Sores/reaction on horse

indie1282

indie1282

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Has anyone seen anything like this? The horse is in a field with another horse that is unaffected. The only change is a new fly spray. Horse is eating and drinking and no change in behaviour. The horse is prone to mud fever/rain scald.

It isnt my horse and i have advised to call the vet.
 

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indie1282 said:
Has anyone seen anything like this? The horse is in a field with another horse that is unaffected. The only change is a new fly spray. Horse is eating and drinking and no change in behaviour. The horse is prone to mud fever/rain scald.

It isnt my horse and i have advised to call the vet.
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Ouch!
That could well be the fly spray- do you know if it has DEET in it? I'd want the vet but it could wait until tomorrow, I'd start on antihistamines today and just bathe in warm salty water, and keep inside so it doesn’t get burnt
 
The only time I have seen something similar was a horse with laminitis who was laying down a lot. They looked a bit like bedsores in humans. The vet didn't think the horse had laminitis so it had been left out in the field.
 
No not DEET - it’s one with Icardian (sp?!) The horse is on my yard and I’ve gently washed it and turned out in a cotton fly sheet ( overcast and raining here ) it’s quite hot and clearly sore to touch, it’s almost like there is serum coming out which is sticky. The horse is fine in itself and I’ve checked the field to see if there’s anything she could have eaten/lay in but nothing suspicious.
 
Carrottom said:
The only time I have seen something similar was a horse with laminitis who was laying down a lot. They looked a bit like bedsores in humans. The vet didn't think the horse had laminitis so it had been left out in the field.
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I wouldn’t say Laminitis as no other symptoms and the horse doesn’t lie down often
 
They look to be largish patches?? So could be fly spray but as has been said, I’d still get the vet to confirm. Looks as though they could get infected quite easily too so a good, gentle clean and horse wearing fly rug or similar, might help. Sorry, cross posted!
Further edited to add: if they are oozing, maybe watch that the cotton sheet doesn’t get stuck to them! Tricky to deal with?
 
My horse had similar but not as bad. His were reactions to unknown insect bites with a sting / dark spot in middle.

Little helped and kept rubbing or biting them raw again.

20 non drowsy antihistamine a day seemed to reduce the itch and let heal.
 
Icaridin, that's in the likes of Hedgewitch. V similar to Deet but shouldnt cause issues like that.
Worth speaking to OOH vet on call, they could well advise between a spray or cream to alleviate it a bit.

You havent any nightshade or ivy that the horse might have rolled in?
 
Has he squeezed past something and got rubbed? They look like pressure sores.

I've been using a fly spray with that active ingredient for ages (hedgewitch) and not had a problem and, unlike DEET which is vile stuff, is seems very mild and non-irritant. But individuals can have reactions to anything so I wouldn't necessarily rule it out, but personally think it is unlikely.

I would wash with some cooled, boiled water. Maybe with a very small dash of hibiscrub in (to make the palest pink colour). Then just leave it open to see if it will scab up/dry out. I'd be concerned if it started spreading and didn't start drying up and healing pretty quickly as that would make me suspect a skin infection.
 
Three on the yard came in with this, horrible scabby, oozing patches. Different owners so probably different fly sprays. All wearing fly rugs, two had patches on the sides of the bum and one on the belly. No further occurrences so put down to passing bug hatching in the grass.
 
PapaverFollis said:
Has he squeezed past something and got rubbed? They look like pressure sores.

I've been using a fly spray with that active ingredient for ages (hedgewitch) and not had a problem and, unlike DEET which is vile stuff, is seems very mild and non-irritant. But individuals can have reactions to anything so I wouldn't necessarily rule it out, but personally think it is unlikely.

I would wash with some cooled, boiled water. Maybe with a very small dash of hibiscrub in (to make the palest pink colour). Then just leave it open to see if it will scab up/dry out. I'd be concerned if it started spreading and didn't start drying up and healing pretty quickly as that would make me suspect a skin infection.
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I don’t think she’s gotten stuck or squeezed through somewhere as one of the sores is righ on top of her rump.

I have cleaned it with Hibiscrub and covered it with a fly rug as the flies were irritating it and I will see how it looks tomorrow.
 
Yes I've seen it from neem oil and from baby oil. Both cases healed in time without treatment once the substance stopped being used.
 
indie1282 said:
I don’t think she’s gotten stuck or squeezed through somewhere as one of the sores is righ on top of her rump.

