At a loss... Vet again? WWYD

muckypony

muckypony

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So following on from what seems like a never ending battle with one of my colt...

After my previous thread about the bald patches on his face, they didn't get better so I had the vet out. He too seemed quite baffled and wasn't really sure, had a skin scrape done of the 4 affected patches and it came by showing a fungus that is commonly associated with ringworm... I had two options 1 - treat as ringworm and use Imaverol or 2 - have his hair tested to see if it is actually ringworm. I chose to treat as ringworm as it did seem most likely (started off circular patches of hair just falling out, quite itchy).

After a week, the original 4 patches are looking much better. Not dry and flaky and hair is regrowing. Great. However..... he now has a great big patch under his jaw that he has rubbed bald and hes drawn blood on one spot. It looks to me as though it is spreading down his neck. He finds it very itchy and grinds his teeth if you put pressure on it.

Now... do I get the vet out again? Or, now its getting warmer and he still has a thick coat, is it likely he is getting hot, sweaty and itchy and therefore shall I give him a little bib clip? That way he won't get hot and I can treat him with Imaverol better....

Really, if he was yours what would you do!?
 
Don't worry with the vet - the ringworm has spread. Being a fungus it ejects spores out in a circle so he's just been unlucky and got in the way.

Easiest and quickest way is to buy him a large bottle of 2% Nizoral - it's an antifungal shampoo that contains Ketaconizol - it's brilliant stuff.

Dilute with hand hot water and thoroughly wash from head to toe, working the lather in with a plastic curry comb and a face cloth on his face, scrape off excess and then leave him to dry - don't rinse off. The hand hot water makes it easier to lather.

Also wash all your grooming kit, covers and tack with the shampoo and to ensure that you don't carry it home and give it to yourself and the rest of the family buy a bottle of Canistan Rinse and use it on all your clothes. When I've dealt with ringwormy horses I've also used Nizoral all over as a hair shampoo and a body wash when I've showered after.
 
muckypony said:
Thanks.

Would you clip to make it easier/more effective? And can I use it on the broken skin?
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I'd have vet out and discuss a programme of clipping and bathing with a possibility of oral treatment too, i would also put on something to boost immunity some form of blood tonic, I rate haemavite b plus but there are many out there that do the same thing
 
Queenbee said:
I'd have vet out and discuss a programme of clipping and bathing with a possibility of oral treatment too, i would also put on something to boost immunity some form of blood tonic, I rate haemavite b plus but there are many out there that do the same thing
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This would be a ridiculous waste of money to deal with what is a very easily treated ailment.

You need to kill the fungus - easy Nizoral - around £15

You could clip but that would spoil his summer coat if done now.

Weather is better so a full bath should not be a problem

I've seen some horses with half their sides missing of hair clear up with one bath - that is the area no longer spreads of develops new hairless areas. It takes a while for the hair to grow back.

After that - make sure horse does not have contact with cattle as they are usually the main source of infection though with the increase in foxes it's possible that is where the infection came from.
 
Thanks! Where can I get the Nizarol from? Will he get:cool: itchy if it isn't washed out?

I don't really want to go pumping him full of stuff as he's only a bub!
 
I think your vet has already run your bill up quite far enough by doing skin scrapes on something that looks like ringworm. Honestly, it's so common (and so harmless normally) that the first course of action should simply have been treat for ringworm and then skin scrape if that did not work.

If your boy is a baby then that's probably why it's got such a hold. I am another who would not call the vet again, just use the imaveral more extensively or get the Nizoral. I think Boots sell it, if it's the human stuff I am thinking of??
 
Sorry for the short reply earlier, was in a rush for work :o

Thank you Tnavas, I have just gone and bought some Nizarol and will wash is face/neck after work tonight and will do the rest of him at the weekend. Hopefully that'll sort it!!

In all fairness to my vet it doesnt look like ringworm, apart from the latest patch his skin isn't irritated, just totally bald! What with him having had lice I wanted a skin scrape done just to make sure it wasn't mites or something.

Poor pony, hes been such an angel letting me poke and prod under his chin, he'll be totally miffed when I do this now!
 
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