filly with a scabby patch on her back

[Genie]

I am guessing it's "rain rot". The patch is about the size of a fist.

The mare is very pink skinned with a soft white and palomino pinto coat. We have been keeping her lightly clipped all summer as we show her. I presume it happened when she was out for her 2 hour pasture break and maybe a small rain then hot sun which caused the mess.

Any suggestions on a product to soften the hard patchy area .

I have been bathing it in warm water and drying with a towel and then applying Moisture Max. It isn't budging.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

You could fall back on the old stand by, MTG, which altho it smells awful, is greasy rather 'yucky' should help clear it up PDQ. If she doesn't have a thick coat and is kept quite clean it could be something that you should have the vet look at tho, rain rot is not the only thing that can cause that appearance and some things may need specialized treatment to clear them up.

 

[Genie]

Okay, thank you. Just assumed it had to be rain rot.

She is kept pretty clean and clipped, so the outbreak really surprised me.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Your saying she was clipped made me really wonder since rain rot is usually seen where the horse stays damp (thick winter hair that fails to dry completely) and has dirt/scurf on the skin. I've never seen it on a clipped horse. I'd be inclined to say it is not rain rot and have it looked at but if it is not spreading or getting worse if it were my horse I'd try the MTG first and if I saw no improvement fairly soon then I'd for sure have the vet out to ID the problem. If you have other horses that she is in contact with you might want to consider it could be something contagious and call the vet sooner rather than later tho.

 

[Genie]

Yes, I am now thinking your way.

Anyway, I'll get a vet to take a look. THanks again.

 

[little lady]

I have to agree with Reignmaker Miniatures it doesn't sound like rain rot, I think I would have a vet take a look see to be on the safe side for the mini as well as any others.

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

When i clipped Dev, he had these tiny tiny little scars or discoloration of hair that was like black scars on his barrel and white hair on his neck all over him. I was concerned when i took him to the show and an experienced mini-owner friend of ours told us he had rain rot. It probably was since we got him in early winter, and we didnt have a good blanket for him (stupid me) Ive been washing him with IODINE shampoo for a month now and the hair is now a lighter sorrel color against his dark sorrel coat. But there never were scaby bumps...thought id share

But when you say hard patchy area, do you mean a scab or just hard skin?

 

[Genie]

It is a patch of hair that is matted and hard. The hair is matted due to the secretion from whatever is happening on her skin.

She hates any touching on the area and there is a scabby covering on the skin, under the hair. It's hard to describe.

I have taken a warm water compress to try to soften the patch but it doesn't do too much to help. It is a bit runny when it does loosen off.

I think a vet visit is required.

I have iodine shampoo and that won't hurt likely. Thank you!

 

[Reble]

Genie if it was me I would put on the Shriners herbal spray..will kill any bacteria ..

 

[rubyviewminis]

Just lending some experience. My buckskin filly is very sensitive to certain bug bites and to citronella that I mixed in an organic spray to prevent the bugs. Anyway at 3 months in Sept. her croup was suddenly covered with those hard scab spots and she was clipped. She was very sensitive about them, and they itched. Vet confirmed allergic bite reaction. Last year no matter how diligent we were in Sept again it happened and she was clipped, but that time only in two spots on her rump. I used Aloe Gel on them and kept her in a stall until they softened, then we put Vetericyn gel on them and the scabs fell off and new skin was underneath in 4 days and healed. Same thing happened last month with the Citronella (which I will never add in again) and she had the same hard scab from her wither to her rump where I sprayed her. The Vetericyn gel right away calmed the tenderness and in two days with a bath lightly brushing, the scabs flaked off and the Vetericyn healed it by weeks end.

So it is probably an allergic reaction to a bite or something else. I had never dealt with this before, but I know rain rot and it is different.

 

[albahurst]

We had a stubborn spot on a filly a couple of years ago - sounds much like what you are experiencing. Vet told us to use 10% Providone Iodine- full strength poured directly on the spot- do not wash off- 10 days/once daily.....very effective!

 

[Genie]

Many good ideas. I have the Schreiner spray, I should have thought of that Mary.

Rubyviews' post may very well be closer to what is going on here. I'll take a picture this morning if it will show up well enough for posting.

I certainly appreciate all the feedback.

 

[sassy1]

Could she be sun-burnt?

 

[Riverrose28]

We once bought a colt that had a really bad case of rain rot on his back and hips. This is what the vet recommended that I do and it worked. Bath the horse with shampoo and warm water, the shampoo itself has some anitbiotic killing power, then treat the scabs witch split, do not attemp to remove as the skin is sore, gently pat betadine solution onto the area, then rinse again. Apply baby oil liberly, put horse in a stall, otherwise they will get dirt and debris under the scabs, bad enough they get stall bedding on top. Repeat this process until scabs loosen enough to be gently picked off, If horse resists in any way stop as it is still too painfull, be patient. Keep repeating until all scabs are gone then clip entire area and retreat with betadine. This same horse still to this day gets rain rot on his back every year, so I know now to watch for it and to catch it early, some horses are just prone to it.

 

[Genie]

This gal's Mum used to get these spots but not as bad as this case. She is pink skinned and her coat is very soft.

Yes, Sassy1, sunburning may be part of it too.

I got Fiske's for rain rot, and other skin conditions. It is in a small jug with a brush so you can paint it on. It is like butterscotch syrup. I painted her yesterday and cleaned her this morning with a warm soapy bath and it is looser and she is not as tender or touchy about it. I towel dried her and reapplied the Fiske's. It looks like this is going to work....fingers crossed.