Palomino with skin problems

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

I have a palomino that is allergic to flies and keeps getting coated in rain rot. I have been able to give him shots for the itching with the flies but do you think he has these skin problems because of his color? I have an orange ticked calico cat that has major skin allergies and the vet said she had a cat with the same coloring that had the same problem. I think its the unusual coloring that does it. Could that be the same with a palomino? And also do you think feeding coat supplements would help him?

 

[nootka]

I am not sure.

I've had horses with pink skin that were more susceptible to rain rot, but the horse w/the worst allergy problems here happens to be black (luckily she outgrew them).

I would say no, though some horses DO have a tendency to have more problems, I have found that treating the cause seems to help.

There may be an underlying cause such as immune deficiencies, or a nutritional issue/imbalance, but overall, you have some detective work to do.

Liz M.

 

[Marty]

That's a highly intelligent question to ask and I surely don't have an answer but I do have my observations.

In Florida, many of my horses had skin issues but none were a light color. All bays. We did have boughts of rain rot here and there and sometimes horrible itching. I found that when the flies were out and it was very humid that all I had to do was keep them in the barn under fans and these problems would go away quickly.

When we moved those very same horses up here to the mountains, they never once had a skin problem ever again.

My friend back in Florida had a white horse who literally lived on an abundance of weekly shots and gobs of supplements because his allergies were so horrific. He was a "walking sore" and his neck and chest and underneath were covered in a mass of just plain nasty sores. She sent him to me to see if the mountain elevation and being inland would help. After just two weeks up here he was compeltely healed without injections or any supplements. He was shipped back to her the following year and it all came right back within days.

So I am quite on the fence with what the culprit of many skin irratations really are but I do believe that location and climate do play a role in the grand scheme of it all.

I also do believe that there can be an auto-immune situation going on that adds to it.

 

[Jill]

I own several palominos, and have been around palominos a long time. I would doubt that that particular color is a factor in the skin issues. However, I do know certain colors in certain animals are prone to issues (skin or otherwise). I just don't think palomino horses are one of them.

With the rain rot, I do know if you've had it on a horse, it can "live" in the soil, brushes, etc. for YEARS. That may be why it happens again.

 

[outlawridge]

Off the topic of your question but.... a product that might give your horse some relief is Micro Tek. Our mule, when she was still a baby at her breeder's, developed rain rot and I bought all three products for her. The shampoo, spray, and gel. It worked wonders and she never had another episode. Right now I use the dog shampoo and spray for my Chi mix who has allergies with great results. It is a bit spendier than other shampoos but worth every penny. I also sent the horse products to a friend of mine who's horse suffered from summer itch and it took care of it super fast.

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

He is an outdoor boy with a run in shed. The rain rot started to leave but then it rained and 2 days later he was coated again. He also loves to roll in dirt. So if the rain rot's in the soil that is not good. Do you think it would be good to keep him in the barn with a sheet over him so he can't get wet or anything? I exercise him a lot so he wouldn't be always 'cooped up'.

 

[outlawridge]

Keeping the horse dry is very important but so is sunlight. I would think keeping a sheet on him might promote some of that moisture near his skin or under the rain rot, to stay and that would not be good.

Make sure you are disinfecting brushes, blankets etc that might have the infection present. Also wash your hands if you have removed any scabs or groomed him, before you touch other horses or their brushes etc.

Have you bathed him with an appropriate medicinal type product yet? IMHO this is important and I would use the Micro Tec. Get him in the sun right after, even if you have to lead him till he is thoroughly dry.

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

I have a medicated shampoo and I've been using Captan a fungicide the vet recomended. So do you think if its sunny and he's outside but gets dirty from rolling he'll be fine? Should I bathe him every day? I don't want to remove too much oils from his skin. How many times a week is good?

 

[outlawridge]

I haven't used the product your vet recommended so I really don't know how often. Your vet should be able to tell you that. What we used, was once a week till the condition was gone, and the spray and gel every day. That is also how I use the dog shampoo and spray on my little Chi.

