Scratches

[jleonard]

A few weeks ago my filly got some very minor scrapes on her lower legs. I cleaned them up and forgot about it until a few days ago when I noticed that she developed scratches on one hind pastern. So far she does not have any swelling from it, and is not lame, I've been able to continue working her as usual.

I have been scraping the scabs off, washing the area, and drying it before applying TriCare ointment (I've never used TriCare before, but know people who swear by it and had several free samples). I also clipped the area with a 40 blade today thinking it would keep it dryer and make treating it easier. This is my first time dealing with scratches and it is very frustrating! I feel bad for my poor filly when I have to clean off the scabs, she hates it but tries so hard to be good about it!

Have any of you dealt with scratches before, and if so, what treatments worked best for you? I also thought of Listerine today, we've used it in the past to clear up skin issues but don't know how it would work in this case...

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

Last year was the first time I had ever had a horse get scratches. I had two of them. I used tri care which I thought was pretty good ,then I used desitin diaper ointment. I really think the desitin was better because It stayed on longer and seemed to keep the flies off.

 

[shorthorsemom]

desitin mixed with furacin or something like that... mix 50:50. (I assume you can still get furacin, hope I am not dating myself here)..

Desitin has low melting point and will keep from melting off. The vet used to mix it up and sell it for a mint.

 

[Sandy B]

Being in the reining horse world we deal with this quite a bit. I have tried everything from Panalog, to triple antibiotic ointment to products that claim to treat scratches and fungus. The BEST treatment by far is this: Shave the area as you have done and then apply a Vaseline & Penicillin mix, coating the entire area. The next day pick off all the softened scabs and apply the mixture once ot twice a day keeping the scabs picked off. Every few days scrub area with a betadine scrub and towel and let air dry and then apply mixture again.

To make the mixture get a medium sized tub of Vaseline (generic is fine) and then get a bottle of Penicillin from your local feed store. In a tuber-ware container mix all of Vaseline with bottle of Penicillin. It takes quite a bit of stirring to mix the Penicillin in. The only draw back is it HAS to be kept in the refrigerator. I guarantee you it is by far the best treatment I have found in 25 years. It was recommended by a old vet when I was at my wits end using Panalog and other OTC products with no results!

 

[MistyMeadow]

Hi, I am new here, so forgive me if I get the mechanics of replying wrong.

My mare has had scrathes twice in the past.

The treatmet that seemed to do the trick was:

Mixing desitin and furazone (sp) together, in equal quantities, then applying it to the area and then wrapping with a polo wrap to keep dirt out.

While treating I tried to keep the area as dry as possible. I reapplied about once or twice a day.

Another recommended treatment was to use an antifungal product, something for athlethes foot would do. My vet at the time said this the anti fungal seem to work about half the time and the Desitin/Furazon mix the other half of the time. So if one does not work after a few days, try the other.

Both times, that my mare got scrathes, it seemed to be from too frequent bathing, and allowing the area to be left to moist. Someone told me that too much Alfalfa might be part of the problem; that alfalfa might have been making the skin too photo sensitive, and therefore prone to scratches. Not sure if that is true, but my mare was getting a lot of alfalfa back then.

Good luck, I hope it is gone very soon.

 

[frostedpineminis]

we mix diaper cream, furacin and red udder ointment together and then put in some predef (not sure what the ingredients of that are) and mix it all together, it comes out looking like orange ice cream, then just leave it in the fridge and use as needed. works great

 

[Blackwater Farm]

Wow...all of the above sounds really complicated!!! Simple, cheap, effective solution....LISTERINE!!! My TB mare used to get scratches all the time. Rub some Listerine (sp?) on it once a day usually does it and it clears up pretty fast!

 

[Sandee]

I used to have to treat my QH mare for this. If you want to clip the area and the horse will allow, it makes it easier to clean - that's all. I washed the leg with iodine shampoo (be sure to rinse well). Then sprayed with Lotrimin, athlete's foot medicine, (there is a cream but the spray is easy to get into places). Repeat daily or at least every other day. Do not wrap. The sun and dry air is the best thing for it. This was during the cold or winter months so if you now have warm weather you'll want to use a fly repellant.

I wouldn't pull the scabs off unless you have soaked them or coated them with vaseline etc. to soften them. It is painful for the horse and will make treatment more difficult. Think like you're treating a little kid; move slow, and be gentle.

 

[JaiteraMiniatures]

I just looked up what scratches is...I never knew it had a name! lol My Quarter Horse gets it on his legs all the time. We've used listerine before, it takes awhile, but it definitely works (cheap too!). The BEST thing I have EVER used for any type of fungus is chlorhexidine!!! I can not possibly recommend it enough! My mom uses it at work (she's a nurse). And last year our vet told us to use it instead of iodine for our foal's embilical cord (it's MUCH less harsh on the skin). You don't have to worry about getting it on your skin and it works GREAT for cuts, funguses, and we even used it on my show horse's abcess and it was gone in two days. My Quarter Horse had some really strange fungus on his back and we bathed him off, then sprayed the chlorhexidine on it and it was gone in a day! It's absolutely amazing stuff...I use it to disinfect brushes as well

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Vetericyn

http://www.vetericyn.com/

You can find it in local farm stores. Highly recommend.

 

[rubyviewminis]

I second vetericyn.

But, I had to deal with this once in AZ when my Q horse developed this as the result of an antibiotic the vet gave him for something else. Keep it shaved, wash with Betadine Scrub, you can use a simple cheap aloe gel to soften the scabs, and apply a mix of generic Lotrimin mixed with a generic triple antibiotic. This is also the only cure I have found in this clay mud during winter for my minis hooves. And I top it with generic Desitin. This is what my vet mixed up and it worked when her other remedies didn't .

But more simply keep it cleaned and covered with Veteicyn.

 

[jleonard]

Thank you all for the great ideas! I will definitely be writing all of these down for future reference. I had Listerine, Desitin, and Furazone on hand, so decided to try that first and see how it goes. If that doesn't clear it up I may have to experiment with some of the other mixtures.

 

[Blackwater Farm]

I also agree with the chlorhexadine! That stuff is awesome!

 

[Sandy B]

Have tried Vetrericyn, have tried Furuzon, Desitin, have tried it all. Tried Sour Kraut even (someone suggested) & Listerine. Vasaline and Penicillin by far works like a miracle. Even after 2 weeks of scrubbing, antibiotics, furuzone & dmso (all what my vet wanted me to do) for a horse with severe mud fever, I was not getting any healing hardly at all. I got fed up and tried my old remedy (Vasaline & Pen) and within 48 hours there was at least a 75% improvement. By 5 days, skin was smooth, no more scabs, and no longer red and inflamed.

 

[Helicopter]

So I guess ''scratches'' are not scratches.

I wondered why all these fancy treatments were being suggested to fix a few scratches. Just leave 'em alone, I'd say and let them fix themselves.

I guess "scratches" must be what we call ''greasy heel"