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Persistent scratches...

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Any suggestions? I'm talking persistent as in like 8+ months now. Vetericyn? Well Horse? Something else? We've tried biozide, desitin, and God knows what else.

TheRedHayflinger Tue, 07/13/2010 - 21:58

I've used well horse with great success on scratches, rain rot, cuts, you name it (all on the same horse--a rescue)

If it's that persistent--has the vet suggested anything?

accphotography Tue, 07/13/2010 - 22:18

Vet suggested the biozide. *shrugs* She supported the desitin trial (as did another vet). Otherwise they haven't really. One of them said we could do a penicillin round but I'd rather avoid that.

Ok. I think that made up my mind I'll try Well Horse. That's 3 good reviews I've heard about it. Sad it's so dang expensive, but the amount of biozide and desitin I've bought at this point would cover a ton of the stuff.

Monsterpony Fri, 07/16/2010 - 18:24

The best thing would be to get the area dry. Ointments aren't going to be able to do a lot if the skin is still damp. Have you done antibiotics? What are you doing other than an ointment- ie washing/clipping the area?

accphotography Fri, 07/16/2010 - 21:18

We kept it clipped and washed (and dried immediately) for several months to no avail. At present our weather is insanely dry and she's virtually never wet. That was also part of the goal of the desitin, to seal out any moisture that there might be.

We have not done systemic antibiotics yet. Our vet isn't concerned enough about them to even mention antibiotics. The other vet that saw her said some type of cillin for 5 days would probably do it but even he didn't recommend as he thought we could handle it topically. Clearly that's not the case though.

accphotography Sat, 07/17/2010 - 11:47

I have definitely wondered that, but it grows in circles (something that indicates fungal) and both vets that have seen it said it definitely looked like scratches to them. At least 5 other horses at the farm have been battling the same thing. one of them was cured with silver sulfadiazine cream and sweats. We tried sweats with various creams but we haven't had access to any of the SSD cream. I'm tempted to specifically request it, but I may consider trying the Well Horse first.

Heidi Sat, 07/17/2010 - 12:23

Dumb question, and you may have already tried it and I missed it ...

When you said it grew in circles and indicated fungal, have you tried wash/dry and then spray on an athlete's foot spray? No cream, a spray, and leave it open and unwrapped since it is so dry out?
Or a "tea-tree" spray-on-let-air-dry product?

accphotography Sat, 07/17/2010 - 14:42

Hmmmm. No, actually I haven't. Are you thinking like Tinactin? The tea tree makes sense too. That's definitely something I'd be willing to try.

As of now I've scrubbed it clean of everything and have just left it open for about 4-5 days now. I think it looks pretty good but it's hard to tell without either clipping it again or wetting her down so I can see it better.

FWIW it is ONLY on her WHITE legs.

TheRedHayflinger Sat, 07/17/2010 - 19:22

that seemed to be the only horses at college and at the BSA camp I worked at who got it..the ones with white legs and only on their white legs. I've never had it on a horse that I've owned, but dealt with it a lot and it can be a pain in the butt.

accphotography Sat, 07/17/2010 - 21:37

I picked up a Tinactin spray today just because I could and it makes sense. I also have some tea tree oil (I'm making a face wash for a friend) so if the Tinactin doesn't work I'll give that a go (diluted of course, that's strong stuff).

After that then I'll try Well Horse. I'll be an expert at the end of this.

Heidi Sun, 07/18/2010 - 12:16

That's weird that it's only the white legs that are affected! I wonder if it has anything to do with photo-sensitivity from the white reflecting light away? Or allowing more light to illuminate the growing organisms?
Which leg is her white one? ... if it is a back leg, could it be a pee-spatter issue?
I hope the tinactin works, that was what I was thinking; an anti-fungal spray.

TheRedHayflinger Sun, 07/18/2010 - 12:18

what I found interesting when I worked at the BSA camp...I had both my mares up there...Sadie for two years and Gypsy for one...Gypsy has 4 white legs, Sadie has two white back legs....neither of them got scratches, but dang if every single other one of those horses up there with white legs didn't get them.

TheRedHayflinger Sun, 07/18/2010 - 13:07

they were tossed out in the same field as all the rest of the camp horses. Fed the same hay and Gypsy got the same grain (Sadie doesn't get grain). Shelter was limited to a dense stand of trees and there was a small barn on site we could use if needed, but never was used.

The camp only ran for 2 months..but it was generally during the 2nd month that horses started getting scratches--so I thought mine might come down with it (I had sadie there my 3rd and 4th year and Gypsy there my 4th year)
The camp horses came from a different area than I live at...the first three years they came from a place about 2 hours from my house in Ohio..the 4th year they came from a barn out in Pennsylvania (we leased them for the summer, camp didn't own horses). I had visited the Ohio farm several times in the off season just to keep tabs on the horses and make sure all was well and all that stuff--the owner invited me out. They lived in about the same way my girls live...24/7 turnout with access to a barn/lean-to.

Also going to add--we get severe mud at my place in the winter/spring due to high rainfall/snowfall. The horses front field is usually a muddy mess as nothing much grows there, but they have access to dry stalls and a back field that isn't a dry lot/sacrifice lot that gets muddy and stays pretty firm on the ground. The front lot also has a natural spring that feeds down into it, adding to the mud.

accphotography Sun, 07/18/2010 - 14:27

[quote="Heidi"]That's weird that it's only the white legs that are affected! I wonder if it has anything to do with photo-sensitivity from the white reflecting light away? Or allowing more light to illuminate the growing organisms?
Which leg is her white one? ... if it is a back leg, could it be a pee-spatter issue?
I hope the tinactin works, that was what I was thinking; an anti-fungal spray.[/quote]

Haha... she has THREE white legs. *sigh* High ones too.

One of the vets suggested photosensitivity, but she only gets about 2 hours of sun a day. That's why we decided to try the desitin though to see if keeping the sun off would help. It did seem to help a great deal, but it just couldn't kick it all the way.

I'll start the Tinactin tonight.

lipigirl Sun, 07/18/2010 - 16:33

Gypsy cobs do suffer from bog burn on thier feathers but not usually mud fever IME - they are made of stronger stuff and the Gypsys would not have put up with animals not not hardy enough.