Any tips for itchy cob legs? (Dermatitis)

[wattamus]

My girly has always had itchy back legs, the vets have said it is dermatitis but any treatment they have offered has been useless AND expensive. And at this point in time I or my parents do not have the money to spend on more treatments (about to pay out for an operation on her leg in new year).
Basically I was told to clip the hair off her legs (hairy fluffy cob with mountains of feather) and keep it as short as possible, which I do. But she just stands there and stomps her back legs, and she has cuts/ scabs at the base near her fetlocks and all up her back leg up to her hock. It isn't the worst that it has been but it is obviously still uncomfortable for her. These scabs just seem to appear on her legs from nowhere, I originally thought that by stomping her legs she was creating them but the also appear spontaneously.
So yes, I hope I have given enough detail, any advice as to how i can soothe the irritation for her would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wattamus]

bump?

 

[Cahill]

this is my experience of cob-foot stomping....
when i got my cob she stomped her back legs.i treated her once and have never needed to again.
after attending a vet talk,i bought frontline pump spray(licenced for dogs not horses) and sprayed the fetlocks.this kills the mites but you have to do again 2 weeks later.
the mites burrow under the skin so if they have been there a while the horse with have some thickened skin/scar tissue.this i keep soft and pliable with weekly treatments of pig oil and sulphur.

article here
http://www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk/choriopt.htm

also google `grease`and ` mallanders`

hope this helps.
ps,i never had to clip the feather off.

 

[NW1]

i would agree sounds like mites

I injection of detromax will cure for aprox a year (sometime they only need one!) and only costs £30ish! i swear by it. It puts something in their blood that kills mites.

Fingers crossed for you

 

[abbijay]

Take her to the beach, salt water works wonders for itchy problems. Failing that (and I do this with an itchy clydesdale) mix your own salt water and wash legs weekly. Table salt is cheap as chips! (Geddit )
It may not solve it but it could help.

 

[shortstuff99]

My cob mare can get mites and skin problems if the feathers are allowed to grow too long. Its the nice warm mosit environment that creates bacterial problems. My tip would be to keep the feathers shaved short, find the scabby areas and wash with iodine. Sorts my mare right out!

 

[wattamus]

Thanks! will give them all a go. Can i use frontline on cut legs though? I don't want to cause her even more pain xxx

 

[Whizz105]

My cob mare can get mites and skin problems if the feathers are allowed to grow too long. Its the nice warm mosit environment that creates bacterial problems. My tip would be to keep the feathers shaved short, find the scabby areas and wash with iodine. Sorts my mare right out!

Ditto this!

Also note that mites come from straw beds as well.

 

[lauraandharvey]

agree mites.
my heavy feathered cob was injected by vet. a week later they came back to inject him again to kill off any eggs/babies.
nothing since (3 years ago) and total cost of £60

 

[lauraandharvey]

ps frontline didnt work for me

 

[Kaylum]

mites are also on grass. Its the saliva that feathered horses are allergic to. You need your vet to take a skin scraping.