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

i would go for a thick greasy layer, and also keep him out of the sun! have you had his bloods done for liver function? as if his liver function is compromised it will make him photosensitive to sunlight, hence summer mud fever and chapped cracked skin and noses. also is his field just grass? or does it have hedgerows and buttercups Both the latter increase the liver load, and increase photosensitivity. chaps/nappies/vet wrap will only absorb wet(in your case urine) thus increasing the odds for nappy rash/urine sensitivity. Best of luck. it is hard work keeping the oldies going.
 
Another one to add to your long list of things to try...Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter - still as water proofing as vaseline but not as gloopy and doesn't seem to come off as easily. Seems to really help skin heal and is only £2.49 a tub and I have found a little goes along way!

Hope your old man feels better soon - I have one the same age and have had him about the same time as you!
 
Thanks OCYC - haven't had bloods done, just urine in case there was a urine infection of some sort causing the bladder weakness (but there wasn't). But he doesn't have chapped skin at all (he's bay with 3 white socks) just incredibly pink on his two back socks. We have just grass fields and then hawthorne hedge (which he does love to munch).
 
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.
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I 3rd it. Fantastic stuff......dries the area and creates a barrier. :)
 
your hawthorne hedge could well be your problem!!! i would fence it off out of reach and try to keep him out of the sun. greasy layers will waterproof him from wee, but will also heat up, melt and possibly burn in the sun and it has been hot recently. you could try him with a total sun block on his white bits.
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
your hawthorne hedge could well be your problem!!! i would fence it off out of reach and try to keep him out of the sun. greasy layers will waterproof him from wee, but will also heat up, melt and possibly burn in the sun and it has been hot recently. you could try him with a total sun block on his white bits.
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Once used sudocream on pink nose when sun was still out - made things worse as it is oil based and heated up. It's a good healing cream when not used in the sun though.

I've used a aloe vera lotion on a case of rain scald to great and quick effect, can't remember its name though, have had a search and can't find it but something like this may work as it's water based but still acts as a barrier and also contains aloe vera:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...GB405GB407&tbm=isch&ei=x5-0Te6iFcKa8QO5u7yWDA

Hope he feels less sore soon xx
 
Definitely don't use vaseline, it feeds sores and makes them worse, it's ok on skin that is undamaged but once any damage occurs it is horrible stuff! I would definitely go with the baby creams you have been recommended for this particular problem, that is their job! The best one I have ever come across is Bepanthen http://www.bepanthen.co.uk/ this cleared up my grandson's nappy rash very quickly but visibly reduced the soreness within hours, having said that I haven't used the other one that is highly recommended and that may be as good if not even better. If you go with Sudocreme type then the supermarket brand zinc and castor oil cream will be almost as good and a hell of a lot cheaper, unless you can get sudocreme when on offer. I wouldn't even try any animal aimed products for this, your results will come from the human baby products. I really hope you can find something to help your boy, good luck xx
 
How about adding some sort of nappy/incontinence pad/puppy training pad to the snuggy hoods sweetitch rug with the udder cover added to hold it in the necessary place? Even if not a permanent solution if you were to put it on him overnight or even for a few hours to allow his legs to dry properly.

http://www.snuggyhoods.com/index.php/Sweet-Itch/View-all-products.html

Also if you or anyone you know is creative and handy with a sewing machine then buy a pair of doggy pants and try scaling them up!

Also I remember something about feeding Blue Chip dynamic reduces the ammonia produced in the urine - possibly the yukka in it? Not sure if that would help but maybe worth a try or at least contact them.

I hope you get a solution or at least find a way to manage it.
 
Make sure you are not feeding too much protein as the waste products from the conversion of surplus proteins to carbohydrates ,are quite agressive and will make his urine irritate the skin more.
 
I'm sorry you're both going through this, but its a bit like delaying the inevitable. Incontinence and its side effects are just as big a problem as any other hurdle an OAP faces. We spend so much time worrying about other aspects of our equine friends, but IMO you should view & act on this condition just as you would any other chronic condition in a boy his age :( If infections etc set in and the flies & heat increases I can't see this situation improving, I'm sorry to seem heartless or blunt.
 
I am another vote for camrosa. I use it on ponies sweetitch sores with no pain and its waterproof. We use it on the dog where she slobbers as she got wet excema it cleared up the sore pink skin quickly and she didn't mind it being on when other creams were obviously sore!
Good luck, hope u find some success from all the suggestions x
 
First of all, can I say my thoughts are with you, as this must be distressing for both you and your horse, and it is obvious from your OP that you want to do what's best for him.

I will only second what everyone above has said about Sudocreme or nappy rash cream.

