scabby heels

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yorks

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My 22 year old 14.2 has had scabby heels twice now. He has not been on wet ground. It has been really dry lately. At first I noticed it on just one heel and treated it but I now see it has come on all 4 heels. It seems to go quickly with purple spray. He has never had any trouble before at all and I am at a loss to know what is causing it. Any ideas? He has been out all summer but is now stabled at night. The problem started before he was stabled.
 
I too have an aged pony (30) who has just recently developed scabby heels - she is on dry pasture and has been fine for the past 4 years that I have had her. I have tried treating the two affected ones with sudacrem but to no avail so have as of yesterday applied purple spray. My blacksmith says it is not mud fever. I too would be interested to know what is the likely cause and how to stop it reoccurring.
 
I have what sounds like the same problem as you. It's very close to the skin and feels almost scaly, like a reptile is covering part of the legs.

I've tried all sorts but nothing clears it. I will try the purple spray as I've got to the point where I will try anything that sounds sensible and keep my fingers crossed it doesn't mess it up even more.
 
I have one with what first looked like mud fever, scabs on her heels which then spread up to her pasterns. Vet said it was pastern dermatitis and said treat by washing with hibiscrub and applying Sudocreme. It got worse and whole leg swelled up. This was treated with antibiotics and continued with sudocreme. The scabs weren't coming off depsite the horse being very cooperative. She then had Steroids and Flamazine cream. One leg is clear and the other is still scabby, but improving.
She is out 24/7 on good pasture, no mud, so not sure what caused it, particularly as it was very dry when it first started.
 
it sounds like a kind of summer heel ! is it by any chance on a white or pink heel? my mare has it in the summer and it continues she is out 24/7 and i tend to just leave it or put some of this stuff on which really helps i tend not to pick the scabs off as this just makes it sore it is not infected so i kind of have a if it ain't broke don't fix it type of thing! she gets cross when i try and pick it off and i am a great believer in listening to what your horse is saying.This stuff has sun block in and is very cheap!! my vet gave it to me as mare is in foal and the only other thing that cleared it up was dermobian!



http://www.petremedies.co.uk/Skin--Coat-&-Wound/Wound-Care/Filta-BAC/p-178-215-774/
 
Sunburn? Or some sort of exma or dermatitis. White legs especially (socks or stockings) are suseptable to this sort of thing
 
no white legs here. My vet seems to think thistles caused the start of my problems. Problem is, even when it's pretty dry, there's often dew in mornings and evenings which can make things very damp.

Maybe I will also get some dermobian in case the purple spray doesn't work. My feed room is starting to look like a chemist!
 
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I'm holding my breath as I think the purple spray may be starting to work...I put pig oil on top of it. I think it's the purple spray working though as I did a patch test of just the purple spray the night before and the small round area is better than the rest of her legs. So glad I saw this thread and thank you so much for posting. I have been fighting this problem endlessly since July!
 
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