Managing photosensitivity

[soloequestrian]

I think my boy has photosensitivity - he has a sore bit on one hind leg that looks a bit like mud fever, but gets worse in the summer. He has been having a UV boot on during the day and it seems to be clearing up at last - it took me a while to try doing this as it's always just been a small patch and I thought if it was ps it would be the whole white sock and his white nose........
Anyway, the question is when do I get to stop putting the boot on? Presumably those that have this don't wear boots all winter too? But is it a good idea to put them on for very sunny winter days?
Thanks for advice in advance!

 

[cptrayes]

I can't help on how long to use the boots for but I would be concerned about why he has gone photosensitive. Have you got a lot of wort plants in your grazing, they can cause it? Failing that, I'd be thinking of a liver function test, because if his liver is dicky that can cause it too, and liver failure caught early can be treated, caught too late is fatal.

I also had one who seemed to have mud fever in summer, then I realised that it was verrucal dermatitis, which is more bobbly and warty and grows hard keratinny bits when it looks as if it is healing too. I cured it with dermapred, (dermobion), which is no longer available in this country but can still be obtained online from the continent.

 

[Lotty]

My mare had photosensitivity a couple of years ago and touch wood she's not had it back. I used quite a few creams and stuff but the only one I found that worked was one by Herbavet.

 

[soloequestrian]

Update: had a blood test done to look at liver function and everything is normal yay! The vet says that although it's rare, it could just be a super-sensitive bit of skin without any particular underlying cause.
So, back to my original question if anyone knows..... when would you stop putting the boot on?

 

[Bugly]

My 25 year old retired hunter had really bad photosensetis last summer and this Spring. Having studied the situation it was defintley caused by lack of fibre...which if you read about the condition is directly related to poor functioning liver.

Last summer he was on a paddock which had very little grass, and when he got it in the Spring we only had poor quality hay left and there was little grazing again. This summer he's been on old pasture which is very good in condition and he's not had a flare up at all.

to treat it I used the silver antiseptic spray from the verts (Aluspray) which is about £10- brilliant stuff!

So, if your grazing is not the best this could be the reason your horse is suffering from the condition?

 

[soloequestrian]

So, if your grazing is not the best this could be the reason your horse is suffering from the condition?

Thanks, that's interesting, but no my grazing is pretty good. In the north of Scotland so we have had tons of grass all summer, and they get ad lib haylage in the winter.

 

[cptrayes]

Oh good, no liver function problems. I'd be afraid of rubbing with continued use of a boot, can you use sudocreme instead or does it just rub off? It's got the zinc oxide in that the cricketers use to stop their cheeks and noses burning.

You are in the north of Scotland? Far longer daylight hours than the rest of us. If you are also at height, as I am, the UV will be even stronger (all my carpets bleach in the windowlight). I wouldn't risk exposing it until at least October if I was where you are.

 

[foreverhorses]

i was advised to apply zinc & castor oil ointment available from the chemist on our pony with suspected photosensitivity,he had it on all 4 white socks,it worked really well & wasnt expensive either!

 

[Tnavas]

Ivermectin can cause photosensitivity so check on the wormer you are giving and maybe change to one of the older base wormers.

It is also worth feeding additional Copper & Zinc - both these minerals help to strengthen skin.

This is the mix from the Pat Coleby book,
500 grams Dolomite
80 grams Copper Sulphate
80 grams of milling Sulphur
80 grams of Seaweed Meal (Urea free)

Miz together well and store in an airtight container. Feed a level dessertspoon daily

 

[WellyBaggins]

My horse i photosensitive, he still has his boots on in the day at the moment, until about 8 o clock if really sunny, or as soon as it is is suitable, yesterday they came off @ 5pm, I live onsite so I can do it whenever, he has them on between 6am and 8am. He will wear them until the day temp drops below about 15 degrees but he will always wear them if I think he needs them, so short answer is yes he wears them in the winter but only when direct sunshine is a problem not one scab this year, he really suffered last year!

 

[soloequestrian]

Thanks for all the advice. I've just recently had a forage analysis done and have started adding copper and zinc. I thought that his skin was better because of the boot, but perhaps the minerals are having an effect too.... should have been more scientific about it and tried one thing at a time! I've actually been quite impressed with the boot because I was worried about rubbing, but it has been good so far.
I've tried quite a few creams in the past, including Sudocrem, but he has this irritating habit of appearing to respond well to them for a few weeks or even months and then suddenly developing a reaction to them so the cream makes the scabbing worse. This year our worst episode was when I put suncream on him in about June. It was the same suncream as he had all last year, but this time his whole leg (and nose, which doesn't usually scab at all) flared up and that's what I've been fighting ever since. Bloody thoroughbreds.......

 

[WellyBaggins]

I'll second that "bloody TBs"! Mine just has his boots on as and when, if there is a scab, which thank god there hasn't this year, I treat with Flamazine, seems to do the trick