However, you mention in your OP about your vet, so presumably he/she is up to date on your horse's current problem. So, presumably, a neurological cause has been ruled out as much as possible (I appreciate that it often takes a post mortem to get to the real cause of a neurological issue in horses) and the horse has had urine or kidney infection ruled out. If this is the case, it might be worth having a chat with your vet if your horse is otherwise well for his age, as, sometimes in humans, an anti-spasmodic drug can be effective, as it works to relax the bladder in cases of urge incontinence.

Apologies if this has already been discounted by your vet and this is going over old ground.

Hope everything works out for you and your horse.
 
The most amazing cure I have ever used for nappy rash on babies is egg white! It was recommended by a health visitor and was amazing - and my niece who has recently become a Mum was also recommended to use it. I guess the secret is a chemical reaction between it and the urine but I don't know for sure - it certainly works on babies though.
 
Right I have kind of formulated a splash plate....one of our geldings/OH think i've lost it!! I did it on our spookiest gelding and after initial WTF he was grand. I got two surcingles, one loosely around neck, one around his back tucked behind manly area...loose baler twine between the two up the spine so that back one couldn't slip. Teatowel with some double sided velcro and then some sheepskin cheekpieces around back surcingle on the belly side. Teatowel can velcro to the sheepskin and allow to hang down. The sheepskin stops any velcro rubbing him and you can have as long or short a towel as you like. Our fella was able to walk trot canter and when he peed (and he is a messy piddler) the towel deflected urine. You will prob have to change towel 2/3 times a day but it may help. Camera broken so no pics but I hope this makes sense!

The other thing I was pondering...is his mud fever def mud fever or sunburn?
 
at my yard we had an old horse with the same problem.One thing that is worth getting checked is to see if he has any crystals forming in his bladder or uretha as this can cause constant leaking of urine.They can be removed by laser surgery if this is the case,though I suspect that could well be expensive. In the case of the gelding on our yard who had this issue the legs were sore because the urine was acidic.Like your horse the vet ruled out infection. All anyone could do for him was constantly wash the legs and put a barrier cream on.They used sudocreme. Unfortunately after suffering this for a couple of years he became very withdrawn and despite having no other health issues the decision was made to PTS as he was no longer a happy horse. I hope you can get to the bottom of your geldings issues.
 
I'm so sorry you are going through this but I'm afraid I have to agree with Gugglebum. Unless this turns out to be a short term issue I think you have some serious thinking to do. I had a dog with similar problem. Test after test came back negative & we never did get to the bottom of it but in desperately trying to find out/cope with the situation we, for a short time, lost sight of what really mattered. Please have a chat with your Vet about the long term prognosis. He is 33 & by the sound of your post he has been loved to bits whatever the outcome he needs you to think of his needs more than ever now. It doesn't sound like the Vet you have talked to has many more ideas - is there another Vet in the practise you could talk to or another practise you could get a 2nd opinion from to help you make up your mind either way.
 
Amage - you are so kind!! I can't believe you went and did that!! Thanks so so much!! I will get in the tack room and see what we can find. Either that or I might try customizing one of the snuggy hood fly rugs with udder bit that was mentioned earlier.

Thanks also too for sudocreme endorsement and the egg white suggestion - brilliant!!

Gugglebum and hairycob - I understand where you are coming from (i.e. the title of this post). I am fully prepared that the decision could have to be made tomorrow, next month, next year etc because I know he is extremely old and cannot go on forever. I have been prepared for some years now and I will never see him suffer unnecessarily you can be sure of that. But I can't rationalise right now that pink, sore skin is the reason to make the call. He is an old fashioned sort of horse who is hard as nails - that's how he's got to the age he has. I've got 5 pages of wonderful help and support and suggestions here, and while I reitterate that I am fully aware of potential consequences given his age, I am certainly not going to give up on him without trying some of the suggestions here first. As others have said he is essentially suffering from nappy rash at the moment, if I can get it under control and "re stabilize" then great. If he deteriorates to too much of an extent you can be very sure that I won't see him suffer. We are lucky enough that he will not have to leave home for the big decision to be carried out and he will join our other horses in their spot on the farm. He has worked so hard for me in the past and I will work hard for him now when he needs it. I know this problem won't go away but I am certain there are things I can do. I just want to reassure you that no-one is no prepared for the potential circumstances. But while he is still eating up and enjoying his food, galloping around the field, rolling and jumping up and his coat is glossy, I think I will keep fighting. If it starts to get him down I know what I need to do. I know you don't mean to be harsh and I don't mean to be abrupt either but he will not suffer I promise.
 
Hels_Bells said:
Amage - you are so kind!! I can't believe you went and did that!! Thanks so so much!! I will get in the tack room and see what we can find. Either that or I might try customizing one of the snuggy hood fly rugs with udder bit that was mentioned earlier.
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No problem....couldn't get the poor fella out of my head yest and a friend of mine used to use loose surcingles round neck with the old style tail guards that had those long strings on that you could tie to roller so thats how the idea developed! If it works we'll patent it and become millionaires!!
 
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