Sweet itch is an allergic dermatitis caused by hypersensitivity to Culicoides midge bites that causes intense itching and self-trauma in affected horses, requiring comprehensive management for adequate welfare.
Sweet itch causes intense and persistent itching that leads affected horses to engage in compulsive self-traumatic rubbing behavior that worsens the skin condition it is attempting to relieve. Untreated or poorly managed sweet itch creates a chronic cycle of hypersensitivity, self-trauma, secondary infection, and inflammation that causes sustained suffering throughout the midge season. The welfare burden compounds over successive seasons as sensitivity typically worsens. Comprehensive management combining physical midge exclusion, appropriate topical treatment, and strategic stabling provides the most effective welfare protection currently available.