Can anyone identify this...

[Sophie123]

My gelding has developed a rash on his underside:

Sorry about the quality of the images.

The rash developed slowly and last night seems to be on the mend (no open wounds), however, this morning when I checked him the healed wounds have reopened and he has the sore patches again. Up until last night, the sores had healed.

I have been bathing with hibiscrub and applying dermagel/ sudacrem to the open sores, and Vaseline to scabs to stop flys attacking and irritating.

He has a wrap under fly rug, which covers his stomach.

Having been recommended Ruggle it by a friend, the lady at Ruggle it suggested that his symptoms might be of the 'Millennium mites'...

http://www.karenruggles.co.uk/ruggleit_pages/ruggleit_editorial/itching_equiadstiddlerfeb12.pdf

Has anyone had any experience of this? I will be using her products after doing a patch test to hopefully get some results.

Initially it was though that the skin was irritated due to deet fly spray. It looked like this was causing burn like areas where the spray was being applied (under stomach, sheath area, between front legs and around the eyes. However, I have completely stopped using this now but the problem is still here.

Any ideas/ advice would be most appreciated!

Thanks

 

[AmyMay]

I'd be inclined to ask your vet to have a little look, with a view to doing some skin scrapings.

 

[navaho]

Agree with Amymay & speak to your vet, however i would be inclined to agree with you initial thoughts that it is the spray, even though you have stopped using it it still could take a while for the irritation to subside & go away.

 

[Archangel]

Looks similar to my gelding's undercarriage. I have put it down to flies, biting and irritating him and have been applying sudocrem to soothe the area. Mine has a slight umbilical hernia and the flies really cluster round that. My mare's undercarriage is also scaby but even though she is an Arab her skin is black so doesn't seem to react as badly.

 

[Sophie123]

Thanks for the replies.

The only reason I hadn't phoned the vet sooner was that the rash had looked to have mostly gone/healed (don't want you thinking I am neglecting him ), leaving only the scabs which were dropping off, and leaving what looked like healthy skin underneath.

I was waiting to see if the problem was resolved by not using the lethal deet as this was what I believe it to be, but now I am unsure. I only moved him to a new yard on Saturday, and this is when I stopped using the deet, so perhaps he is still showing irritation from this.

 

[Archangel]

Yes could just be irritation. The side sheath shot looks just like my boy. There were some hideous big buzzy things attacking him when it was very hot. I managed to swat them all though.