Horse skin problems vet is puzzled

Shellinch

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I bought a 4 year old mare from sales. She is Arab x white and black.

Her skin looked sunburnt when I first got her on the white patches and sorted it but the bad patch left thinner skin.

I thought nuthing off it until I brought her in for winter

She started itching all over and developing scabs in her main and tail like sweet itch which went scabby and crusty so I wormed her and used anti mite powder which didn't work so washed her in medicated shampoo which seemed to help but managed it and never actually got rid of it.

She then got into a accident and she fell on her knee and opened it to the bone so is on box rest

Now her skin has gone crazy itching all over until she bleeds especially in her tails and main.

She then knocked skin off her back hock and all the skin around the wound started going like rainrot/ sweet itch scabs which uv been washing daily and putting sudocreme on which is helping.

I also wash her every few days head to toe in veterinary shampoo which does help her but she is still producing these scaly scabby patches on her main, body and tail so if I don't wash her they will keep weeping. I recently last day or so noticed around her anus she has these white scabby wart like scabs all around her anus which looks weird but it looks like the tree man and it's puzzling me as to what is causing it and how I can resolve the issue.

The vet has done all swabs and ruled out bacteria or fungus so only thing left is to do an allergy test which we are waiting results.

She is kept on rubber matting with thin shavings and her hay is soaked.

Has anyone come across this before? The vet is puzzled also

I have photos but dunno how to upload them on here
 

Shellinch

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Shellinch

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Hi thanks for the reply

I had her on straw which she went really itchy and I wasn't sure if it was the straw or the hay as both were dusty

So I'm now on flax I think it's called type shavings but only just changed for them this week as was using thick shavings flakes, I did try using only little bit of shavings on the rubber mattings to reduce the need for bedding but she ended up hurting her leg so have now got her on thick bed. Bedding hasn't really changed her skin condition as of yet and neither has the wetting the hay.

The best thing that working is the daily washes and sudocreme so far but it's managing the problem and I want to cure it or attest know what's causing it.

The bloody tests are the next stage and Iv jus read about st johns wort and other things causing sensitive skin which she could have had at some point as I bought her from gypsies as she has been in a field all her life and she is very skittish with people she don't trust, she is amazing to me and follows me anywhere but if she don't trust u your screwed and it's taken me 6 months for her to trust me. It looks like she was abused before hand so for all I know she could have eaten some bad things in the past.

She is a very itchy horse though and loves to be brushed head to toe and grooms me back but just confused on what's causing it, she is insured with petplan so at least I'm covered.
 

Archiepoo

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oh im glad ur insured at least you wont be worrying about a big hefty bill ! i think your ponys very lucky shes got you to look after her:) hope you get a definate answer and cure very soon:D
 

Shellinch

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oh im glad ur insured at least you wont be worrying about a big hefty bill ! i think your ponys very lucky shes got you to look after her:) hope you get a definate answer and cure very soon:D

Thank you :) she is very spoilt I only bought her for project but Iv fallen in love with her, she is definitely testing my skills to the limit though lol

Just want to find out the problem now so fingers crossed the blood test will tell us something and hopefully something that isnt bad news
 

lhotse

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It might be worth considering pemphigus foliaceus which is an auto immune disorder which causes the body to attack it's own cells. Skin eruptions are one of the symptoms.
 

YasandCrystal

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Do you keep chickens? I ask because my horse is home and in on boxrest and she developed the same and it was I am certain 'mites' from the chickens. My chickens roost in the barn where she is stabled and mites will jump onto anything warm and feast including humans. My mare rubbed her tail raw and has scabs literally all over her. I bought a mite/louse powder at my local agri merchants and doused her all over for days with this and put sudocreme on the sore areas and scabs too. Good luck :)
 

Archiepoo

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was just reading another thread and thought it was worth mentioning if shes got liver issues from something shes eaten you could try milk thistle to detoxify the liver -its really easy to get hold of and wont do any harm .x
 

millimoo

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I'm another for checking her liver function, and to be honest I'd be blood testing sooner rather than later.
Glad she has found such a caring owner, hope you get to the bottom if it soon :)
 

Shellinch

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thankx guys soz for late reply my ipad dont like the forums :(

her bloode tests were sent off last week so just waiting the results

the sodcreme is working great on the scabs but still got a little while to go efore they all heal so washing her lags daily to evry other day at moment but gving her full body bath once to twice a week but she is still scabby.

hope fully we will get a clear result from the bloode tests
 

alsiola

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Allergy blood testing has serious limitations. It may have some utility in proven allergic disease but it doesn't sound like this has been proven to be allergic disease yet. If there are definite skin lesions present, which it sounds like there are, then they need to be biopsied, with a large number (>10) of biopsies taken. I would be suspicious, as mentioned above by others, of auto-immune disease.
 

