Ring Worm

[jdhand]

I am starting to get my horses ready for Nationals. I got my little filly out of her stall and clipped her and it was horrible what I found. She is covered in ring worm. She was shown in May and had no signs of anything. Her hair has grown since then and it has been really warm here. Anyway the vet couldn't come until Monday, so I took a picture of all the whelps and whatever and took the picture to him. He feels that it is ring worm. Anyway I started treating her today and we will see what happens. Does anyone else have any great suggestions. She has this stuff on both sides of her body, her back and neck. She hasn't been showing signs of itching. This horse lives in a barn with fans and fresh shavings and is only turned out a couple of hours a day in the cooler parts of the day. I would have never thought this could happen. I am open for any suggestions.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Ringworm is not caused by dirty conditions. It comes from contact with the fungus. It can be in the soil, on tack, other animals including horses and rats, and humans which can then pass it to your horse. Dirty conditions can worsen the infection but not cause it. Sunlight is the best antiseptic there is and a horse kept out of sunlight can be more susceptible to ringworm although sun won't cure it once the horse has it. A horse lacking in vitamin A can also be more susceptible to ringworm fungus of which there are several types. The spores of the fungus can live for over a year. What I would do to treat it is igorously rub the spots with either strong iodine or bleach to kill the fungus. Keep her separate from all your other animals and if you handle her wash up well afterwards. Don't use any brushes, halters, leads, etc on her and then on others. As your horse seems to be covered with it you can use a 10% bleach and water solution to bathe her with. It will likely take 3 to 4 weeks for the hair to grow back in. Follow your vets advice for treatment.

 

[Bess Kelly]

My show horses were normally washed with mild bleach water to help kill any "stray fungus" they might have come into contact with in all the strange stalls. (which were also spray prior to their going in them).

However, you might try the spray on Lotrimin. You can use the cream but, the spray is not as likely to attrack dust, etc. This is a fungal product. Depends on how severe the spots are already as to how much they show and will heal. But, it won't be re-haired overnight.

: I'd sure keep her rinsed from now until Nationals to keep it cleared. Best of Luck. This stuff always waits until "critical time" to appear

 

[jdhand]

What is weird about it is that you couldn't tell she had it until I clipped her. Her hair is still there, just has the whelps and raised red circular stuff. Anyway I am going to clean out her stall and spray it with bleach and then wash her with the bleach solution and then clip the other horses that I have been turning out with her. I hope they are not like she is. Anyway the vet gave me this shampoo for fungus and this spray to spray on her. I did all of it today and she may be better in the morning. As far as her vitamins she is being fed Omolene 200 and good quality Hay. I will keep everyone posted on the outcome. Thanks for the help.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Any possibility she has been bitten by gnats, fleas, ants, etc.? Sometimes these can cause welts. An allergic reaction. Is so, some antihistamine may help that.

Hey, lucky you -- she still has hair :bgrin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

This may well not be ringworm.

If it is it will show up under ultra violet light- your Vet should have one.

As Milo says there are many kinds of viral infection that are lumped together under the heading "ringworm"

So long as this mare is not to be used for breeding this year you can simple put Griseofulvin (from your Vet and PLEASE adjust the dosage as YOU see fit!!) in her feed and it will clear up.

IF it is ringworm you do need to bleach down any wooden surfaces she has come in contact with and wash all her brushes.

I would be keeping a weather eye on the other horses, but not panicking.

So long as the animal is healthy it actually can run it's course and clear up without any intervention (clinical trials, not personal experience

)

 

[jdhand]

Just got back from the barn and she looks some better today. The whelps are not as firey looking. I am heading back to the barn in a few minutes to clip the horse next to her and see what he looks like. We are going to bleach the barn and all today. Anyway keep the suggestions coming and I will keep everyone posted. Thanks to all. Rabbitfizz I think you may be right. I think this may be in the family of ringworm, but not the typical ringworm fungas. The vet is coming on Monday and I will let you all know.

 

[Jean_B]

Having grown up on a dairy farm - I know how horrible ring worm can be....been there, done that....on ME!

Be sure you use a separate set of blades for each horse!! And then hit those blades with a strong dose of anti-fungal soap, bleach, or iodine, then wash them in blade wash. Hit them again with the anti-fungal, blade wash and then let them dry. Wash all blankets, halters, etc.

Since she was really woolly and it's been humid...could it be rain rot? That's a fungus but not as destructive as ring worm. Ring worm will follow the hair follicle right down to the root and it takes many treatments to get rid of it.

Like "Milo" said - sunlight does an excellent job of helping to get rid of it. Now that she's clipped, put her out in the sun - in addition to vigorously attacking the crud with anti-fungal stuff, whether it's ring worm or some other fungus.

 

[stormy]

If it is ring worm tinactine spray works well, if it is the easier to get rain rot betadine scrub should clear it up. Many have also recommended an antibiotic though I have never gone that route. Would help to insure you don't get a secondary bacterial infection in the irritations. I will add it seems in my experiance outbreaks are more likely to occur in your best kept horses that are bathed frequently, don't know why, maybe the fungus can get in better because the hair is shorter/shaved or because the natural oils have been stripped by washing. I now try to always use an iodine shampoo when I can as a preventative.

 

[jdhand]

Well I washed and checked all the horses in the barn today and only the horse next to the filly has the same stuff, but not as bad. I clipped him and washed him with bleachy water and fungal shampoo. Then put the stuff on him the vet gave me. I also cleaned the fillies stall to the floor and sprayed all walls and floor with bleach water and put new shavings in. I washed her again today and sprayed her down again with the spray. I will update tommorrow how things look.

 

[jdhand]

Well the vet came today and it seems that these two horses are having an allergic reaction to something. I feel like it has to be some type of insect in their stalls. I don't know. Anyway I sprayed the stalls with insecticide and put shavings back. They are on antihistimine for the reaction and hopefully they will start getting better. Today the one that didn't have it so bad looked worse than the other one. Anyway I will keep everyone posted so if it happens to someone else they will know what to do. I just feel like they getting bit by something and having a reaction. They just have whelps and hives all over them. The barn has a spray system in it. Clean shavings that come compressed in a cube. They get the best feed Omolene 200. They best hay. I just do not understand how this could happen. I am so frustrated.

 

[attwoode]

Could it be the insect spray? Any recent changes in supplements or diet? Try moving one of them to see if it makes a difference. You might be able to isolate the cause by considering what these two have in common.

 

[jdhand]

Well both of the horses are better today. The antihistimine is working wonders. I truly feel that there was some type of mite in the stalls, because these two horses will swap stalls from time to time. No one else has the reaction. They all share the same pasture. After I clipped the horses they got worse. For now things are improving.

 

[Miniequine]

Is it there WHEN you clip? I ask because a couple

months ago, I clipped my filly, using a 'different'

brand of clipper cooling spray. I usually use

the Oster cool stuff spray.

Anyway, she was COVERED in huge whelts.

It was gone in about 48 hours.

I hope you figure it out!

Sandy

 

[jdhand]

Well today's update. Well it must not be bug bites, because I have sprayed and they are still whelping up. I have thought hard and now I think that maybe they are allergic to continual wormer that I just started them on about 2 weeks ago. Anyway I am going to stop giving that to them and see if they are better tommorrow. I am just going to change one thing at a time to try and figure out what it is. I will update tommorrow. I am open for any comments or suggestions.