Bad Skin

Kathy2m · Jan 11, 2006

Hope you don't mind but I have a big horse problem and this is the only horse forum I belong to. I bought this qh mare 5 years ago she was in bad shape, very thin, she had a baby at her side and it looked like she had sweet itch all over her legs and face. That was not it, she has an allgery to fly bites we think, I have tried vetalog, dexamethazone, topical shampoos, I have auto sprayers in her stall she wears a fly sheet, mask, leg covers,and neck cover. She itches all the time it is better in the winter, but we have had a few warm days here and the itching has started, is there anything you guys have used to help stop the itch? She will itch until she bleeds. Thanks, Kathy

Lisa Strass · Jan 11, 2006

While I have no idea what your has or is reacting to, I would recommend you find a horse vet that specializes in dermatology. Yes, they do exist! If your vet doesn't know of one, try contacting your closest university with a large animal vet program. They usually have a vet on staff who handles these types of things. The dermatologist should be able to identify what is causing the skin problems in your mare and recommend treatment.

Sanny · Jan 11, 2006

I can't be of much help but............

I've actually got a mini with the same problem and have tried different things with my vet's advice.

Same stuff as you though, fly sheet, fly mask, topical products, supplements, different feed programs.....

and still he always looks as though he is having an allergic reaction to something. She also says he is allergic to bug bites. He also breaks out in a sort of rash when he is bathed and clipped.

The vet says we could put him on steroids during the summer months/fly season and that would control it but last year we didn't try that route because he was chunky already and she didn't want him getting even fatter from the steroids.

I will be watching this post and hoping someone else has a new suggestion.

I'm thinking this year we might try the steroids after all. In addition to the fly mask and sheets I am also going to put screens on the barn doors so that the inside of the barn stays as clear and free from flies, mosquitoes, etc. as possible.

Thellwellmini · Jan 11, 2006

Kathy, Sweet itch is a alergic reaction to fly bites! I have a 8 year old Appaloosa that has got this. He statrted as a yearling and has gotten worse every year. In the summer he is raw under his belly from chest to sheath. He is also sensative to alot of other things, like when it rainsand he gets wet he itches 10 times more than the regular horses. I have tried everything. Calm coat, Supliments,about every kind of fly sray there is and even Skin so Soft. I find the best thing to do is keep him clean, because mud drives him crazy! And I use the cheap fly sray from farnam and put some skin So Soft in it, and about 10 drops of tea tree oil. I also find that a product called Healing Tree with cortizone works relly good when he is real bad but you have to use all the prducts religiously. And keep them in from dawn to dusk because this is when theses flies feed on them. And keep using you fly sheets.

Lorie

Kathy2m said:
Hope you don't mind but I have a big horse problem and this is the only horse forum I belong to. I bought this qh mare 5 years ago she was in bad shape, very thin, she had a baby at her side and it looked like she had sweet itch all over her legs and face. That was not it, she has an allgery to fly bites we think, I have tried vetalog, dexamethazone, topical shampoos, I have auto sprayers in her stall she wears a fly sheet, mask, leg covers,and neck cover. She itches all the time it is better in the winter, but we have had a few warm days here and the itching has started, is there anything you guys have used to help stop the itch? She will itch until she bleeds. Thanks, Kathy

Pepipony · Jan 11, 2006

We had a Paso that had skin problems. Dont know what they were ( looong time ago) but we bathed her with a betadine solution. Aunt was a Nurse and she brought home gallons of out of date stuff. Really helped that mare.

I would find out what it is though, just in case what you are trying is aggravating her condition more.

Marty · Jan 11, 2006

You're in my old homeplace Florida so I know what evil lurks there. I've had quite a few of those cases pass through my life down there. I owned two just like that also.

I"ll give you a quick run down and you can discuss any of these ideas with your vet

This could not only be an allergy to flies but also fungal based. I've had so many like pass through my life that it's pitiful.

