Where do we stand ?

S

Sarah B

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Hi all, looking for a bit of advice.

3 weeks ago 4 out of the 10 horses at our yard became "itchy" with one having bald patches around the flanks/belly area. And another itching the top of his withers.

One owner (with the pony with the itchy withers) was due her vaccs anyway so walked her pony to the local surgery who diagnosed mange on the spot and gave it an injection.

Vet informed the owner that all 10 horses would need to be treated.

He visited the yard the next day and to save further costs we all agreed for him to treat the 10 at the same time. (Two of us use a diff practice). On arrival, he informed us we needed to wash all rugs, headcollars etc as it would spread, but then said the 6 horses that did not show signs did not need to be treated (although would need equipment and rugs washed).

We asked to have them all treated as precaution as they all come in contact with each other during turnout.

Not sure what he used but they were injected once, and then again 9/10 days later. All rugs washed (which you can imagine cost alot), some new rugs purcashed to cover the in between stages waiting for rugs to come back. The treatment was also a combined wormer.

The pony with the bald flanks had not improved - the patches and sore areas were spreading and ysday another pony has the same patches appearing so we rang our own practice today for second opinion.

Our vet has just been - he said they are suffering from dermatitis NOT mange/lice. However he did not inspect the other two out of the four as their owner did not know we had arranged this 2nd opinion.

So how do we stand with the imminent bill from the first vet - he has treated our horses for something which they do not have. I should add that he said the pony with the bald flanks DID have mange. No skin scrapes were taken at any time. He also insisted the mange was "within" our barn and would keep recurring.

Sorry it's so long and may seem irrelevant. Just a bit annoyed that we have forked out alot of money, taken time off work for vet visits etc.
 
No they aren't. Dermatitis is technically inflammation of the skin which could be caused by mange or many other things, for instance, a bacterial infection.
 
I wouldn't think twice about paying the bill.

The vet treated for what he believed the condition to be. Without taking skin scrapes, I'm guessing he couldn't be 100% sure but obviously sure enough to treat.

Who is to say your vet is correct?
Has any vet taken skin scrapes?
 
That's a good and valid point - exactly why I posted on here as someone always thinks of something I haven't!

Our vet didn't take scrapes either, but he stressed there were no signs of any lice.
 
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Dermatitis and mange are pretty much the same thing, mange comes under the umbrella of the name Dermatitis.

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Errr no. Quite different!
Mange is caused by a mite infestation. There are five types of equine mite, but will only be identified by a skin scarpe and/or plucking of hair, as most are too small to be seen by the nakid eye.
Dermatitis is a skin condition. This could be caused by a fungal infection, reaction to bits from insects/parasites, or plant material. Essentially all dermatitis means is "skin complaint".
 
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Our vet didn't take scrapes either, but he stressed there were no signs of any lice.

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Again...very different. Lice are big enough to be seen by the nakid eye, and live ABOVE the surface of the skin, in the hair.
They bite to feed which can cause extreme itching to horses.
Mites burrow under the skin, and generally can only be seen under a microscope after taking a skin scraping.
Lice wouldnt require a skin scraping. Mite however would have!
 
Lice and mites and 2 different things. Mites on horses are usually found on hairy legs, but also sometimes in other places esp head/neck. They are too small to see so you need to have a look under a microscope to confirm. Lice can be seen with the naked eye, although they can be hard to see if there aren't many of them. They affect the body more especially mane/tail/back area. Lice are quite common this time of year. Itchy withers are quite a common sign, but is the horse with patches on it's flanks/belly itchy?
 
He's very itchy as is the pony who has just started getting the same. The "flanks" pony has now been fully clipped out and the areas washed and there is much improvement. The vet today suggested that affected areas should be clipped and washed and has given an antibiotic cream to use.

Will put it down to one of those things I think. Luckily my mare has no signs as of yet.

It's always interesting to hear other people's views - especially as I have never experienced such things before.

Thanks guys.
 
I would think that the vet injected your horses with Dectomax, which is used for the treatment of mange in pigs and is not licensed for horses. It is used a lot (and very effectively) for the treatment of mites in horses with a lot of feather. It also acts as a wormer as it treats internal parasites at the same time. The vet acted in good faith, treated accordingly and his bill should be paid!
 
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The vet acted in good faith, treated accordingly and his bill should be paid!

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Completely agree
 
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