Whilst there are many obvious causes for tail itching, one of the problems which is not even thought about is the fact of animals being attacked in the delicate inner thigh area by all sorts of biting insects. This area is not always checked by owners.
Checking down the tail bone is also something that does not seem to be done regularly and often times insects are able to battle through the thick hair on tails to reach down and do further damage.
Biting insects may range from March flies & ticks to sand lice and mosquitoes.
The problem for the animals is that they are not in a position to manipulate their bodies sufficiently to relieve the itching by biting or rubbing the area with their muzzles. So, guess what ? The closest and easiest area to scratch near the site is the tail and it can sustain a lot of damage - in some instances the skin can be ruptured causing supurating sores and depending on the object chosen for scratching, splinters of wood can exacerbate the problem by causing deep
infections.
So it pays to really check your horse over thoroughly and discover just how much of your animal has been under attack at the rear end and provide a good atopic medication to help relieve the problem. You may even need to consider having something like a longer tail flap to protect the thighs and may a tail bag to protect the tail bone.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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