Please help - skin getting more and more sore and pink am worried end of the road :(

Hels_Bells

Hels_Bells

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I am just about at my wits end. My poor poor oldie has had a bladder weakness problem for some time. I have done everything I can to stop the wetness causing problems on his back legs. Vaseline, baby oil, udder cream, equichaps (two types), polypad rappas, human gaiters for legs, bandages, wonder gel. But he is just getting worse and worse. He eventually got mud fever in his white socks which I treated with manuka honey and has almost cleared up but his skin is so sore and putting stuff on it seems to hurt as does leaving things to air as the urine stings his skin.

I just keep crying because he's 33 and I've had him since I was 12 and he was 11 years old and this condition is getting us both down. He's such a good friend and he is so well for his age. He has a lovely coat, he rolls and gets up and gallops around no problem. Just a bit of bute each to stop him getting too stiff and he is so well. I just can't let this beat him. It's ridiculous but I can't find anything to stop the wetness getting to him. Please help me, all suggestions welcome. I think I am going to try nappies today but all other suggestions welcome. :(:(:(:(

I need something to provide a barrier to the urine as well as improving the skin condition at the same time. Vet has just said use Vaseline but it doens't seem to work.
 
You really need to slather on the vaseline.

It just a thought but could you lay a strip of clingfilm over the vaseline where the urine runs?
 
Poor you and your boy. Have you tried Sudocreme? I would look at creams designed for human babies with nappy rash. Hope you find a good solution.
 
Was just about to say, nappy rash cream :) I use Zinc and Castor Oil cream from the chemist. Did wonders for sore baby's bum, so is gentle yet effective.

Good luck and hugs for your old boy :)
 
I was going to suggest sudocrem and how about cleaning as much as you can with a very mild baby shampoo? What about (I know it sounds weird) asking in the chemists what they would use to clean up a human incontinenet (sp))- does something like e45 not help to clear up the chapped skin? What a good age he is, I'm sure he will get over this and be fine
 
there's a product you can get from australia.. its called deri sal. - google it.. i got some shipped over in february.


It's fantastic. If a mare has had a bad foaling and results in her being incontenant (sp).. I smear deri sal, all over her back end.. and down her legs! it's one of the best barrier creams I have ever used!! - its also great for when foals scour..
 
Oh thanks so much for the replies so far. I have tried talc (baby and cuticura) to dry up the MF and it's helped but obv doesn't provide a barrier. Thanks for sudocrem, and Zinc and Castor. I will try both. Deri Sal sounds very good. I will also get on to that. I'm also going to get some vet wrap today to see if that helps. It just seems like there's no light at the end of the tunnel at mo. I'm off to the shops now to see what I can find (on a sunday over bank holiday!) but will be back on later. Thanks again. xx
 
Know its slightly different but some of the best things for use in humans are sudocream, cavilon cream and metanium, might be worth a try. ETA should be able to get this from your local chemist...

Also when my older dog had bladder weaknesses we were able to get her tablets from the vets, would have thought they would do something similar for horses?

My old girl scours alot when she's stressed and I clean her with warm water, baby shampoo and cotton wool, dry, before putting sudocream on when she gets sore :)
 
Hi

What about bathing his legs in Oilatum bath(the instructions for usage are on the bottle) not the shampoo one. Pat dry with towel(dont rub any new skin off) and then as you are already using the right creams really, could try Hydromol.
Although sudocreme is for eczema it can sting however (she says) I find for horses due to it being so tacky it does tend to stick well! Agree slather it on you will need tubs of the stuff. You need to do this daily.

Are you sure the skin hasnt become infected /inflammed in any way? Keep it covered with cream to stop flies nibbling.

I think if you nappy him that could make things worse as the urine is going to stick to the skin etc/plastic sweat etc and I think you will end up with an infection/sores. Not sure how you are proposing to keep this on either? Sorry to sound harsh but if things are failing bladder etc or if he starts getting infections, sores etc if it gets any worse and creams lotions potions are not working he may need a review or different decision, however hard for you? Poor old boy. Hope these suggestions work for him. He is a lucky horse to have such a dedicated owner, so dont be hard on yourself. Not all animals are so fortunate.
 
Horse nappies don't sound like your answer, reading this seems to be they can create a worse problem than you have already..

http://www.britishdrivingsociety.co.uk/information/NAPPIES - BLACKPOOL.pdf

One other cream you might give a try is Kamillosan. It is great for healing cracked skin etc, mainly used for women breastfeeding!
Might be worth cleaning legs with something as simple as salt water, let them dry out and then cover in that. It is a barrier cream which soothes and heals aswell. Or there is cheap aqueous cream some have calamine in aswell.
 
Sorry to hear of your old boys problem.

Basically what we do on the foals NICU ward for scouring/urine problems is basically wash area down with baby shampoo and then literally get shares in sudocreme!!!

You should be using practically a big pot a day!

Failing talk to your vet about inserting a catheter to get him healed for the moment.

I hope you can get him back to his old self soon
 
I second the Metainium (SP?, comes in a yellow box/tube), cleared up really angry, red nappy rash on my children in no time. Not sure if it would work as a barrier, but for soothing there's nothing better.
 
marmalade76 said:
I second the Metainium (SP?, comes in a yellow box/tube), cleared up really angry, red nappy rash on my children in no time. Not sure if it would work as a barrier, but for soothing there's nothing better.
Click to expand...

