscuit, or crumbled in the trough together with feed or wafers.
Equibar Hemofluid has been found to be effective in relieving itching due to insect bites. Did you know that, by improving microcirculation also in hooves, its use is useful also for horses subject to navicular syndrome? Read more.
Article made for information purposes, based on our experience. Not to be used as a substitute for the opinion of a Veterinarian.
