Rain Rot in Minis

[lightfootsgrandmaverick]

My mini gelding had some bare spots on his upper neck and chin/jaw and I think it might be rain rot. Any other possibilites?

 

[Rhondaalaska]

Could she be rubbing her fur off.

My girl has done that

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Does he have scabs? I think in severe cases it can cause hair loss. Could be lice.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Unlikely to be rain rot. That should have scabs associated with it.

More likely to be lice.

Dr. Taylor

 

[Barnmother]

My guess (unfortunately for experience) would be lice.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Just because I like to be different I'll say yes, rain rot (altho I am loathe to disagree with Dr. Taylor since he is far more educated in all things health related than I am) The reason I say rain rot is because I have a gelding that manages to loose a single patch of hair at the base of his mane/withers every year about this time. It looks much like your picture, bald, not scabby and the hair in that patch pulls off easily down to the skin. I am confidant it is not lice (or any other parasite for that matter)since it does not respond to treatment for external parasites and he shows no inclination to be itchy at all. I have some

experience with lice,ticks and mites on horses and it is not like any of those. Once the weather improves and he stays dry (he ignores shelter during the day - he is stalled at night - so if we have snow it settles on his back and melts thro in that one spot)it clears up almost overnight and I don't have to do much to it at all. I do everything I can to keep him dry up to and including wiping him down at night when I stall him but already this spring I have pulled that small area of hair away and he is growing a new fuzz over the bald spot. He does have a blanket but I don't use it until the weather is above freezing and wet (or he is clipped)since it gets so cold here that blanketing will pack down his natural winter hair and leave him cold. I have had this gelding for9 years now and we have seen the same thing every spring, some years worse than others. Oh yes and just FYI he is a horse who is extremely difficult to keep the weight off of so he tends to have a small depression at that very spot to hold water.