Scabs on horses back

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Amcfaul

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My horse has a large area on his back thats scabby, the appear down his side and neck
Hes had steroid injections and antibiotics for 5 days
Has anyone seen anything like this?

He lived out in a field and just appeared all of a sudden. Noticed it when i took his rain sheet off
 
Amcfaul said:
My horse has a large area on his back thats scabby, the appear down his side and neck
Hes had steroid injections and antibiotics for 5 days
Has anyone seen anything like this?

He lived out in a field and just appeared all of a sudden. Noticed it when i took his rain sheet off
Click to expand...
 
It's probably rain scald from being damp and warm under a rain sheet.

I would want to soften the scabs and get it open to the air. The treatment sounds a bit belt and braces, it will normally go without antibiotics if it's allowed oxygen.

If it's proving tricky to get rid of and the horse is not a youngster then I would test for Cushings.
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ycbm said:
It's probably rain scald from being damp and warm under a rain sheet.

I would want to soften the scabs and get it open to the air. The treatment sounds a bit belt and braces, it will normally go without antibiotics if it's allowed oxygen.

If it's proving tricky to get rid of and the horse is not a youngster then I would test for Cushings.
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Click to expand...
 
ycbm said:
It's probably rain scald from being damp and warm under a rain sheet.

I would want to soften the scabs and get it open to the air. The treatment sounds a bit belt and braces, it will normally go without antibiotics if it's allowed oxygen.

If it's proving tricky to get rid of and the horse is not a youngster then I would test for Cushings.
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Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply, can you see the photo? Ive uploaded it but dont know if it went up lol ..
 
That's a really really bad case but it still l looks like rainscald turned into nasty folliciltis that got a strong hold to me. How long was it between when you found that and the last time you took off the rug?

I've seen similar on a horse left rugged unchecked all winter.
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That is nasty I hope the treatment sorts it out. Don't mess with it trying to pick scabs off as it will be sore and upset your horse. Let it come away in it's own time. When it has settled down the vet can give you a wash to help it.
 
Amcfaul said:
My horse has a large area on his back thats scabby, the appear down his side and neck
Hes had steroid injections and antibiotics for 5 days
Has anyone seen anything like this?

He lived out in a field and just appeared all of a sudden. Noticed it when i took his rain sheet off
Click to expand...
Amcfaul said:
My horse has a large area on his back thats scabby, the appear down his side and neck
Hes had steroid injections and antibiotics for 5 days
Has anyone seen anything like this?

He lived out in a field and just appeared all of a sudden. Noticed it when i took his rain sheet off
Click to expand...

ycbm said:
That's a really really bad case but it still l looks like rainscald turned into nasty folliciltis that got a strong hold to me. How long was it between when you found that and the last time you took off the rug?

I've seen similar on a horse left rugged unchecked all winter.
.
Click to expand...
His rain rug was only on for 2 days until i took it off and noticed it. It also hadnt been raining.. im thinking it was coming up to the warm weather, was it a reaction to sweating underneath it?

Its very scabby underneath im leaving it alone and treating with hibiscrub. I had wondered was it an allergic reaction as a few bumps are on his neck too
 
It's really typical of a bacterial infection. The warmth opens up the pores and bacteria that are naturally present on the skin take advantage.

I agree don't pick at scabs that bad. Does your vet want you to use hibiscrub? It can be very harsh..
 
Ouch.

I think I would have under cover, as in indoors, once they start to peel as I wouldn't want a rug on and I'd be afraid of sunburn on open areas. I would exercise by hacking in-hand for an hour each end of the day so the horse isn't too confined.

I would definitely have the vet out as that looks like it will be very painful before it resolves. I would think they may prescribe some cream that would be both anti bac and soothing. A cream would help to lift the scabs, I think, along with a Malaseb wash or similar. But I would say it needs an in person vet to decide.

Rugs need lifting twice a day really, to allow inspection and for the skin to breathe. Funny as I was just teaching new BF this very thing with fly rugs. I have two different ones: one for daytime and one for night. That way, not only are they lifted and inspected, they also have slightly different pressure points.
 
ycbm said:
It's really typical of a bacterial infection. The warmth opens up the pores and bacteria that are naturally present on the skin take advantage.

I agree don't pick at scabs that bad. Does your vet want you to use hibiscrub? It can be very harsh..
Click to expand...

ycbm said:
really typical of a bacterial infection. The warmth opens up the pores and bacteria that are naturally present on the skin take advantage.

I agree don't pick at scabs that bad. Does your vet want you to use hibiscrub? It can be very harsh..
Click to expand...

ycbm said:
It's really typical of a bacterial infection. The warmth opens up the pores and bacteria that are naturally present on the skin take advantage.

I agree don't pick at scabs that bad. Does your vet want you to use hibiscrub? It can be very harsh..
Click to expand...
I have sent a video to the vet, she thinks also bacterial infection and to treat with hibiscrub, let dry, then add on an antibacterial/antifungal spray.

So hopefully it starts to heal without being completely raw and out in the open -fingers crossed! Must be so uncomfortable poor man.
 
Red-1 said:
Ouch.

I think I would have under cover, as in indoors, once they start to peel as I wouldn't want a rug on and I'd be afraid of sunburn on open areas. I would exercise by hacking in-hand for an hour each end of the day so the horse isn't too confined.

I would definitely have the vet out as that looks like it will be very painful before it resolves. I would think they may prescribe some cream that would be both anti bac and soothing. A cream would help to lift the scabs, I think, along with a Malaseb wash or similar. But I would say it needs an in person vet to decide.

Rugs need lifting twice a day really, to allow inspection and for the skin to breathe. Funny as I was just teaching new BF this very thing with fly rugs. I have two different ones: one for daytime and one for night. That way, not only are they lifted and inspected, they also have slightly different pressure points.
Click to expand...
At the minute the weather is great and he has no rug on so not sweaty.. im able to wash him and he thoroughly drys outside then put antifungal/antibacterial spray on - fingers crossed!
 
After washing gently some scabs have fallen off.. looks horrendous. Could this be ringworm? The vets coming to do a skin scraping next week
 

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Gods that's bad, but it still looks like an extreme rainscald to me. I know you can see circles but the bugs go into a pore and spread out from that pore. The skin on the back has, I was once told, a pretty poor blood supply, so that's against you as well.
 
ycbm said:
Gods that's bad, but it still looks like an extreme rainscald to me. I know you can see circles but the bugs go into a pore and spread out from that pore. The skin on the back has, I was once told, a pretty poor blood supply, so that's against you as well.
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Brought in from field, yesturday.. one side fine and the rest bumps have spread across his body :( hes kept in the stable now to keep the area dry
 

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If the hives are coming and going I would be wondering if he is accessing something in the field that is affecting him. I've a mare that breaks out in impressive hives if her haylage is too good and they disappear if the haylage is abandoned and I feed low quality soaked hay.

Might be worth a walk around your grazing and a look at anything else you are giving him.
 
One of the RDA ponies had something similar, although it didn't look as bad as that. She usually wore a fly rug but had managed to rub herself on a tree. Vet prescribed steroid cream and injections but she missed an entire summer season off work.
 
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