Rain Scald

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LOZHUG

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Hi I am after some advice please. I have done a search but can't ind the information or answers I was looking for.

I recently took on 3 Shetlands as their owner died suddenly and a lady I know took the other 2 on. One of hers seems to have scabs along its back and I was thinking rain scald but have never had a horse or pony suffer from this so not sure.

It's been a really wet Summer here and wet most of Autumn too. Do you think it's rain scald hard to see the skin it's self as he is resembling a wooly mammoth but there are scabs.

If so what can be done to treat it? I have medicated shampoo, hibiscrub and iodine spray are any of these suitable? Would it be best to keep him in for a while? Not to sure about putting a rug on him as I wondered would this make it worse being warm?

Any advice please. I am off to see her in the morning and we will go up to get him from the top of the mountain and get him in.

Oh also disinfecting brushes etc what is best to use?

Thanks in advance. Cookies and a hot choc x :)
 
If you've ever treated mud fever it's very similar.
Get the scabs off as much as possible without causing undue pain. Wash twice a day if possible with either iodine or hibiscrub and dry the areas.
If possible they need stabled out of the rain until it's totally healed, if not possible to keep them out the rain then they must be rugged to keep the hair and skin dry but make sure you give them time every day without a rug on (somewhere out the rain) to let their skin breath.

If stuggling to clear it up then they may need some oral antibiotics from the vets.
 
It's also worth clipping so you can get right down to the scabs and treat as best as possible. I've been constantly battling this with my lad and remember once it has gone wash everything that has been in contact with them and don't share anything between horses without disinfection first. Might be worth getting some virkon to disinfect things.
 
You need to protect the shettie's back from the rain. It's very common with plump, table-top-backed shetties that the rain just sits there on their backs and bingo, rainscald. People who poo-poo the fact that shetlands need rugging need to understand this! Stabling for the rest of the winter a) probably isn't feasible and b) will drive the pony nuts so I'd advise you to get a no-fill turnout rug asap. Once the rainscald is cleared up as others have already described, if you rug your shettie he shouldn't get it again. Take care because ordinary small rugs designed for horses often don't fit shetties properly...there's too much head room so the rug slides back digging into the chest and almost cutting off the blood supply to their brains! Depending on whether your lad is a standard or miniature you'll have more/less choice but Ruggles do shetland sized rugs - they are very generous sizes so you may need to go down a size from what you measure the pony at. Or Dinky rugs are great for smaller sizes. Both companies do a no-fill turnout. You deserve a medal for taking them on...good luck x
 
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