My Clydesdale has scabby legs!

smokey

smokey

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First time ever, I brought her in from the field, brushed her feathers and lots of knotted hair and scabby bits. She does get greasy heel, but never bothers her. I poked about a bit ( as you do!) and she has damp, red scabby skin above the bulb of her heel. The crease here is quite deep, and I'm thinking she's been really sweaty in this weather. I've cut some of the feather off for easy access, cleaned them up, and applied vet bac. Today they are still damp, and am wondering if I should give them a scrub with hibiscrub them use a powder rather than cream?
Any suggestions? Thanks:)
 
Is she itchy as well or have you seen her stamping? Could be feather mites? I've had a recent experience with this with my highland and thought it was mud fever at first?
 
My pony has just been diagnosed with mites. I haven't seen him stamping at all, but the affected legs are scabby, scurfy and moulting.
 
I've just had to clip my Draft horse's feather because she has had scabby legs - she's been treated for mites in the past but the problem now is that she gets very sweaty under the feather in warm weather, never mind in this heat. Now that the air can get to her skin, the scabs are clearing up.
 
Not mites, I think pearlsasinger got it, that sounds just like my girl. Going to chop off the feather round the affected bit and see how it goes. Did you put anything on it, or leave it to the air?
 
Well, have just spent an hour, cutting feathers, and washing with hibiscrub. The bulbs of both back heels are raw and sore looking. Left them to dry in the air, them poured copious amounts of wound powder on them. She's not lame, and they look clean. Feel awful, I never dig about in there, as she has always had dry clean legs. Lesson learnt!
Any suggestions for any other treatment for this? I'm inclined not to interfere too much and leave them to heal, but any suggestions would be more than welcome
 
I would use pig oil and flowers of sulphur it mends the skin and keeps it in really good condition.i have treated grease successfully on my hairies without removing feather.
 
Cahill said:
I would use pig oil and flowers of sulphur it mends the skin and keeps it in really good condition.i have treated grease successfully on my hairies without removing feather.
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Can I apply that directly to her skin tho? Or wait til the feathers grow back and use it for prevention? Sorry to sound stupid, this is a new problem for me!
 
Before you go mad with the pig oil and sulphur be sure it's it sallanders and mallanders as I think that the sulphur would irritate this condition more.
 
You can't prevent it and there is no cure but using t gel helps a lot otherwise you need to get some human psoriasis medication ( your vet can prescribe ) its called dovonex
 
katherine1975 said:
Hi Smokey. How do you know that it is not mites?
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She had mites as a yearling, so I've seen the effect mites have. This is only on the bulbs of her back feet, her legs are not affected at all. Looks more like mud fever than anything else, but very localised. I'm going to continue cleaning and powdering over the next few days, if no improvement I'll call the vet.
 
smokey said:
Not mites, I think pearlsasinger got it, that sounds just like my girl. Going to chop off the feather round the affected bit and see how it goes. Did you put anything on it, or leave it to the air?
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I have left them alone, so that the air can get to the skin. I'm not keen on hibiscrub on raw skin, as I know from personal experience that it STINGS. I wouldn't put pig oil on raw skin either, imo, that is for putting on the hair to deter mites. I checked last night and although there is still some evidence of scabs, her legs are much improved, so we will clip again this weekend and continue to leave alone (her legs are all black). We need innoculations soon, so I will mention it to the vet then if it hasn't cleared up completely.
I'm upset because her legs look fabulous with full feather but she really does need them bare in this heat.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I have left them alone, so that the air can get to the skin. I'm not keen on hibiscrub on raw skin, as I know from personal experience that it STINGS. I wouldn't put pig oil on raw skin either, imo, that is for putting on the hair to deter mites. I checked last night and although there is still some evidence of scabs, her legs are much improved, so we will clip again this weekend and continue to leave alone (her legs are all black). We need innoculations soon, so I will mention it to the vet then if it hasn't cleared up completely.
I'm upset because her legs look fabulous with full feather but she really does need them bare in this heat.
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Thanks for that, my inclination was to leave them bare, but was concerned about infection. I've just taken off the feather round the bulb of her heel, as the rest of her legs are clear. I did hibiscrub, but used a dilute solution. Never used pig oil, as she has never had issues with her legs before. Will monitor and see how we go.
 
Hers are clipped to above her knees.

ETA, if could find an emoticon to use in posts, I would have put a very sad face here but the horse is happy.
 
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Pearlsasinger said:
Hers are clipped to above her knees.

ETA, if could find an emoticon to use in posts, I would have put a very sad face here but the horse is happy.
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Aaaw bless her, as long as she's comfy though. They look strange when you take all the feather off don't they? I'm hoping not to have to do that, mine doesn't do clippers, and it's a lot of leg to trim with scissors!
 
smokey said:
Aaaw bless her, as long as she's comfy though. They look strange when you take all the feather off don't they? I'm hoping not to have to do that, mine doesn't do clippers, and it's a lot of leg to trim with scissors!
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It certainly would be! She has over 12" of bone!
She is one of the best-mannered horses any-one could ever wish to meet and just wears her long-suffering expression, when we do something that she's not keen on. I'll never understand why her previous owners were frightened of her! (puzzled emoticon)
 
Pearlsasinger said:
It certainly would be! She has over 12" of bone!
She is one of the best-mannered horses any-one could ever wish to meet and just wears her long-suffering expression, when we do something that she's not keen on. I'll never understand why her previous owners were frightened of her! (puzzled emoticon)
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Know what you mean about the expression, mines the same!
 
smokey said:
She had mites as a yearling, so I've seen the effect mites have. This is only on the bulbs of her back feet, her legs are not affected at all. Looks more like mud fever than anything else, but very localised. I'm going to continue cleaning and powdering over the next few days, if no improvement I'll call the vet.
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It could still be mites, the way you are describing it sounds exactly like what our IDx had. They can be very localised.
 
Thought I'd do an update, if anyone is interested? Phoned the vet for advice, and while waiting for a call back set about washing the hairy ones legs. The scabby bits are clean, if a bit raw, so was going to dry them and sudocreme until I heard from the vet
Then we found.... Maggots! On her leg, next to a small wound. Yuck!
Vet called back while we were feeling sick, and advised iodine 1:3 solution, sprayed all over her lower legs and left for 10 mins. Followed by hibiscrub applied and left for ten minutes. Rinse and dry. Vet salve, sudocreme or similar to keep the flies off. She has also sent me a bottle of shampoo to use every other day once the problem has cleared up, to avoid a build up of greasy heel(which is how this started!). My poor horse now has two very bald back legs, and two very hairy front ones as they are not affected. Seems this summer is particularly bad for flies, and their disgusting babies!
 
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