I have cleaned it with Hibiscrub and covered it with a fly rug as the flies were irritating it and I will see how it looks tomorrow.
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Hibiscrub is too strong for things like this, just use water or salty water next time
 
jumbyjack said:
Three on the yard came in with this, horrible scabby, oozing patches. Different owners so probably different fly sprays. All wearing fly rugs, two had patches on the sides of the bum and one on the belly. No further occurrences so put down to passing bug hatching in the grass.
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Strange!
 
So just an update - the sores are all fine now, they healed up in a few days and there are just some bald patches now lol. I did send pics to the Vet and he did say it looked like the spray might have been the culprit but couldnt confirm without testing the wounds etc.. As they healed up quite quick we didnt go down that route.

I did email the company but they had a fairly stock respones ( below):

All the fly spray is from the same batch and is the active is manufactured as a human repellent. We only use Saltidin from Saltigo in Germany.

I'll pass this on to Mike, our managing director, (copied in) who is also a qualified person for pharmacovigilance for a pharmaceutical company, which is why we've adopted this system of collecting info on any reported adverse events. It would also be useful if you could estimate the dose you applied when the nozzle was incorrectly set. We haven't actually seen this issue or symptoms before. The spray isn't supposed to be applied as a stream but very occasionally we find there is a faulty nozzle, which we will always replace for you if notified. Did you try to adjust the nozzle? I know that some people don't seem to realise it's adjustable. It has to be turned fully clockwise to the closed position (so you can't turn it anymore) and then reopened until you get a fine spray.

I hope the poor chap recovers soon.


I did reply to the above but never heard anything back from them.

Luckily the horse is ok and we wont use the fly spray again just in case!
 

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indie1282 said:
So just an update - the sores are all fine now, they healed up in a few days and there are just some bald patches now lol. I did send pics to the Vet and he did say it looked like the spray might have been the culprit but couldnt confirm without testing the wounds etc.. As they healed up quite quick we didnt go down that route.

I did email the company but they had a fairly stock respones ( below):

All the fly spray is from the same batch and is the active is manufactured as a human repellent. We only use Saltidin from Saltigo in Germany.

I'll pass this on to Mike, our managing director, (copied in) who is also a qualified person for pharmacovigilance for a pharmaceutical company, which is why we've adopted this system of collecting info on any reported adverse events. It would also be useful if you could estimate the dose you applied when the nozzle was incorrectly set. We haven't actually seen this issue or symptoms before. The spray isn't supposed to be applied as a stream but very occasionally we find there is a faulty nozzle, which we will always replace for you if notified. Did you try to adjust the nozzle? I know that some people don't seem to realise it's adjustable. It has to be turned fully clockwise to the closed position (so you can't turn it anymore) and then reopened until you get a fine spray.

I hope the poor chap recovers soon.


I did reply to the above but never heard anything back from them.

Luckily the horse is ok and we wont use the fly spray again just in case!
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What a naff reply, they almost had it right with passing the info about adverse reactions on, but then went on to basically say 'it's your fault you applied it wrong' ?

Glad your guy has healed up quickly, fingers crossed the hair comes back in short order and the follicles haven't been damaged!
 
I had one at livery with me that was often covered in sores like this. We discovered he was allergic to EVERYTHING except water. All shampoos, sprays, balms, everything. Poor thing had spent years just having sores all over him and nobody had tried to work out why.
That looks like an allergy to me and I would be avoiding the fly spray in future.
 
indie1282 said:
No not DEET - it’s one with Icardian (sp?!) The horse is on my yard and I’ve gently washed it and turned out in a cotton fly sheet ( overcast and raining here ) it’s quite hot and clearly sore to touch, it’s almost like there is serum coming out which is sticky. The horse is fine in itself and I’ve checked the field to see if there’s anything she could have eaten/lay in but nothing suspicious.
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Picaridin - scroll down for info - aka Icardian

https://www.mrmr.biz/picaridin-vs-deet-what-you-need-to-know/
https://extension.unh.edu/resource/insect-repellents-fact-sheet

It says it can cause skin allergies which can be moderate. But what i read was in humans, not horses.
 
One of my Arab's can react like that to a lot of fly sprays his allergic to benzyl benzoate, hibi scrub, baby oil, citronella I used radion B on him once and it literally burnt the hair and skin off the area very similar to your pictures.

If he cuts himself I know his ok with silver spray or cream and flamazine but I'm very wary of using anything new on him.
 
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