Rain scald?????

fay4

fay4

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Hi

Any advice on treating Rain scald as never dealt with it before. He has scabby area running from the hair line where his tummy and back leg is and down the front of his stifle. Treated it with Malaseb shampoo and then was putting Horsewise first aid spray on.

It was starting to clear up but last night it rained again and today it seems to of spread further down the front of his back leg almost to the front of his hock - it is also quite hot.

Doesn't look like classic rain scald little scabs but where the water has ran down in streams its raised and swollen? weird - can rain scald come up that quick? Its also only on one side and hes never had it before? but I have moved yards ( last year ) could it be something in the soil?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Fay
 
Rain scald is caused by a bacteria that thrives in damp, warm places. When it attacks legs it is called mud fever and it is indeed caused by a bacteria in the soil.

Clearing up rainscald is relatively easy. If you treat it early it isn't a major problem. You need to carefully pick away all the scabs. Tufts of hair will probably come away too. If it's a big area, you might need to do the scab picking off over a few days. You need to do this because the bacteria "hide" under the scabs and would just re-infect the skin again. When the scabs are off, wash the area in dilute Hibiscrub, rinse and let it dry. When your horse is completely dry, put a clean (you will have to wash it if it's been on the infected skin) rainsheet on him. Over the next 7 - 10 days, repeat the procedure. If time is tight, you can make a cupful of Hibiscrub up and rub it into the coat with an old body brush (that you can throw away or boil afterwards) and DON'T rinse it. Just let it dry. Then the rainsheet again.

It should clear up nicely in a week or so. If it doesn't, or it starts to look worse, I'd get the vet to have a look just in case it's not rainscald x
 
i would was with a medicated shampoo get some de scab witch will losen the scabs for you then cover the infected bits with sudocream with a few drops of tea tree oil in it witch will soothe and protect and keep it clean and dry!
 
Like others have said, pick of the scabs and tufty bits of hair. Wash/treat with somthing medicated/antibacterial.

My mare gets it on her legs and I've found Gold Label Wonder Gel is great for promoting hair growth afterwards.

x
 
Thanks very much for the advice!

Its looking a bit better today thankfully, though have to say even though it looks like rain scald as you can see where the rain has run down the leg in a stream he hasn't got the classic small scabs like rain scald (my friends tb mare had it bad so seen classic rs) the skin look more rippled like and has small splits in it- weird espically as my boys a hairy cob not fine coated tb. Going to carry on treating like rain scald as heat and swelling gone down today.

Strangly enough someone else recommended the "wonder gel" so put that on and does seem to be helping obviously after washing with anti bacterial shampoo.

Many thanks again!
Fay x
 
Would the same apply to mud rash/fever. Mine has it really bad, well it looks a mess. Isn't swollen and she isn't lame, more up her legs than on joints etc. The scabs just seem so large that if I picked them off they would really hurt her and get kicked in the process. We have hibiscrubbed, dried and then sudocrem (but is this trapping the bacteria in people say and oil based product will and better to use a water based one). But it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
 
Sorry your little girl has probs too!

Must admit that with scabs etc... I try and stay away from using sudocrem (as good as it is) only from the point I have a hairy cob and its a nightmare with all the hair and I get paranoid about trapping bacteria in and washing it off with sore scabs can get abit dangerous with possible flying hooves!. This is the dilema! what to do hence my post!
I normally use the horsewise first aid spray or anything that isn't sticky, however I did try the camrosa cream and was really good, but I've ran out so thats why I haven't tried on whatever my boys got!. I have to say the "wonder gel" by gold label touch wood seems to be helping?! we shall see! I'll keep you posted!

xx
 
Wow! Lard! never heard of that but handy to know espically as if I put even a rain sheet on my boy he'd melt, if I put a stable rug on in the depths of winter he sweats! (even if clipped)- I take it you've used the lard before???
 
or even put pig oil down there spine asd long as it is oily the rain will just fall off the only down side his your horses coat feels and looks horrible!
 
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