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VETERINARY ADVICE

Over the past five years, vet Stephen Ashdown has written many articles, spoken on equine matters and contributed widely to horse magazines.

Here he reproduces in the form of questions and answers about 100 topics, all of them common problems which afflict horses.

To access Topics click on Vet Advice Menu.

Sweet Itch relief
Q: My loan pony suffers from sweet itch. Are there any herbal remedies I can use?

A: There are a lot of different products on the market to treat sweet itch and choosing one can be very confusing. I have found that an ayurvedic formula such can help and will completely eliminate problems in many horses.

An effective sweet itch product should aim to repel flies and midges and also provide an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action. The most effective herb seems to be cedar root extract and we get good results in around 80% of cases.

Simple herbs such as garlic can also make a difference but make sure you choose the best quality garlic you can find. Other antioxidant herbal formulas can help a little, and plants such as nettle and marigolds may be useful. Even more effective than using herbs is the use of homeopathic remedies lie Ars alb.

Homeopathy is a different for of medicine from Herbalism. When used in expert hands these types of remedies can sometimes eliminate problems for good, but the exact product needs to be chosen to suit the horse's individual character and I would suggest you contact an expert for advice.

If you would like to try this approach with your horse, try to find a suitable trained vet in your area. The British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons should be able to put you in touch with a vet near you.

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