How does Finecto+ Horse work for horses with sweet itch?
Has your horse been scratching itself to smithereens every summer? It may be suffering from sweet itch. Horses with sweet itch are sensitive to proteins found in the saliva of midges (the culicoides mosquito). With every mosquito bite, some of this protein is deposited which causes an itch that becomes worse over time in sensitive horses. It is important to protect horses with sweet itch from these bites. Finecto+ Horse is one of the measures that contribute to keeping the itch under control. Read on to learn how Finecto+ fits in a complete approach to sweet itch among horses.
A complete approach to sweet itch
Sweet itch cannot be tackled with a supplement alone. It requires a complete approach. The more measures you take, the more ‘itch-free’ your horse will be throughout the summer. Timing is key. Start treatment before the first mosquito bites and make sure to prevent an outbreak. Sweet itch usually occurs around the manes and tail base, but it tends to affect the head and the stomach as well.
How does Finecto+ Horse combat sweet itch
Finecto+ Horse is a supplement based on herbs and etheric oils. These herbs are absorbed by the body and excreted by the skin which makes the horse less appealing for mosquitoes to bite. Midges can’t stand the scent of certain ingredients such as the etheric oils citronella and citronellal. The effect of Finecto+ Horse is enhanced when the horse sweats. Finecto+ Horse is part of the complete approach. We recommend to combine it with other measures to combat sweet itch such as a sweet itch blanket, external spray, limiting sugar intake, cannabinoids and a detox.
Below an overview of the steps necessary to get sweet itch under control:
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1- Start treatment in time
It is recommended to start treatment as soon as temperatures exceed 10 degrees Celsius. Sometimes this means using a sweet itch blanket and the Finecto+ Horse supplement as early as March. Keep a close eye on the temperature and mosquito radar. You can’t be too early, but you can certainly be too late!
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2- Give the horse a detox
Make sure you horse’s immune system is healthy. It helps the animal fend off mosquito attacks and process midge saliva. It is recommended to give your horse a detox twice a year: before and after the sweet itch season. A detox regimen takes at least a week. Opt for a detox that stimulates liver and kidney function, preferably combined with gall bladder function as well.
A detox also enhances the effect of Finecto+ Horse. Finecto+ Horse isn’t absorbed as efficiently in the case of reduced immune function or accumulation of waste substances in the body. The “cleaner” the horse, the better it works.
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3- Start using a sweet itch blanket early
A blanket prevents your horse from being bitten. Start using it as soon as temperatures go up (above 10 degrees Celsius) to prevent the first mosquitoes from biting. A sweet itch blanket is most suitable since the fabric is designed to be airy without allowing the mosquitoes to penetrate it. Is it raining? You can also place the sweet itch blanket underneath a rain blanket or you can use a rain blanket with a neck piece during the wet season. Unfortunately, a rain blanket alone does not offer enough protection from mosquito bites.
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4- Avoid sugar-rich food
Sugars occur in coarse fodder and grass as well as in concentrate. Have your coarse fodder analysed for sugar and after a cold night, do not let your horse out into the meadow in the early morning. Work with strip grazing to let your horse enjoy the grass in limited doses. Only use concentrate if your horse’s work requires it. Opt for vitamin kibble/balancer or go for low-sugar concentrate instead.
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5- Avoid places with a lot of mosquitoes
Midges are most active during twilight, so it is recommended to keep your horse indoors around dusk and dawn. Limit access to places with a lot of trees (shelter). Midges aren’t great at flying so their numbers are limited in open space with a lot of wind.
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6- Maintain your horse’s weight
Underweight and overweight can affect sweet itch. A horse with underweight may suffer from an impaired immune system which may increase its sensitivity to insect bites. Overweight renders the horse more sensitive to itching as well. These horses also tend to have hardened manes which indicates an excess of sugar. This often makes the itch worse and makes the blood more appealing to mosquitoes.
Exercise is a great solution. It helps the horse lose weight while stimulating blood circulation, enhancing the rate of waste substance disposal. 20 minutes of moderate walking is enough to contribute!
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7- Treat wounds and irritation
Still got some itchy spots? Treat them with a mild, nourishing, natural cream. Treat these spots immediately to prevent them from getting worse and causing more nuisance.
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8- Be consistent
Do you want your horse to get through the summer as itch-free as possible? Be consistent about feeding it Finecto+, covering it with a blanket and limiting sugar intake. Consistent implementation of these steps is the only way to keep sweet itch under control.
How long should Finecto+ Horse treatment last?
We recommend to use Finecto+ Horse throughout the entire fly season.
Sometimes the season ends late August, but at other times it lasts until late September. We recommend to keep using the Finecto+ Horse supplement from March till September.
You can also use Finecto+ Horse year-round to help combat mites.
Usage:
By complains:
Horses weighing more than 400 Kg.:
– 1st week 6 measuring spoons per horse per day,
– 2nd week 4 measuring spoons per day,
– after that 2 measuring spoons per day.
Horses and ponies up to 400 Kg.:
– 1st week 3 measuring spoons per horse per day,
– 2nd week 2 measuring spoons per day,
– after that 1 measuring spoon per day.
Preventative treatment:
Horses weighing more than 400 Kg.:
– 2 measuring spoons per day.
Horses and ponies up to 400 Kg.:
– 1 measuring spoon per day.
- More than 95% less problems with mites, midges and lice
- 100% natural and contains no poison.
- The strength of herbs
- Ordered before 15.00 u, sent the same day!
- 600 g
- More than 95% less problems with ectoparasites
- 100% natural and contains no poison.
- The strength of herbs
- Ordered before 15.00 u, sent the same day!
- 3000 g
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can Finecto+ Horse also be used for pregnant or nursing mares?
Yes, this isn’t a problem. Finecto+ Horse is safe for pregnant and nursing mares.
- How long does a container of Finecto+ Horse typically last?
The contents of a container of Finecto+ Horse is 600 grams, and one measured scoop is approximately 6 grams. For a preventative dose, a container of Finecto+ Horse will last 50 days for a horse and 100 days for a pony. For a curative dose, the first
- Is there a value-sized container available?
Yes, there’s also a 3-kg bucket of Finecto+ Horse available. Go to our web shop here to see the Finecto+ Horse value-sized bucket.
- How should I detox my horse?
It’s best to detox/drain your horse with herbs such as artichoke, juniper berry and milk thistle. We have had good experiences with HELTIE horse liver and kidney supplement, which is a treatment of 5 – 7 days.
- What is the composition of Finecto+ Horse?
Unfortunately, freely available herbs cannot be registered. This means that at this time we are not able to disclose the exact composition, given that our competitors would love to reproduce it. Of course, we would prefer to reveal its full composition, which is why we are currently working on registering the product. However, this is very time-consuming as well as expensive. We have, in the meantime, been granted certificates from the NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) establishing that it is free of veterinary drugs. As a result of the fipronil crisis, the NVWA re-analysed all products for chickens in the lab, including ours. This product (Finecto+ oral) is exactly the same as the formula for horses, except that the concentration and the filler used are different. For the formula for horses we use fenugreek as the filler. View the certificate here. The formula also contains citronellal and citronellol for example. We do not use garlic in our formula. Is your horse allergic to a particular herb? If so, contact us so that we can verify whether or not that substance is in the formula.
