Bye Bye, Fly

Bye bye fly. QUEENSLAND ITCH, SWEET ITCH, SUMMER ECZEMA and EQUINE ALLERGIC DERMATITIS are names for distressing skin conditions which affects horses in spring and summer months throughout Australia and around the world.

The usual cause is a hypersensitivity to the bites of flies (in particular sand flies or midges). While the bite of the flies are an irritation, some horses develop sensitivity to the bite and will rub themselves so much that they cause injury to their skin.

Research shows the cause is an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the saliva of the midges (as with humans). Not only that, but once or twice a day, stable flies come to the horse, feed vigorously for a minute or two, and then return to the shade to digest their food. These bites can cause intense irritation in some horses. The bites appear as small raised lumps with a central scab.

The effects on the horses can be dramatic. They suffer intense pruritus (itchiness) on the mane, tail, face, ears and back, resulting in biting, rubbing, hair loss, self-trauma and a change of temperament. They become miserable and irritable.

KURITCH has been specially formulated to help assist this problem effectively, in a number of ways:

Firstly, it repels the biting insects using the combination of the natural repellent “Citronella Oil” and a highly effective repellent “DEET”. Secondly, it soothes the irritated areas thus relieving the horse from biting and rubbing, which in turn allows the normal healing process to begin.

It achieves this by the inclusion of the natural antiseptic “Eucalyptus oil” and Camphor oil” which naturally relieves itchy skin. These significant benefits are also enhanced by the “Rain Resistant” and “Low irritant” formula. As it doesn’t contain alcohol (prevalent in most fly sprays) it won’t “sting” the horse. It can also be applied to surface wounds, minor cuts and skin abrasions to help prevent irritation and possible infection by nuisance insects.

Registered by the APVMA in Australia for over 40 years, extensive field experience has proven KURITCH to be a most effective solution for both preventing and healing distressing skin conditions caused by biting insects. As well as KURITCH as a repellent, environmental management will alsoassist in protecting your horse.

Midges breed near stagnant water. As they don’t fly more than a few hundred metres from their breeding area, housing or paddocking your horses more than 500 metres from those areas will reduce their exposure to the flies. Also rugging, hooding or stabling your horses between the hours of 4pm – 7am during spring and summer will limit the contact of the flies.

Should your horse already be suffering from the effects of allergic skin dermatitis, ensure you use QUIT ITCH to treat and relieve the effects of insect bites. Since the 1970’s, QUIT ITCH has been an essential weapon in the fight against skin disorders in horses.

Quit Itch and Kuritch are available online now and at your local Tuckers store.