Feathered cob - help!

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Jingleballs

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When I bought my cob 2 years ago his previous owner told me he had mallanders which is described as "a dry, scabby or scurfy eruption or scratch behind the knee in a horse's foreleg". They used a solution provided by the vet that was a mixture of pig oil and something else.

The vet who did the vetting reported it as chorioptic mange - he said that there was little I could do - previous owners had tried dectomax injections which did not work so I should just continue with the pig oil.

I've been treating his legs with a mixture of pig oil and sulphur for 2 years - initially I would just layer it on every couple of weeks withough cleaning the legs which was based on advice from other owners.

The scabs are really bad just now - last week I cleaned them with hibiscrub and then applied PO&S and it did get a bit better.

Another common suggestion was the Frontline spray for cats and dogs which I managed to get sent from France without prescription.

I applied it yesterday (smells like cat pee) spraying a generous amount on the legs and rubbing in thoroughly. If anything his legs seem worse today but that could just be the scabs breaking away as there is no reddness or swelling- he's also very unhappy when I try to apply it which isn't like him so I think it's stinging.

I'm not a bit lost as to how to treat this issue correctly.

Can anyone please suggest a solution as to how I can treat this and ideally get rid of it? How long should I continue with the frontline?
 
I do love his feather but I'm not really planning to show him this year - we mainly do dressage and I'm already planning a full clip this month . How long would it take for feather regrowth or would the problem continue to arise when the feather grew back?
 
If its some sort of mite then once you clear it all should be ok

It may well take up to a year for the skin to completely heal and the feathers to grow back

Sadly the skin will still look bad for a while after the mites have gone so a skin scraping (by the vet) will be required to be sure they have gone

You could always get a skin scraping done now to be sure of the original diagnosis

Also re the frontline, it is works through the system so doesnt always need to be sprayed on the affected area (ie cats have it placed on the back of their necks and chickens under the wing) there may well be a place you can spray it that will still help but on a horse I am at a loss as to where I am afraid

If you can get hold of some flowers of sulpher powder that in some warm water would make a soothing hoof bath when the weather warms up a bit
 
Feathered horses are a pain in the ass. I'm going to get a TB next time........

You need a diagnosis so you can treat it properly. Ask the vet to skin scrap or even biopsy his skin.

The pig oil and sulphur may help keep whatever the problem is at bay, but it's very unlikely to actually cure it.

As regards to Frontline: I suspect you've severely overdosed him!!!! It's applied amount /surface-area (which is calculated by bodyweight for ease in small animals) and for a small-sh cob you'd be looking at about 20pumps per leg, over the entire leg from coronary band to almost elbow! That's why it's a POM and you won't have been able to buy it direct in this country!

The causes are either going to be:
bacterial (in which case antibiotics and hibiscrub will clear it),
fungal (Pink's was - difficult to treat as safe systemic drugs aren't avalible so it's topical Malaseb shampoo all the way),
parasitic (Frontline should work, but not always)
or just 'him' - usually some kind of immunological reaction like ecsema (hardest to treat but steriods will help clear it).

Investigation will tell you which.

In the meanwhile clipping and regular cleaning will help regardless of cause as the warm, moist, oily conditions caused by feathers are loved by all causes.
 
Clip the feathers off, and aloe vera shampoo every day, aloe vera cream. This cleared my lad scabs up but when I stopped they came back so you need to keep on top of it.
 
I had the same problem with my feathered mare, i clipped all the feather's off and applied deosect which is for mites and it cleared it and i just kept on applying it every month and it seems to have done the trick.it can be bought from the vets but is expensive.but i would suggest clipping his feathers..
 
Clipping the legs will not get rid of mites - what it will do is allow you to more easily treat scabs and need less frontline.

Unless you have thick folded skin or infected scabs, there is no need to clip out legs and you actually create more of a risk from MF etc in winter.

What folks need to do is have dedication and twice a month treat for mites with either P&S in wet months and just a few handfuls of sulphur in the dry months. It takes less than 10 minutes twice a month to have a horse with healthy legs and beautiful hair (if you like them that way), but it is a year round task - consider it part of the grooming routine.

Sulphur kills ticks, lice and mites, the oil makes for conditions the pests do not want to live in, plus keeping hair in good condition.

Many users on here who have received my PM about the correct care of the heavy haired breeds have got back to me saying how effective this simple treatment is and that the horses have stayed mite free and kept the hair.
 
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