Recurrent Flaky skin and hair loss

[T_K]

My Haflinger has a strange skin condition that seems to reoccur every year. This is the third winter we've had her.

Around this time of year, her skin becomes flaky all over but more so on her neck and chest, and her hair starts to come out, slowly at first but ends up leaving her with random bald patches. She also starts to lose weight which she doesn't tend to come back until the summer, although last year she had an intense course of alfa-a and pink powder which sorted it out.

The first time she got it we hadn't had her very long so it seemed obvious when the vet told us she had lice(she came from a 'private' seller that seemed to have lots of random ponies in the field.... all 3 were treated and it slowly got better, apart from her weight.

Last year the vet came out again, didn't give us a diagnosis but gave us some sweet itch lotion, which made the skin condition a little better - but didn't help much and again she lost weight.

I can see her skin doing it again this year and I want to be able to prevent her losing her coat and any weight again.

The first year she was unrugged, out 24/7, fed on Dengie Hi-Fi and Blue Chip original. And had Marksway Hi-Fibre horsehage.

Last year she was rugged in a heavyweight rug, out 24/7, fed on Dengie Hi-Fi and dengie balancer. Again had Hi-Fibre Horsehage.

This year she is unrugged, in at night, fed on Dengie Alfa-A and High Fibre nuts and has hay.

See picture below of her coat, this picture was taken around Feb last year. She is also very itchy on the flaky patches.

Has anyone experienced this? Has anyone overcome this? Any help at all is much appreciated.

 

[Maesfen]

Have you tried adding some oil to her feed at all or maybe a base supplement to see if that helps as most skin conditions come from within; if the systems not right, the skin won't be right?
Brewers Yeast is very good for skin condition (and it's very reasonable which always helps!) it's sometimes helps with sweet itch and has added vitamins including B12; it's usually the only supplement I use.

I know nothing of Haflingers but because of their normal habitat, do they normally have something like a double coat to cope with their normal winters; it must be very mild here in comparison so could it be a version of them shedding an undercoat in preparation for spring? Is that a totally stupid thing to say, as I said, I know nothing about them - can't you tell?!

 

[T_K]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you tried adding some oil to her feed at all or maybe a base supplement to see if that helps as most skin conditions come from within; if the systems not right, the skin won't be right?
Brewers Yeast is very good for skin condition (and it's very reasonable which always helps!) it's sometimes helps with sweet itch and has added vitamins including B12; it's usually the only supplement I use.

I know nothing of Haflingers but because of their normal habitat, do they normally have something like a double coat to cope with their normal winters; it must be very mild here in comparison so could it be a version of them shedding an undercoat in preparation for spring? Is that a totally stupid thing to say, as I said, I know nothing about them - can't you tell?!

[/ QUOTE ]

Meant to say, she is now on Pink Powder everyday and has been for a month, which has yeast and vitamin b12 in.

She was born and raised in Belgium and Holland, so I don't think the weather would have been much more cold than here. My shetland has a much thicker coat and has never had this problem.

It might well be a Haffie problem, I will ask some owners what they think.

Thanks

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Not sure if I've missed something here but are you certain it isn't lice again? Treating once doesn't get rid of them and winter is the prime "louse" season. Is she itchy, eg scraping herself round the stable walls etc? Frontline rubbed well in works well but you have to repeat it after 10 days to zap the unharmed eggs that hatch. Also you have to treat every other horse she may be in contact with as well as rugs, numnahs, grooming kit, wooden doors etc etc etc. They are persistent little bleeders.

 

[T_K]

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure if I've missed something here but are you certain it isn't lice again? Treating once doesn't get rid of them and winter is the prime "louse" season. Is she itchy, eg scraping herself round the stable walls etc? Frontline rubbed well in works well but you have to repeat it after 10 days to zap the unharmed eggs that hatch. Also you have to treat every other horse she may be in contact with as well as rugs, numnahs, grooming kit, wooden doors etc etc etc. They are persistent little bleeders.

[/ QUOTE ]

Would they stay in her coat all year round? We didn't see any signs of lice last year. She hasn't worn a rug this year and isn't ridden - the only thing she has come into contact with again is her head collar, which has been washed quite a few times since. She is also at a different yard now.

The other horses she is kept with have never shown any signs of lice at all. I guess it would be worth treating everybody for lice again but I don't want to irritate her skin if this isn't the case, as the vet didn't think it was last year.