Shellinch

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i cant remember if i mentioned she has had the skin swabs done and they came back clear of fungus or bacteria

iv added photos of her skin to my profile if anyone wants to have a look.

will get some more detailed photos 2moz wen im up the stables :)

picture.php


picture.php


picture.php
 

Miss L Toe

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Ragwort accumulates in the liver, so it is not a transient thing like an allergy to nettles. Liver damage can be identified by a blood test.
Be very careful not to exceed the stated dilution on any stuff you use, my boy used to be very itchy [OK nothing by comparison], I had to wash him with a dilute lavender wash after work, I have also added micronised linseed meal to his diet, which is now also cereal free [Fast Fibre], he is hardly bothered now.
I would be trying some of the herbal remedies, it seems so extreme.
Also clean stable out, dry, and replace all bedding.
 

Shellinch

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Iv just started her on the itch supplements from Dodson and horrel with added nettle, camomile etc... But that will take a few weeks to see improvement.

I wash and disinfect her stable once a week and she is in a fleece rug to prevent dust/dirt getting on her an she has a complete brush down every day but the amount of hair that comes off her daily is unreal!

It's bath day 2moz lol
 

alsiola

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i cant remember if i mentioned she has had the skin swabs done and they came back clear of fungus or bacteria

Yes you did mention above, but has she had biopsies taken? This means taking numerous small pieces of skin (about 1/2cm diameter), preserving them in formalin, and then examination at the laboratory.
 

max306

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my tb mare was very simular, she was in very poor condition when i brought her and she had very bad skin, although i managed to keep this at bay and clear her skin she was still very itchy, (being a bad mother and been made redundent) I ran out of chaff which was a molassed chaff and didnt get any for about a week and her itching stopped have now brought a non molassed chaff and she is still more or less itch free
 

Shellinch

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Hi the vet took just plucks of hair an scab about 5 of then from various parts and sent it off for testing and has now just taken blood. We use bushey vets.
 

Shellinch

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Hi iv always fed her just chaff the showshine cherry chaff with garlic mixed in and dampened with water just to keep her happy like she is getting fed. An then I give her carrots, iv just bought a omega oil containing omega 3 and 6 and the vet said its good for healthy skin. Iv had a little research and found that b1 vitamins are good for healthy skin and a natural calmer.

She is a very skittish horse and very sharp and since her accident has become reliant on her stable and me so I can't even stick her out on grass at the no as she panics in the field and tries to get out and I don't want a repeat of last time as he knee is only just healing.

She is testing me to my limits but she is my baby. She hates new people and men but lets me do anything to her.

She was so good web she had her accident and just let me clean the wound walked strait onto the trailer having never been on one and walked strait on on way home too and stood still for her bandages. She has a hissy fit if I put her in another stable she is oh comfortable in her own routine and surroundings.

I don't half pick them il tell u that lol but wouldn't changs her :)
 

alfiesmum

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i seriously for the life of me cant remember the ladys name however, i can find out. i have had 2 different friends who had itchy horses and i do mean itchy!!! one gelding to extent that he would knock you out the road if you were in the door way he needed to scratch on! rubbed all day and night, blood and scabs with bald patches. cant remember if the woman took hair sample? anyways she suggested certain foods and now the little guy is amazing and never itches more than anyone else, full coat back in :) i do remember the feed looked like vermicelli (chocolate strands ) and he got turnip grated too. will try find out :)
 

Siam Jack

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Oh! Alfies Mum can you find out for me as well please?
My Mare is the same if your in her way she will just push past you to scratch, she has had all the tests, bloods etc and Edinburgh came back with "an Allergy" the vet said it could be anything?? grass/dust/ life!!!! I have tried allsorts of products and spent a fortune but have just had to try and manage it best as I can, she gets rugged up fully when in the stable or would rub herself to bleeding, also been through about 5 rugs ripped to shreds!! we feed her small amounts of "Happy Hoof" with garlic carrots and an apple, just to keep her going as she is a real good doer cob type

**sorry to hijack this thread
 

cptrayes

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Try stopping the carrots, I have a friend with a horse which is allergic to them.

I would also be getting a liver function test done as soon as you can if it is not in the tests already being done.
 

Miss L Toe

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I do recall we send a racehorse to "two ladies in the woods", it came back: do not feed apples or carrots .... we roared with laughter, as these are not on a racehorse diet!
But I would go back to basics, no mollasses, alpha or anything sweet or cereal based.
 

amage

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I'd also come off the cherry chaff and try basic grass or fibre nuts. The cherry chaff is not the most natural stuff in the world. Also try get some of the leucillin or vetrycin spray as this will prevent any infection and will sooth a bit. Does the sudocreme improve it or is there any chance that aggravates it further?!
 
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