Scratches

[Marsha Cassada]

Billy has this wound-thing under the fetlock of one hind foot. When I first saw it last week I thought "scratches". Then I wondered if he caught it on the fence somehow. First I washed it with Selsun Blue. Next day I did peroxide. Then I tried silver spray. It's not getting better. So now I'm using a fungicide cream. I can't put his boot on as it would be right where the sore is. So, scratches or wound??

 

[LostandFound]

Kind of looks like a boo boo to me, but it probably wouldn't hurt to clip it and let the air get to it. I'm pretty sure they use diaper rash cream on scratches, desitin? Might help if it's scratches or a boo boo.

 

[Cayuse]

I can't decide what it looks like. I think I'm leaning towards scratches. When Oatie gets odd spots like that I've mixed a little bacitracin with the antifungal and clears them. Don't know what a vet would say about that though. Is that the foot he was lame on? Maybe he did catch it on something.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

He was not lame on that foot. This happened to quickly, just within a day or two as I look at his feet every time I groom. I think I will call for a vet appointment.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm using a cream from a dermatologist called Ketoconazole. This will be the third day. This morning the area looked much better, so I believe this is the correct treatment--it is scratches and not an injury. Hopefully it will be cleared up in a day or two. Checked his other feet today with no sign. Internet says it can happen to white feet caused by sun. Doesn't have to be a wet thing. Cannot believe all the things that can happen to a horse!

 

[LostandFound]

If they run out of things that can happen to them, they try real hard to find new things. I've only seen scratches cause by wet....but I live in an area where there is dew on the grass a lot of the year. It's hard to keep them dry.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I am washing the area to try to keep the scabs loose. It must be very painful, as he does not like it. I believe the fungal cream is working. You're right, it is a slow process to heal. How weird to get fungus when everything is bone dry. Also clipped his fetlocks to make sure his feet stay dry.

 

[Standards Equine]

Scratches, or Mud Fever, is a terrible thing. There's 2 trains of thought on it. 1. It's a fungus that lives naturally in the earth, like thrush. You can treat it with zinc ointment, antifungal, etc. 2. It's a toxic reaction to alsike clover that tends to erupt through the white skin on the lower limbs.
If it's very dry, I would suggest it's the clover exposure. Although I'm not sure. I do tend to keep white feet clipped really short to be sure.
And yes, it's quite tender once those scabs get a hold in there. Some horses get fully lame and quite swollen because of it.

I hope Billy recovers quickly!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

There is no clover here. It must just be a weird white foot thing. The last horse I dealt with has been gone more than 10 years, so maybe it is a soil thing. I cannot pout his boots on until it heals. He is doing great and ready for walks and short drives. But we'll have to wait for boots.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I was able to soak the scabs off tonight and it is looking really good. Another day or two and he can wear boots again.

 

[Abby P]

The alsike clover thing is totally different from scratches - it's photosensitivity and as such can happen on ANY white areas on the horse where the sun hits. I boarded with a few-spot Appy once who blistered and burned over huge areas of his body after eating alsike clover. The bay horses and the donkeys in the same field were not affected at all.

If that's Billy's only white foot then I wouldn't be surprised he has scratches on just that one! It can happen in dry conditions although not as likely, but it does, I remember horses getting it during the dry seasons when I lived in California.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The alsike clover thing is totally different from scratches - it's photosensitivity and as such can happen on ANY white areas on the horse where the sun hits. I boarded with a few-spot Appy once who blistered and burned over huge areas of his body after eating alsike clover. The bay horses and the donkeys in the same field were not affected at all.

If that's Billy's only white foot then I wouldn't be surprised he has scratches on just that one! It can happen in dry conditions although not as likely, but it does, I remember horses getting it during the dry seasons when I lived in California.

That clover doesn't grow here. Could some have been in his hay? I have no idea about that as one batch of bales I got from a hay broker.
Billy has four white feet. Don't horses drive you crazy sometimes?

 

[Abby P]

I'm not 100% sure but I think it has to be the fresh clover to cause the toxicity. So it's unlikely to be from hay! Especially if he has 4 white feet, the photosensitivity would be on all white areas.

It's possible he really did have an actual scratch/small scrape on that one leg and that allowed the fungus to get a foothold? They do definitely drive you crazy!! A bunch of cute fuzzy gaslighters.

 

[Standards Equine]

Well said ladies!!!