What is this? Please Help! Pictures!

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Clairey&Meg

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My mare has a large area of fur missing and it looks very sore.
It doesn't look like a horse bite or a horse kick.
When i first saw it about 5 days ago it was pale in colour and still had areas of fur, today its red raw and looks so bad!

I had the vet out which to be honest wasn't very helpful she thought it looked like an insect bite and then my mare had just itched on a branch, which is probably likely. However im so worried what to do, the vet suggested i rugged her up, which i did for about 3 days (but the weather was way to warm for her even with such a thin material rug) and it started to heal and as soon as it was off it was back to square one. The vet suggested E45 and purple spray.

Do you have any suggestions? Of what this is? Or how i should treat it? Should i have a second vet opinion? Tell me what you think.

This is a picture - http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k590/iBrazier/Megans Sores/IMG_0175.jpg
 
Ouch , I would be inclined to use a sun tan oil rather than E 45 because all that pink skin is going to burn in the sun .
 
Ok thank you so much, should i use both together? or just one at a time?
should i carry on with the purple spray?
What do you think could have caused this? :( i just dont want her to be in any pain. Shes not fussed about it when im touching it so it cant be that sore for her.
 
I just researched rain scald and it sounds just right. All the symptoms add up. Is this worth getting a second vet out? What should i use on this?

If its rain scald it says dont to use anything like E45 because it holds moisture in. It needs to dry out :/
 
Hi it looks quite sore from the picture, personally, I would get the vet out as you need to steralize the area and use a special cream, but not one that will keep the moisture in.

In may be preferable to put a light rug on your horse or bring it in when you know it is going to rain.

Anyway best get the vet.
 
Clairey&Meg said:
If its rain scald it says dont to use anything like E45 because it holds moisture in. It needs to dry out :/
Click to expand...

Only allow it to dry out if your positive it's rainscald. Normally wounds shouldn't be allowed to dry out it causes scabs, which in turn cause scarring.

Has it happened in the field?

Is there anything that she may have rubbed on or got stuck under?

Maybe a low tree branch or fence rail?

DOH! just reread your post and read about the tree branch!...this looks more likely than rainscald to be honest.
Best stuff to use would be wound gel..hopefully it will then heal without scarring of the fur growing back white.

It looks suspiciously like a wound my cousin's filly got, caused by getting free in her horsebox and scrambling under the partition to get out.........the partition took a huge chunk of fur out of her rump...the fur was stuck to the underside of the bar of the partition :eek:

Whatever the cause it needs to be protected from the sun, that delicate skin will easily burn.
 
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First of all from those pics, I'd make a hibiscrub solution with warm water not hot and give it a good wash down with that, when its dry, I would use either vasaline or Boots medicated nappy cream, not sudocrem. If its sunny you could put a fly rug on or a light coloured cotton summer sheet. Could you turn out over night and bring in during the day until it heals ? I'd still then put a rug on but it wouldn't be too hot if she was out over night.

You could use Dermagel which is supposed to promote hair growth.

My horse had a mystery patch of hair loss few years ago, vet gave me two lots of dermobian which didn't work, I slapped vasaline on in desparation and had hair growth OVERNIGHT !

Just make sure you don't put anything on thats will burn in the sun wiithout protection.
 
Ouch poor love!

It looks like rain scald, my yweanling had a large patch like that when he arrived from the stud - he'd been out in heavy rain with no rug. I've also seen it like this when a rug has got soaked through and left on damp for too long - then the hair peels off.

Are there any tiny bumps under the hair further around the affected area?

Try washing the whole area and beyond with Nizerol - youcan buy it from the chemist. Dilute in hand hot water and wash the area well. Also wash way beyond the affected area as well.

A cotton summer sheet will help protect the area while it heasl and regrows the hair as the sun may cause sunburn.
 
Thankyou everyone. This has been so helpful. Im going to put a cotton rug on her for over night and let her out and then keep her in during the day. Im going to put some vasaline on like someone of you have suggested. and make sure the skin doesnt burn or anything. Im still unsure on whether its rain scald or rubbing it away?

Evelyn, there arent any small bumps under the hair. It seemed to be getting better then all of a sudden it reappears. I think maybe i will have to get a second vet opinion.

Thanks everyone.
 
Just a thought RE keeping it covered...

What about using a human would dressing?

Melolin dressings are great, they're a fabric dressing with a non stick coating on both sides what will absorb but not stick (I used them when I had an op and I'm the biggest wuss going but dead easy to get off) and use either 'steri-strips' (super stick things to close wounds) or the clear surgical tape (not micropore stuff, too weak) to hold it on.

At least then it won't get burnt in the sun, it's covered from infection and she won't roast in her rug. Poor girl!
 
Hi, our little Welsh Section A gets a similar problem in exactly the same location when she travels in a trailer. After a couple of hours travelling there appears to be a sweaty greasy patch between croup and dock, caused by her sitting with her rump under the rear bar. Over the next few days the area appears dry and normal but the hair becomes raised as in rainscald and then the whole area of skin and hair lifts off. We treated it by washing it with hibiscrub solution and keeping it dry and protected by a light rug. Fortunately we don't travel that often and using a modified tail guard and rug has mostly alleviated the problem.
 
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