Something spreading thru my barn

[Marty]

Geesh Heidi calm down. When you live in Florida its very hard to manage a lot of this stuff and it just happens so do not beat yourself up and stop apologzing all over the place your standards are a lot higher than mine ever could be. I gave you a check list to go over but you probably already do more than what's even on it.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Marty I do have and have tried what you suggested and it didnt seem to work well for me. But I think what Im doing wrong is not scrubbing the scab down enough for the ointment to get to where it needs to go.I always know that Im hurting the horse and stop before I probablly should. I think in the past you have mentioned it to me and Diane just reminded me that I need to get the scabs soft enough to pick off completely then apply ointment. We will see how that works and I'll try 2 different horses w/2 ointments and see which works better. when the vet comes hopefully he can narrow down some answers.

Renee, never seen that stuff...checked quickly a couple magazines i have her but saw nothing. When I have time Im going to check the active ingrediant and see if I can get something like it her in the states. Thanks.

May have to get some Bio Gel too to have on hand. Looks like they have a few other good ( if they work ) products. Thanks.

I still have not ruled out mites/lice of some sort maybe the vet can see or do some sort of skin scrape like they do w/dogs and mange.

Mydaddyssng...I do have one horse that has what your little one has..mine has always had it and only appears in the summer months..I think my Popcorn may be as bad or worse than yours. She white and it starts on her face and gets all over her body in the middle of summer. She has never been stalled and paces, sweats,chews everything when she is locked in.Torn numerous sheets, blankets masks...lots of fly sprays irritate her. By Oct...its gone and she gets her beautiful coat back again. I always wish someone from a cooler climate and flyless would come take her away and rescue her...every hot summer i go through this with her and it breaks my heart...although she never seems itchy...it just looks bad!!

Thank you all for your suggestions they were very much appreciated.

Oh, brushes...I do try to keep my brushes clean but I do use the same brushes on all horses that are in that barn. Except when they are shedding I have white horse brushes, bay horse brushes and a couple for the black....lord knows how I would handle an appy LOL...but i would try!!

Thanks again

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Pretty strange that all of the hroses have it.

The vet will likely do a skin scrape for signs of insects/critters. If he doesn't, ask him to.

Just got back from the vet with my itchy boy. I took him for tooth work, but had his hide checked. We've tried the cortizone shot, with limited result. Vet said if he is still itching after it cools down and rains, we will go the anithistimine route. I've been spritzing him him Vetericyn and it seems to help a little. He is also better if I keep him under shelter and out of the sun. Maybe the sun is causing tenderness and the gnats are the straw on the camel.

I also wormed with panacur, and today with ivermectin (do not think they have bots but want to cover all the bases). Somewhere I read about a parasite that lays eggs in the mane area and the larvae travel under the skin around the body.

My boy has no insects (mites or lice) and my other horse is not affected at all. I would freak out if ALL my horses got the itches at the same time; I think you are right to be concerned.

btw, have they had any vaccinatons lately? I'm beginning to suspect vaccinations in some cases. My boy's problem started right after he got a tetanus shot. Probably coincidence, but it makes me wonder...

 

[Mini Gaits Farm]

Several years ago when I worked with throughbreds, it was not uncommon for "skin disease" to crop up in the barn from time to time. It was almost always on their necks and spread by the reigns on the bridle. Wingnut was right in that the cure for this is to make sure the tiny "scabs" are off, revealing the pink spot below and wash daily with betadine solution. Sharing brushes, combs, bridles or anything else among the horses will spread it. We used to keep a bucket of bleach water at the barn and the bridle was always washed thoroughly in that when it came off of a horse with the fungal skin disease and then that piece of equipment was labeled and kept for use on that horse only. This could be what it is since "all" of them have it. I was also thinking rain rot, and it is very similar to this and the treatment for that is the same. The betadine works great....but the scabs do have to be off so the betadine can come into contact with the "raw" spots. In this case with it being "under" the mane, it may even be a good idea to clip their manes off in order for the air to get to the problem and allow it to heal. Best of luck to you in the treatment of this.

 

[Sandy B]

The Bio Gel works phenomenal. If you could have seen the Scaly Leg Mites on the chicken it would have made you cringe. We tried dunking the hen's legs in lamp oil (like we were told to do) and it did not do much. When the hen was so weak and on her last leg (sorry for the pun) I thought why not try Bio Gel. Went to the tack room and got it and started treating her 3 times a day. Within 24 hours there was improvement. Within 4 days clumps of scaly leg started falling off (it was gross). I have also seen great results with girth itch and scratches.

Marty I do have and have tried what you suggested and it didnt seem to work well for me. But I think what Im doing wrong is not scrubbing the scab down enough for the ointment to get to where it needs to go.I always know that Im hurting the horse and stop before I probablly should. I think in the past you have mentioned it to me and Diane just reminded me that I need to get the scabs soft enough to pick off completely then apply ointment. We will see how that works and I'll try 2 different horses w/2 ointments and see which works better. when the vet comes hopefully he can narrow down some answers.

Renee, never seen that stuff...checked quickly a couple magazines i have her but saw nothing. When I have time Im going to check the active ingrediant and see if I can get something like it her in the states. Thanks.

May have to get some Bio Gel too to have on hand. Looks like they have a few other good ( if they work ) products. Thanks.

I still have not ruled out mites/lice of some sort maybe the vet can see or do some sort of skin scrape like they do w/dogs and mange.

Mydaddyssng...I do have one horse that has what your little one has..mine has always had it and only appears in the summer months..I think my Popcorn may be as bad or worse than yours. She white and it starts on her face and gets all over her body in the middle of summer. She has never been stalled and paces, sweats,chews everything when she is locked in.Torn numerous sheets, blankets masks...lots of fly sprays irritate her. By Oct...its gone and she gets her beautiful coat back again. I always wish someone from a cooler climate and flyless would come take her away and rescue her...every hot summer i go through this with her and it breaks my heart...although she never seems itchy...it just looks bad!!

Thank you all for your suggestions they were very much appreciated.

Oh, brushes...I do try to keep my brushes clean but I do use the same brushes on all horses that are in that barn. Except when they are shedding I have white horse brushes, bay horse brushes and a couple for the black....lord knows how I would handle an appy LOL...but i would try!!

Thanks again

 

[charli]

Well Thanks Heidi for posting the topic! I have learned a ton from reading the posts and have a list 2 post its long of things I need to research and buy! One of you brillant horse people should put together a master list of all the products that you use, how to use them and for what issues...and sell it! I know I would buy it.

I wish I could offer some advice but you have already heard from the best on here...GOOD LUCK!

 

[Tab]

Try worming with ivermectin and then bathing in iodine shampoo. Make sure your horses have mineral salt. Ivermectin to kill the parasite/mites/lice/fleas, even will get rid of lice, and then iodine shampoo should kill the rest. Salt helps cure any secondary infections caused by whatever it is.