What are the classic symptons of ringworm?Bit of a rant as well***

m3gan

m3gan

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Sorry, probably might think this should be on the Vet forum, but wanted some of your opinions on this: Horsey had a very nasty experience on Sunday and had a choke; lucky for me the nearest vet to me came within a short time and with the aid of tubes down the nose cleared the blockage.
If anybody has persevered enough to read any other of my posts, (awards for motivation , big glass of wine!!)they will also know that horsey managed to rub off his face and i treated it with some antibiotic cream and aloe vera, and it has improved and is looking lots better . Anyway i had to call the vet back for my boy yeserday because when I took him out for a ride yesterday he was coughing when he had trotted and it wasn't just one cough but several . The vet listened to his heart and then prescribed a mucous clearing powder to put in his food which he thinks is the problem. He then mentioned his face and when i tod him what i had been using he was very condesending about the aloe vera and told me had ringworm, so i bowed to his experience as an expert and have got the stuff for the treaatment, namely a wash for his face and antibiotic stuff to go in his feed. My problem is that if it was ringworm wouldn't the other 4 horses he is with developed it....plus would it not have spread to other parts of his body....
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Can any of you peeps out there tell me what in their experience the signs of ringworm appear to be.
 
Just been battling with ringworm, it is highly contagious but once they've had that strain of ringworm they tend to immune, so other horses may have had it already. It spreads when they are hot and sweaty, most common under areas where tack goes and can easily spread via grooming kit, rugs etc. So best to treat couple of inches around affected area.

Do a search for articles on H&H, they are very imformative and should help you too.

Big question is: are the marks ring shaped? Looks like a polo under the hair!
 
Have a look on internet,ringworm is very distuinguishable,usually small 10p piece patches of hair standing on end ans then hair falls out,very contagious so yes be surprised if others have not got it!!
Sounds like your vet trying to sell you allsorts
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My lad to had choke a long time ago,i phoned vet he did what yours did....never had it since up until 2 weeks ago,choked on hay,YO has 2 tb's that do this regular,she advised me to walk him round(had to do this as he was trying to roll on concrete) and rub neck in a downward direction,i did this and she could see me panicking so told me to phone vet to set mind at ease,i was always told not to give drink to a horse with choke....however vet told me to offer drink and to leave him for 15mins as they nearly ALWAYS clear it themselves,told me to ring back after 15min if not shifted,low and behold it did,i squirted a bit of water into his mouth to help moisten his gullet and it did the job...wont panick next time(it is awful but give your horse 15mins to clear,if not get vet)!!
He cant just have listened to his heart???My lad had a cough and he checked heart,temp,lungs etc and refused to prescribe anything as it was the back end of a virus!He flatly refused to give me antibiotics,but said if it makes you feel better i can prescribe ventopulmin,but will tell you now you will be wasting your money as he will be over it within a wk or 2!!sorry its long but your vets seem very quick to come out and precribe???
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Sorry but you can not diagnose ringworm just like that. Did he take any samples of the scabs/fur to a dermaphyte test on?

The most common place for ringworm to occur is just behind the elbow - where you'd see girth galls or over the back under the saddle are. appearence ranges from girth gall appearence or raised bumps ( a little like rain scald bumps).

It is possible the other horses aren't showing signs yet so still keep an eye on them. If its not ringworm Aloe is great (and most vets will tell you this) on rubs and sores/
 
my old mare had "funny looking" ringworm all over her head - it was basically bald looking, itchy patches - no ringshapes in sight..
 
No samples were taken from his skin, and there are no circular patches on his skin, which i thought was always a sign! This vet was not my preferred choice but my boy was in a terrible way and i don't think he would have cleared it on his own (The choke), it had been going on for an hour before the vet arrived, the vet called was the closest one to me , because i thought i was going to lose him he was in such a bad way, so it wasn't my first chice of vet!!But he did save him but i am not convinced of his skills in other matters!
 
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No samples were taken from his skin, and there are no circular patches on his skin, which i thought was always a sign! This vet was not my preferred choice but my boy was in a terrible way and i don't think he would have cleared it on his own (The choke), it had been going on for an hour before the vet arrived, the vet called was the closest one to me , because i thought i was going to lose him he was in such a bad way, so it wasn't my first chice of vet!!But he did save him but i am not convinced of his skills in other matters!

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That is understandable then
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maybe get a second opinion on the ringworm thing
 
go on the internet.buy an anti fungal wash for ringworm..follow directions and keep animal outside in sunlight..

UV is the best irradicator of ringworm.

best of all..don't rant and don't panic....it's no big deal.
 
I do find some vets can be intimidating , especially when my horse is my first one, and i have only had him since February so it is a bid learning curve. Thank you for your help and advice, i will certainly consider a second opinion!
 
It may well be ringworm, once a horse has had it it does seem to develop some immuntiy so perhaps the others have had it.
It's no big deal to treat, just be thorough with your washing and do everything else he comes into contact with.
As JM 07 says, keeping him outside will help clear it up.
I'm not sot sure about the antibiotics though, I've never been given them for ringworm, just the wash or powders called fulc something or other.
Layla developed it shortly after arriving from Ireland, and her lesions appeared as almost blisters like urticaria. they then changed to round ish patches with no hair in the middle and a tiny line of new blisters appeared every day on the outside until we treated it.
 
My boy had ringworm years ago... he'd had it for a few days before I realised what it was, in fact still not 100% it was that, but neither me (yes it can be passed to humans) or my other horse got it (hence not totally sure it was that). It was as described above with big scabs that lifted away with the hair attached and were a bit manky and pussy underneath, all over his body and face. I think we just treated it with hibiscrub and tea tree (its fungal so tea tree oil is good and you can soak all your brushes etc in it to disinfect).
However, my boy has just had a little episode of rubbing his face and his fur has come off, no problmes with the skin that I can see but he think he must've been sensitive to a fly repellent stick I was using and it made him itch. Could that be your boys problem?
 
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