Matter of fact my good friend had a horse so bad and on a ton of daily shots and meds that she ended up sending him up here to me to the mountain to see if the enviorment helped. And yes it did. I cleared him all up over the summer months by doing absolutely nothing. When he returned to Florida, he got it almost immediately so here he came back to me again. I helped her sell him to someone way up north and to date, he has never had it since. Don't worry though I don't want your horse, but you may in fact give it some thought to send her north of Florida to a different climate. Don't rule it out.

First has your vet done a skin scraping to identify if this is fungal or an allergy? You need that answered otherwise it's like a shot in the dark. You have to know what you are treating and be exact. No sense guessing anymore. She's going to have to have a shot of something to slow down her itching problem while she can heal up. The vet has a few things in his bag of tricks to do the trick.

There are many things you can do that can help, but not cure 100% and this is the time to get aggressive down there where you are since many things are dormant. Get your vet to take some tests and get very aggressive. Could be rainrot since you mentioned the lower legs. That was pretty much an easy guess and fly bites would of course compound the problem.

It is very important to keep this horse dry and out of the rain, any moisture like that and morning dew down there is terribly heavy in places. Always looked like it rained there in the morning. Don't let her get out on this until about 10:00 am or so when the sun burns it off and it's dry.

Keep this gal under some serious fans so that they blow right on her from above and from the sides. Got to keep that air flowing and keep her comfortable as possible. SWEAT is your enemy.

Sometimes, I'd have horses like that under the hose every day on the wash rack treating them.

When she sweats try ABSORBINE REFERSHERMINT and do sponge baths. Keep the sweat off. It cuts right through the sweat, great stuff. Try sponge baths of iodine shampoo or bedadine shampoo. Spray listerene full strength on her legs and add a light mist around her body.

You can also try any of the AVVENO products from the drug store used for poison ivy and make a paste on her for some relief too. It helps soothe the itching.

Feed her Super 14 or Super 17 by Farnum. You have to heal her from the inside as well as from the outside. This is great stuff for problem hair coats. It will grow her a new hair coat all over. Then go over your feed/hay program. Don't know what you are feeding her but chances are that if sweet feed is in the picture, that seems to bring and contribute to these kinds of horses with skin problems. I do not know the connection but I know it does have some bearing on it, atleast that is what I believe to be true. If you also are on any alfalfa hay or coastel, try to replace it with that cheapy old pangola down there and see if any of this helps.

I would also remove all that stuff she is wearing in the stall. I have to dress Sonny up like that every day in the summertime too, but try not to do it in the stall. It's probably irratating her more and her body needs to breathe easily. Be sure that whatever you have loaded in your sprayer, she isn't allergic to that and try to find something herbal. Springtime catalog has a lot of herbal stuff in it. You might try that.

Hope this helps and good luck to you and your girl.

Kathy2m · Jan 11, 2006

I've had the skin scraping done its not fungal. I do have fans in the stalls. When I first got her I thought it might be fungal so bathed her in anti- fungal shampoo. I had a track vet tell me to try penicillin for 10 days it worked, like you say from the inside out, but it came back after she was off it. No she is not on sweet feed Oats and T/A hay, was on senior when I had her colt (he had a slow gut needed processed feed so he wouldnt colic) Not rain rot had one with that before, tried the no turn out until grass dry didnt help, when she comes in which is around noon, I would sponge her with applecider vinegar, thats supossed to help too. Her son ended up with it too, at about 1 yr, I gave him to people in N. Florida this fall hes doing well. Ive tried the natural shampoos and sprays nothing. There is some natural supplements for itching in my KV vet catalog that Im going to try. If it doesnt work she may need to find a new home, she's 18 and a sweet mare, I just feel so bad for her. Thanks for all your input. Kathy

Kathy2m · Jan 12, 2006

I forgot to add, a few years back a ran into the original owner of the mare at a show I asked about her skin, she said just use the Dex. and acted like it was no big deal, she said her babies all developed it and so did her sister (not very responsible breeding IMO) which makes me lean towards the allergy. The natural supplement is called stop itch ingredients: burdockroot, cleavers, dandelion, fenugreek seed, garlic, nettles, oregano, and seaweed. THANKS, Kathy