Super Fitness Health BlogWhat Causes The Major Problem Of Sweet Itch?
Sweet Itch is a problem for many equine owners. In Northern Europe, Sweet Itch is at its most potent from the Spring to Autumn. In other regions of the world, the sweet itch season varies.
This being of chief concern to a many horse owners leads to the following question – what are the causes of sweet itch? A good place to read about this is: http://www.sweetitchtreatment.com/sweet-itch-causes.html.
The Culicoides midge is the main cause of Sweet Itch. These insects are parasitic by nature. Feeding by sucking blood from their victims, the midges deposit a minute quantity of saliva at the site of the puncture wound.
Unfortunately, this midge saliva may produce an autoimmune response in your pony, horse or donkey. Once hypersensitivity has set in, all the classic signs of an allergic reaction result. Indeed, because of its all-embracing nature, the condition is sometimes referred to as equine Sweet itch.
That midges are the principal cause of Sweet Itch is perfectly seen by the case of Madeira see www.love-madeira.com. This tourist island situated in the Atlantic is largely a place with no midges and few horses are inflicted with the curse of Sweet Itch here.
There are many species of Culicoides midge. Each species is partial to different areas of the horse . Horses are most vulnerable to bites at the tail head and under the mane. In and around the head, along the dorsal spinal area and the rump are also popular midge bite sites. Other parts of the torso that are less likely to be subjected to Sweet Itch are the animal’s underside and legs.
Other insects and flies may bite and induce, or worsen, symptoms of Sweet Itch.
There are simply hundreds of species of Black Fly, but those belonging to the genus Simulium are frequently linked to Sweet Itch. Indeed, such was the pre-eminence of one particular species of the genus Simulium in Blandford in the Englisg county of Dorset that it became known as the Blandford fly.
Even mosquito bites have been suspected of contributing to the hypersensitivity that precludes Sweet Itch. The more usual horse, horn and stable flies also fall into this category. However, it is acknowledged that the Culicoides midge is the Chief culprit.
The Culicoides midge procreates during the Spring and Summer months and its extent of activity is dependent upon climatic conditions. Like all insects, the midge is cold blooded and reaches peak activity with the hottest temperatures. The midge also needs pools of calm water, boggy areas or, at the very least, moist conditions to use as breeding habitats.
The ideal time of the day for the midges is from dusk to dawn. The ideal conditions are warm with little wind.
The good news is that not all horses suffer from Sweet Itch. As in people, each horse will react differently to different irritants. Thankfully, many horses are unaffected by midge bite saliva.
Most of the popular Deet and Benzyl Benzoate based medications prescribed to treat Sweet Itch can make the horse keeper’s hands rough, sore and prone to splits. Derma Shield see www.dermashield.co.uk is an excellent hand barrier cream formulation that offers a preventative measure for this.
We wish every equine owner a sweet itch free summer.
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