I would keep him as clean and dry as you can. Sunlight is very helpful for it. If he's rolling alot, then lightly brush him off as soon as you can. If some hair or scabs come off, then treat those spots right away. Keep him inside when raining. I'm not a vet, but this is what I have learned, and what worked, when having to help treat it.

 

[Marty]

Outlawrididge is so right on target with this.

I would keep him as clean and dry as you can. Sunlight is very helpful for it. If he's rolling alot, then lightly brush him off as soon as you can. If some hair or scabs come off, then treat those spots right away. Keep him inside when raining. I'm not a vet, but this is what I have learned, and what worked, when having to help treat it.

Rainrot is such a pain which is caused by bacteria that lives in the soil and it loves to present itself in muddy and rainy and humid conditions. After you later him up real good and leave the suds on him for a few minutes and bath him in something wonderful, keep this boy dry and out of the rain, away from bugs best you can; that's the key. Bed him good on clean shavings and if it's hot, run a fan on him. If you put a sheet on him, he'll sweat under it and that is also no good because the air cannot get to his skin easily. If he is hairy, shave him off so you can get to the problem easier if you are in a warm climate. There is also a product on the market that I have used for a million years by Farnum called Super 14 and Super 17 which is wonderful for bringing in gorgeous new hair coats on horses that have previously had skin problems. I highly recommend it; goes in the feed and they love it.

 

[ctgponies]

When my horses have had rain rot, we have bathed them with an anti-fungal shampoo (I use human dandruff shampoo) and then remove as much of the scabs off as possible. Once dry, I use generic Gold Bond Powder. I had an Appaloosa that had it really bad one autumn and it was too chilly to keep wetting him. I found the powder worked well since it was dry and I could really rub it into the skin. I use it for any kind of skin ailment and found it works well.

You can also try MTG. I've had good luck using that on ringworm on one of the rescue minis. It clears up lots of skin conditions.

Lighter areas on horses like stockings on the legs can be prone to rain rot or scratches. Also, photo sensitivity like dew poisoning (not as horrible as it sounds - it's a reaction to wet clover) usually is prevalant on lighter areas of the face so maybe lighter colored horses can be more sensitive. My bay horses are usually the ones that get rain rot and it's always after they have been out after several days of rain. Mine are out 24/7 and come in twice a day for feeding.

Good luck!

 

[Flaxenacres]

I have a palomino that has sweet itch. It is an alergig reaction to fly bites they call the no see ums. I use corta zone and swat cream to keep the flys off. If yours does indeed have this it is quite different from rain rot. It will look like rain rot but it is in differant spots like belly button, chest , between front legs. I once had an Appaloosa that had it and durring the summer his whole belly was rubbed raw. Lorie

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

Oh ya he has had sweet itch too. I've given him shots for that. And I've doused him in Fly spray and he is pretty much cleared up from that. I've tried MTG and it didn't seem to help just was really messy and my horse hated it. Glad it worked for you though ctgponies. So the main problem is now the rain rot. Maybe I should do a poll and see if any others with palominos have skin problems. We could be on to something here. What line did your palomino come from Flaxenacres? Mine was from Bond Sir Galahad.

 

[nootka]

Ok, I talked to my friend Bill, who has a dog that was near to losing his life (euthanasia) because he was having so many allergy and immune system problems (he is a pug X boston mix, and cute as can be).

He found out about this product from a veterinarian, and used it, and you would never know that Highlander was at death's door. He is glossy, strong and bright, and never seems to have any kind of issues anymore.

Here is a link to the product, it's called Missing Link (they formulate one for horses) and I think I'll give some a try for my old Gramma Pony since she's starting to limp on her right front (the hoof she uses for digging when she wants me to hurry with her food):

Missing Link Equine Formulation at KV Vet Supply

They have it for cats, dogs and horses as far as I can see, so if you have a stubborn case, and the vet has had their say, I would give it a try as long as the vet thinks it's alright....

Hope this helps!

Liz M.