scurfy scaly youngster - suggestions?

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Beatrice5

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My 18 month old filly seems to be rather scurfy and scaly it reminds me of when I used to get psoriasis. I give her a good old scratch with the metal curry comb and let her have her rug off in the day for a good roll but can anyone suggest anything I could give her to help?

Her coat also on her bum is not it's usual shiny self so I am worried she may have mites as I use straw to bed the field shelter down - how would I know if mites or just scurf?

Also heard that a local farm are treating their horses for Ringworm which I have never seen before but understood it to leave circular hairless patches and weepy scabs which I haven't spotted on her so far. But worried none the less. Helpful friend also told me youngsters more prome to such things!

Other two are fine it's only her who is affected.
 
Have you owned her through this time of year before? It may be a reaction to changes in feed or it could be to do with coat change. As far as I know you'd need to get a vet to do a scraping to determine if she has mites and I thought mites usually affected the legs? I stand to be corrected though.

I have a horse who always suffers with itchy legs an also seems to react when he's been clipped. I have tried taking cereal based feeds out from his diet and I have tried treating with aloe vera, sudocrem on sore bits and various other things. Today I have just ordered some equi-dermis (or something) from Feedmark as i saw them at Bramham horse trials a trade stand and was tempted then. As my horse is still itching now i have decided to give it a go to see if it helps relieve his itching - the reviews seem to indicate it also promotes a nice coat which i assume is a side of the skin being healthier.

I will report on here if I find I get any decent results!
 
I have owned her from birth as I have her Mum.

I am also worried as I used Equest a few months back when I last wormed and a friend once attributed it to her horse developing sweet itch :(

I did think mites were more prevalent on legs but she is so scaly but then again she has a wooly Mammouth baby coat so that won't help her itchyness especially when it mild like it is at the moment and the midges are still around.

I will phone vets tomorrow and see if I can post a hair and skin cell sample for testing.
 
Right so i am guessing she wasn't like this last year then? I have to say I swear my horse is allergic to his own hair! Minedoes not have sweetitch - he doesn't rub his mane or tail, he is just itchy up his inner things and round his hind legs basically. I would say that you may consider with yours she is just rather hot - it is not as cold as it should be for this time of year and, maybe if she's got a decent coat on her she is getting uncomfortable as too warm. I know my pony was rubbing himself on the fence the other day as he was just too warm with his full winter coat on. I have clipped my horse and yet only have him in a medium T/O and am concerned he's still going to get a bit warm as he does get very miserable when he gets too warm.
 
Try adding a seaweed supplement in her daily feed, its very good for improving the skin and coat for horses that have dry itchy skin, you'll see a difference in a month, also a slight colour change to the coat.

Also due to the time of the year, its a good idea to treat her for lice, even if you don't think she has its always good to prevent rather than to treat, also using Coopers Fly Repellant Plus (its lice treatment) it will condition the coat too as well as ease any itchyness, its very good stuff.
 
Give her a good bath using Nizoral - you can buy it from the chemist it's a shampoo for people with dandruff so will get rid of the scurf on your youngster.

Dilute with hand hot water and work well in, leave for 10 mins then rinse.
 
Doubtful it's ringworm. Ringworm is very distinctive - you'll recognise it as soon as you see it.

Maybe lice? They're horrible buggers and thrive this time of year in woolly coats and rugs. They can catch them off other horses and farm animals.
 
I stopped by at Dengie stall at YHL at weekend as my horse is exactly the same as urs. They told me that theyve had more enquries than ever re scurf. They told me that they believe its because the horses are confused by the mild weather.

They advised me to add 3 tablespoons of soya oil to my boys feed.
 
1Lucie said:
I stopped by at Dengie stall at YHL at weekend as my horse is exactly the same as urs. They told me that theyve had more enquries than ever re scurf. They told me that they believe its because the horses are confused by the mild weather.

They advised me to add 3 tablespoons of soya oil to my boys feed.
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There is so much seen now sometimes because people will insist on putting rugs on things that don't need it so the poor things get hot which leads to itchiness.
OP said hers has a coat like a mammoth so why rug it at all as you are taking out the self insulation?
Over heating is every bit as bad as being cold.
 
My 3yr old was the same last week, he's getting more and more itchy but does feel the cold.

The vet came out and checked him over for mites, he found nothing but said this is quite common at the moment and suggested if we got a milder day then it might be an idea to give him a bath - so the other day when it was 15degrees my and the head girl on the yard gave him a real quick bath with medicated shampoo and got him rugged with his fleece straight away - kept him walking until he was drying off

He looks so much better and has a shine back in his coat, no itchiness and no scurf
 
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