Help for EXTREMELY dry skin

[TyeeRanch]

I just brought a new horse home that has the worse dry skin I have ever seen. I have had him for about three weeks now. I have wormed him and started him on Strongid daily wormer. Also treated him for lice (just in case). His whole body (even tail) is covered in dandruff and he is super itchy. I have dealt with skin problems before but this one has me stumped. Unfortunately I live where its cold enough this time of year that bathing or clipping is pretty much out of the question. I have him on a good diet now, before I got him it was just hay he was getting. Now he is on a small mix of Strategy/Beet Pulp with corn oil, and an overall skin/hoof/vitamin supplement.

I am open to any suggestions to get this boys coat healthy.

 

[O So]

I too have a guy that is itchy and has dandruff. I have been trying to deal with this since I got him in July. The vet I talked to about this told me to bath him with baby shampoo, then sponge a mixture of Keri Oil and water on him. I did this twice during the summer but obviously can't do it now that it is to cold! I hate to say it, but I don't think it really helped. My plan for next summer is to use Head n Shoulders to wash him with. I'll let you know if it works!

My feed store suggested I use something to treat for rain rot and other basic skin problems. Sorry, I don't remember what the name of the product was that I bought. I only bathed him once with it though. Then the vet told me about the baby shampoo.

I am going to treat for lice too. That is the only thing I have not done for trying to cure the itchiness. Just have to wait till he dries off from the rain!

Sorry I wasn't much help but just wanted to let you know what I was told to try.

I will be keeping an eye on this thread to see what else people come up with!

 

[Minimor]

I've only ever had a horse with this problem once. The mare had injured herself & was stressed, and I think that had some effect on her overall health, including skin condition. Anyway, because it was winter here bathing her with anything was out of the question. It wasn't even practical to apply anything topically--when it's 35 below I'm not keen on rubbing oils or creams into a horse's coat! We started giving her BOSS--a generous bit of it--in her grain. It really did make a difference. In just 2-3 weeks her skin showed some improvement and in 6 weeks or so her coat and skin were back to normal.

 

[goatkisses]

I had a wee mare come in with very dry, flaky skin. No lice, but itchy and uncomfortable. I put her on SmartShine Ultra by Smart Pak Equine. www.smartpak.com.

It has worked wonders.

 

[Reble]

Shave the back of the tail in the V shape than spray with bug spray for horses and also spray their manes.

 

[Matt73]

There are leave-in conditioner sprays that may work for dry skin. I saw one the other week in a tack shop around here and the owner said it was awesome stuff. But...can't think of what it's called right now. If I think of it I'll let you know.

Thought of it...I think it was Miracle Coat Leave-In Conditioner.

 

[happy appy]

I have found that feeding them oil really helps for dry skin.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I fed DAC Oil to my guys, and within two weeks all the flaking was gone. And my yearling mare was BAD... I was embarassed to have someone pet her.

 

[Relic]

Our vet has always said healthy skin and a good shinny coat starts on the inside. BOSS FLAX or Oil added twice a day to the ration helps plenty toward flakey dry skin for us especially during the winter months.

 

[disneyhorse]

Although DEFINITELY feed a high fat supplement with biotin for the coat... don't forget to curry the heck out of the skin daily to slough off the dead dandruff and get the oil glands flowing again. A good massage every day will do wonders.

Andrea

 

[TyeeRanch]

Thanks everyone!

I have him on Omega Horseshine and Corn oil. But he has only been on it for about two weeks. I have ordered some DAC oil as I have heard great things about it in the past as well. My next question is, can you overdo it on all of these supplements? If I fed the oil and Omega Horseshine, would adding some BOSS really overdo it?

I do plan to start a vigorous grooming schedule with him in the next couple of days. He is VERY itchy, so hoping all of this will start to help the poor guy soon.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I would cut down to maybe the BOSS and DAC. Too much oil will give him the skitzies....

Lucy

 

[Marty]

Besides vigerous daily grooming with brushes, the best thing I have found hands down for skin is a product made by Farnum called SUPER 14 AND SUPER 17 to mix in with the food. They love it.

 

[disneyhorse]

You shouldn't need more than one "supplement" for any one thing.... so choose the direction you want to go. I'd skip the BOSS and the oil if you can give a specific supplement such as the Omega HorseShine or the DAC oil. There's no need to go overboard. Things like skin conditions and weight gain take time, so be patient to see results.

Andrea

 

[goatkisses]

You shouldn't need more than one "supplement" for any one thing.... so choose the direction you want to go. I'd skip the BOSS and the oil if you can give a specific supplement such as the Omega HorseShine or the DAC oil. There's no need to go overboard. Things like skin conditions and weight gain take time, so be patient to see results.

Andrea

Agreed. BOSS and oil and a supplement like Omega HorseShine or DAC oil would be duplicating treatment. It will take upwards of a month to start to see results with a food supplement.

Some horsepeople find that buying some rosewater and glycerine (at the drug store) and applying it to the itchy areas can be soothing for the horse. I've rubbed it into an itchy mane or tail and it helps soften the skin while your feed supplement is working from within.