BethH
Well-Known Member
Hi Just because I haven't had a vet bill for a month, after a year of constant large bills, my horse decided to see if I needed another callout!
Because he has been quite flat and lethargic (spavins diagnosed from bone scan but still not convinced!!) not depressed but no energy or sparkle, I thought I would pop him on some pro pell plus (red cell) for a week, he started on Monday and on Tues/Wed became absolutely covered in lumps - some look like protein lumps from grass that you sometimes get but also his barrel and chest, belly & neck (not his face or legs) are absolutely covered in tiny scabs. When you pick the scabs off, they leave just a tiny red circle of raw red flesh underneath about the size of a small nail head and he is extremely itchy. He started being rugged which continued whilst I was on holiday last week as a couple of weeks ago it had got chilly and then suddenly last week it was very very warm overnight, he has grown a thick coat so he got very sweaty so we thought heat rash/hives, so I gave him a trace clip on Friday,turn out with no rug and a thorough brush but there are even more today. We stopped the pro pell on Tuesday just in case it was the cause although thought not likely but if it was hives I would have thought it would have disappeared after 48hrs or so.
Haven't seen anything like this before, he is usually a really tidy easy to manage horse so this is very unlike him, doesn't even get mud fever apart from the odd spot depite having loads of tuenout, scabs look to small for ringworm and he is in a settled herd. Only other thing is I changed his feed a couple of weeks ago but it is to a good quality brand of a similar type so can't see this would be the problem. Anyone come across this before - can't tell if it is an allergy, bacterial infection....... He is currently still out overnight and stabled during the day 9-3.30. Am thinking might need vet and antihistamine jab as it has been there for nearly a week now unless I am missing something really obvious, would hate it to be infectious although none of the other horses he is with have it.
Because he has been quite flat and lethargic (spavins diagnosed from bone scan but still not convinced!!) not depressed but no energy or sparkle, I thought I would pop him on some pro pell plus (red cell) for a week, he started on Monday and on Tues/Wed became absolutely covered in lumps - some look like protein lumps from grass that you sometimes get but also his barrel and chest, belly & neck (not his face or legs) are absolutely covered in tiny scabs. When you pick the scabs off, they leave just a tiny red circle of raw red flesh underneath about the size of a small nail head and he is extremely itchy. He started being rugged which continued whilst I was on holiday last week as a couple of weeks ago it had got chilly and then suddenly last week it was very very warm overnight, he has grown a thick coat so he got very sweaty so we thought heat rash/hives, so I gave him a trace clip on Friday,turn out with no rug and a thorough brush but there are even more today. We stopped the pro pell on Tuesday just in case it was the cause although thought not likely but if it was hives I would have thought it would have disappeared after 48hrs or so.
Haven't seen anything like this before, he is usually a really tidy easy to manage horse so this is very unlike him, doesn't even get mud fever apart from the odd spot depite having loads of tuenout, scabs look to small for ringworm and he is in a settled herd. Only other thing is I changed his feed a couple of weeks ago but it is to a good quality brand of a similar type so can't see this would be the problem. Anyone come across this before - can't tell if it is an allergy, bacterial infection....... He is currently still out overnight and stabled during the day 9-3.30. Am thinking might need vet and antihistamine jab as it has been there for nearly a week now unless I am missing something really obvious, would hate it to be infectious although none of the other horses he is with have it.