Yep thats it! it is a barrier cream as far as I'm aware. brilliant stuff!
 
In this weather be careful with anything oil based...he could sunburn! I would recommend Ardmore Equine's Tissue Repair Cream http://www.ardmoreequine.com/ it's amazing stuff for healing things and I have yet to see it fail. Is he a quiet type...a horsy jockstrap with a towel hanging off it may help stop his legs getting soaked. i've tried to find a link to one fo the jockstraps but can't but if he is not too spooky I imagine he could learn to wear a teatowel to provide a "splashplate"
 
dependin on the size of the area go to the pharnmacy and get some hydrocoliod wafers, these are used for wound dressings or some colostomy wafers. They will not be cheap but you can cut them to size . Once you have got them to stick using the warmth from your hand leave them on for as long as possible, they will smell and go abit gooey but it gives a chance for the skin to heal underneath.
http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Advanced-Healing-Hydrocolloid-Dressings-5-pack_2020/
http://www.medicaledu.com/hydrochp.htm , a simple explaiantion of how they work.
The other solution is Cavilon spray or cream which is forms a waterproof barrier.
http://www.reachpharmacy.com/shop/3M-cavilon-spray.html
Once the skin has started to heal you could them go back to barrier cream, good luck
 
This might sound stupid but have you tried spray on plaster? It's waterproof and I had a friend use it for scouring and it worked well :)
 
I am another vote for sudocrem i used it on my sons bum he never had a rash and have since used it alot on my horses it seems to soothe and protect without irritating.
 
Just what others have said, really - we call Sudocrem 'magic cream' in our house! Used on babies' bums, elderly aunt's ear when her hearing aid rubbed it raw, other (incontinent) elderly aunt's 'bits' etc etc!

Also Kamilosan, as someone suggested, is so soothing. What about Vetericyn, that someone posted about on here yesterday? I don't know anything about it, but they rated it! Available here: http://www.pegasushealth.com/

I would also have thought there was some medication he could take. I know that there is something for old ladies ;) to help with bladder weakness - surely there is a horsey equivalent?

Fingers crossed for him x
 
Hi guys - thank you so so much for all your replies. I haven't been able to get any supplies today as all the supermarkets, saddleries etc round our way were closed so I had to stick to equichaps which are not working very well and I fear they may rub. This evening I have put some savlon on as it's the best I've got for soothing which he doesn't seem to react to (i.e. kick out at). I have had the vet over two or three times (very good equine vet from near us) and he basically said there was nothing he could really do about the actual incontinence issue i.e. there doens't seem to be any kind of incontinence drugs available. Just that I should use vaseline to stop the urine affecting the skin.

What occurred to me today is to try to use Vetwrap. I thought if I got some white stuff it would reflect the sun off while I treat the skin below.

Thank you so so so much for all your suggestions, I will follow them all up as there are loads of them to got at.

I know someone said that it might be a case of making a "decision" and I am very aware of that. I don't want him to suffer which is why I am just so upset about this, and also that I may have to make that call soon because of it. But it just seems so ridiculous when he is so well in so many other ways.

When I said nappies I actually meant human ones to wrap around the legs to absorb moisture and protect from wet at the same time. But I do worry about him sweating underneath things so a cream of some sort (or artificial skin as someone said - amazing, never heard of it but sounds brilliant) would be better.

Some sort of splash guard had also occurred to me but a bit mind boggling about how to make it work!

A catheter hadn't really occurred because I guess it couldn't be a long term solution, though a temporary one to give his skin a break might be one track to go down.

Anyway, thanks again a thousand times. Having to deal with this every day is getting quite upsetting, especially when he is clearly in discomfort from it at times and I really hope I can find a tried and tested way of protecting against it all soon.
 
I have not read any of the replies but the only really good non stinging "miracle" cream I have ever come across is Elizabeth Arden 8 hour rescue cream.

I have a tiny tube which lasted for ages. I know it is odd but she invented it for her horses originally. It is soothing and healing and non sting and seems to help things heal really really fast. I am a nurse and hate Sudocreme with a vengence:( Vasaline may help but the 8 hour cream is thick but easy to apply, would probably repel flies and moisture. I have used it on cuts and grazes for myself, excema around my eyes from hayfever, and a friend used it on her eyes for a similar problem and for her dog when he got some horrible excema type condition. I think it might help and may be worth a try? Good luck.
 
Hi there, so sad to hear of your problem, You could try a product called Ruggle - it, it may be helpful. It has no harsh chemicals and is safe. Hope this would help. :)
 
Just to clarify the problem, per bright eyes post. He has pretty much lost all bladder control, so we get a leaking tap effect every 5 minutes I guess. So his legs get constantly wet. I have been using udder cream, vaseline and baby oil etc for some time but they just don't seem to have been enough and his skin has become very pink and eventually he got mud fever, since then his skin just seems to have got more and more pink and raw and everything I put on just seems to sting him and make him lash out and it's almost impossible to keep his skin dry for any period of time. All these factors have led to really poor skin condition and I'm really struggling to improve it or find a good way of preventing it worsening whilst protecting him from the constant wetness.

Thanks for the cavilon suggestion, I will certainly look into it.
 
I see - and am prsuming that there's no 'appliance' which could be attached in a recognised procedure to divert the flow. I assume, if he leaks the whole time he never stales normally any more.

I do feel for you - and him.
 
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