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The latest sweet itch treatments
21 May, 2009
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Sweet itch is a hypersensitive reaction brought about by a reaction to the salivary antigens of midges and it affects around 3% of all horses in the UK. But what are the latest advances in treating sweet itch?
In the 1960s, vitamins were used to treat eczema in humans that were also believed to be effective in animals. At the time, they were largely discounted owing to the more widespread use of anti-inflammatories such as steroids.
Vitamin B3 in the form of nicotinamide, however, has recently been revisited as a supplement for horses with sweet itch.
In March this year a new veterinary product called Cavalesse was launched. Nicotinamide is known to have a wide range of benefits in decreasing inflammation in the skin; it has been used in small animals to treat serious skin disease such as lupus in dogs.
Cavalesse’s manufacturers do not claim that it will cure animals, but they do suggest that it will help as part of an integrated management strategy.
Trials performed in 2006 and 2007 in horses with seasonal itching, showed positive benefits when they were given concentrated nicotinamide as a liquid supplement on a sugar lump.
It is said to be particularly useful when it is given before the midge season starts, to reduce the severity of the disease and also to treat active cases.
For the full article on sweet itch, see the current issue of Horse & Hound (21 May, '09)
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