I've run out of ideas so would appreciate your input.
I have had this girl since she was 5 months old. She is now 7.
This spring she started becoming very itchy all over her face and body. She body slams herself into the fence and in the stall walls and has rubbed off the skin on her face. She is kept body clipped so sweating under a heavy coat is not the problem. I also do not see any type of bug bites or bumps on her either and I have scoured the pastures for something like ants or something weird growing and have come up empty. We do not have trees or bushes or anything that would lead to allergies or blooming.
There have been no changes in bedding type, hay, environment. I groom a lot and do not see any sign of lice and have stripped her stall religiously and disinfected it. I have seen her roll around on the ground itching outside a lot so clearly this isn't a problem contained in the barn.
I considered her being allergic to clipper oil or blade wash but she has not been shaved now in several weeks so that's not it.
I have done everything I could think of:
medicated baths
topical meds to stop itching and promote the hair to grow back to no avail. She is terribly uncomfortable.
The only thing I can think of is there has been a change of feed from Strategy to Purina Miniature Horse and Pony feed but the time line is not there for that either. I started feeding that about a year ago, and I can't imagine what could be in that food she can be allergic too so I am completely stumped.
She is the only horse with this problem.
What am I missing here?
I have had this girl since she was 5 months old. She is now 7.
This spring she started becoming very itchy all over her face and body. She body slams herself into the fence and in the stall walls and has rubbed off the skin on her face. She is kept body clipped so sweating under a heavy coat is not the problem. I also do not see any type of bug bites or bumps on her either and I have scoured the pastures for something like ants or something weird growing and have come up empty. We do not have trees or bushes or anything that would lead to allergies or blooming.
There have been no changes in bedding type, hay, environment. I groom a lot and do not see any sign of lice and have stripped her stall religiously and disinfected it. I have seen her roll around on the ground itching outside a lot so clearly this isn't a problem contained in the barn.
I considered her being allergic to clipper oil or blade wash but she has not been shaved now in several weeks so that's not it.
I have done everything I could think of:
medicated baths
topical meds to stop itching and promote the hair to grow back to no avail. She is terribly uncomfortable.
The only thing I can think of is there has been a change of feed from Strategy to Purina Miniature Horse and Pony feed but the time line is not there for that either. I started feeding that about a year ago, and I can't imagine what could be in that food she can be allergic too so I am completely stumped.
She is the only horse with this problem.
What am I missing here?