As the saying goes, "Beauty comes from within," and the skin is a direct reflection of what’s happening beneath the surface. When it comes to itchy skin, the root cause is connected to the detoxification gut:liver:kidneys pathway.

Sweet itch - more than a skin problem

Persistent skin irritations, and especially sweet itch, probably the worst of equine skin torments, are more than just surface problems - they’re rooted in systemic detoxification imbalances.

Sweet itch has been a personal battle for two of Carol's (EquiNatural's founder) horses, Kelso and Mac. While it's traditionally thought to be an autoimmune response to the Culicoides midge, recent research (2021) reveals that sweet itch is not merely a skin issue. The skin symptoms are undeniable, but the underlying cause lies in a multi-metabolic detoxification disorder ( KPU ), where a significantly disturbed microbiome leads to extensive inflammation of the gut lining, disrupting the liver/kidneys detoxification process.

This triggers a hyperactive immune response, leaving the body highly sensitive to allergens and resulting in a massive increase in toxins. In essence, at its core sweet itch is a chronic autoimmune issue, triggered by a detoxification disorder.

The role of the kidneys and skin

The kidneys, tasked with excreting toxins while maintaining vital balances (acid-base, minerals, water, and blood pressure), have a limited capacity. When overwhelmed, the y rely on an emergency detox pathway - the skin. This overload leads to excessive toxin excretion through the skin, causing severe itching, particularly in summer when insect bites compound the problem.

Fly rugs can help by preventing midge bites, reducing symptoms. However, for some horses, the metabolic burden is so overwhelming that the skin becomes the primary elimination organ. This explains why some horses scratch persistently, even in winter.

The hidden danger of kidney overload

A major challenge is that kidney insufficiency often remains invisible until significant damage - up to 70% - has occurred. This makes early intervention critical. For sweet itch or fly-affected horses, fly rugs provide some relief, but for horses with non-sweet itch-related skin issues, the root cause is often severe gut biome dysbiosis.

A whole-body approach

To truly address itchy skin, we need to consider the entire detoxification system: the gut, liver, and kidneys. If the kidneys are overloaded, the liver is likely struggling too, disrupting the toxin biotransformation process. This creates a chain reaction that begins with gut biome imbalance and ends with the skin serving as an emergency excretion pathway.

This same process applies to conditions like mallenders and sallenders, which are also linked to impaired liver and kidney function.

Note

Full disclosure - SwItchTonic will not 'cure' sweet itch. It's fed for effective symptomatic relief only, while supporting gut, liver and kidney function.

As of October 2021, emerging research now shows that sweet itch is linked to a widespread, multi-metabolic detoxification disorder called Cryptopyrroluria (KPU). For more information, visit our KPU page .

For the latest research and updates, see our main A-Z Coat & Skin page.

🌿Dried Herbal Blend

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• Feed 5g/100kg bodyweight per day, i.e. 25g for a 500kg horse.
• 1 x level 75ml scoop = 12-grams.
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• Supplied in a resealable, food-grade foil pouch for freshness.

💧Tincture

• Feed 6ml/100kg bodyweight per day, i.e. 30ml for a 500kg horse. Shake well before use.
• Our tinctures come in a heat-sealed, twin-neck, child-resistant HDPE plastic dosing bottle, complete with dosing chamber. *HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) plastic is 100% recyclable, and energy-efficient to produce. Safe for food/water storage, it reduces waste and emissions while resisting wear. A top sustainable choice to match the EquiNatural ethos.