Clippied my itchy shetland today! Now need opinion on his skin!? *pics*

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Nakita

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Well my shetland Rocky has been extremely itchy this winter, rubbing bits bald etc.
Today we finally managed to clip him only to discover the strangest rash type thing on him. It looks like an allergy to me? His skin is bumpy and he has random little scabs on him but they are mainly on his neck and face, they almost look like chicken pox and are VERY itchy for him! I'm calling vet to come this week but was wondering if anyone has seen anything like this before?

Also he was sold to me as a mini shetland with some falabella in him which I never thought he did have, I assumed he was actually full mini shetland but seeing him clipped, he does look as though he could have some falabella in him? Or do all mini shetties look like this clipped? Lol.

Here is the link to the album on photobucket:

http://s1021.photobucket.com/albums/af336/NakitaOHare/Rockys clip/
 
It sounds like it could be mange to me, will need to contact vet and get stuff to treat him. Beware if it is you can catch it, known as Scabies in people.
 
Not sure if it is mange looking at pics, but hard to see affected area very well. Probably best to speak to vet and see what he says.
 
Rain scauld.
Clipping was the best thing you could do, so you are half way there. Keep him dry, and if he is really super itchy, try aloe vera in his feed and rubbed into the sorest bits.
 
Joeanne, we had thought rainscald at first, hence the clipping but once done and we seen it was on his face we thought then it couldn't be. So it can still be rainscald on his face? Sorry if that seems stupid, I just didn't they got rainscald on their faces.
 
Rain scauld is fungal. It doesn't care where it lives just as long as its warm! A thick shetty coat is warm just about everywhere! I've had a mini get it on the tips of his ears, and under the forelock.
If its really bad, you may need an anti fungal shampoo,a bit of an ordeal in this weather!
 
It is difficult to tell from pix and I would get the vet to have a look. If the spots are fairly firm and pearly in appearance I would be suspicious of a viral infection called Molluscum Contagiosum. This can be treated with anti virals but will often clear up by itself in about six weeks.
 
Nakita said:
Joeanne, we had thought rainscald at first, hence the clipping but once done and we seen it was on his face we thought then it couldn't be. So it can still be rainscald on his face? Sorry if that seems stupid, I just didn't they got rainscald on their faces.
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My girl had rainscald on her face when we bought her.

I would check with the vet in case it is anything else but thats what it looks like to me as well.

Ours was cured by a decent diet with linseed but I appreciate it might be trickier without a mini exploding!
 
Aw I see, that's a good point!


Jendie, he has been itchy for much longer than six weeks, we have only now managed to clip him though, took ages to get a set of clippers! No the spots are really just flat little circle scabs. Really hard to describe.
 
Nope, can't find any lice on him. Also just add he has been itchy for quite a while now & none of the other horses are showing similar scabs or itchyness so assuming it may be something that isn't contagious or highly contagious anyway.
 
"Also he was sold to me as a mini shetland with some falabella in him which I never thought he did have, I assumed he was actually full mini shetland but seeing him clipped, he does look as though he could have some falabella in him?"

A 'minature shetland' is a standard shetland, crossed with a Falabella (or 'minature horse'). So your 'full mini shetland' could only be made by having Falabella added into the shetland parentage, so he has to have Falabella in him order to create a minature shetland, otherwise he'd be a standard shetland.
 
when I clipped my little shetland mare she had an itchy spotty rash on her neck and head with crusty yellow scabs!! I used hibi scrub once a day and an antibacterial cream, just a standard one from our local feed/tack merchants and it was all cleared up within a week to 10 days.
 
rainscald isn't actually fungal - unless that occurs as a secondary infection. rainscald is caused by the same bacteria that attack legs and cause mud fever. The skin is weakened by wet conditions, and the bacteria (which live on the skin anyway) take over.

Tea tree oil will do the job brilliantly - and it's both antibacterial and antifungal, just in case a fungus is involved too. sm x
 
tickety_boo said:
"Also he was sold to me as a mini shetland with some falabella in him which I never thought he did have, I assumed he was actually full mini shetland but seeing him clipped, he does look as though he could have some falabella in him?"

A 'minature shetland' is a standard shetland, crossed with a Falabella (or 'minature horse'). So your 'full mini shetland' could only be made by having Falabella added into the shetland parentage, so he has to have Falabella in him order to create a minature shetland, otherwise he'd be a standard shetland.
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I always assumed mini Shetties were produced by breeding smaller and smaller standard Shetties together :confused: My mini Shettie is registered with the Shetland pony society as are her parents and grandparents...if they were not pure Shetties they would not be eligible for registration would they? :confused:
 
This looks very much like something my mini had when I first had him. Dry, flakey, itchy skin, scurfy patches and little scabs?

In Charley's case my Vet just said use a medicated shampoo and as NP said aloe vera gel, or derma gel on the scabs. I also dewormed with Ivermectin.

It cleared up with no problems.
 
Aw thanks very much nativetyponies, your little one's skin is very similar to my boys!
I have hibiscrub, would giving his scabby bits a bathe down with this once a day be enough to get rid of the rain scald or is there anything else you suggest I do/use?
 
M old mare used o get a similar problem each winter. The only solution was to clip her out and bath in Maleseb which helped. I think just clipping off all the fluff helps most of all as all the scurf in thick coats can't help
I did feel mean though as she was retired and blooming cold, but it did stop the itching and she did feel a lot better.
 
Nikita,
This looks exactly like the itchy bits on nieces Welsh A last winter! Did the same as you, clipped him out completely - got vet up & he said it was an allergy to something...?! Could have had tests done but it could be anything...Left scabs alone & within a few weeks they were gone. Does your fella get haylage? We were sure it was too much for his little system -so hay only & no rugs this year & so far he has remained scab free! x
 
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