Wit's end with pastern dermatitis

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suffolkp

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My 17yo TB got a bout of pastern dermatitis in August on his one white leg, having never had it before. It escalated to pretty bad cellulitis, which was treated successfully with ABs, cold hosing and steroids.
Since then, however, I've never managed to completely get on top of the pastern dermatitis. On vet advice, I've treated with an antibiotic, antifungal and steroid cream, clingfilmed onto legs each night. While I'm doing this religiously, it subsides, but soon returns.
Currently, I've been keeping it at bay with nappy rash cream as a mud barrier and steroid cream overnight 1-2 times a week. However, today it's swollen and clearly a bit sore despite him being on daily bute for another issue.
Other considerations:
- He is turned out for half a day at the moment (was the whole day until this week's rain). The fields are trashed but there is an option for a very small sand paddock. He must go out, as arthritic and ulcer-prone.
- Legs rinsed when he comes in from the mud
- The skin barrier is clearly buggered. Fur is coming off the leg even up by the hock where it's not scabby
- Had his liver tested in case of photosensitivity, bilirubin was slightly elevated but bile acids were low.
- The other three legs are absolutely fine.

Has anyone got any advice? I'm willing to try just about anything at this point - we've had a series of fairly serious veterinary issues, and I'm losing the will to live...
 
Is it possibly an allergy/contact dermatitis? My mum's tb had the same, PD on one white hind foot, and we went through the same rigmarole: treating as mud fever, topical then when those didn't work, oral ABs; tried loads of different barrier creams; soaking/disinfecting daily; wrapping.... Things didn't click until he started repeatedly escaping into my mares paddock and it miraculously cleared up. The only difference between the two is his had buttercups in and theirs didn't.
It doesn't necessarily have to be buttercups specifically, contact allergies can occur with lots of plants
 
ester said:
Is it actually LV?

Silver whinnies and sand turnout for the time being (not sure how well they do in mud!)
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I've been looking at those, but a bit wary that they'll rub the already very thin skin. I'm having to use fleece bandages because even his fleecy brushing boots are rubbing...
 
FieldOrnaments said:
Is it possibly an allergy/contact dermatitis? My mum's tb had the same, PD on one white hind foot, and we went through the same rigmarole: treating as mud fever, topical then when those didn't work, oral ABs; tried loads of different barrier creams; soaking/disinfecting daily; wrapping.... Things didn't click until he started repeatedly escaping into my mares paddock and it miraculously cleared up. The only difference between the two is his had buttercups in and theirs didn't.
It doesn't necessarily have to be buttercups specifically, contact allergies can occur with lots of plants
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He's been in several different paddocks, and there doesn't appear to be much of anything in them (especially at the moment). Plus it's been months - surely anything except grass has been and gone by now?
That said, I might try him on antihistamines for a week - can't hurt!
 
Anti inflammatory diet? Worked wonders for my mare, basic grass nut and powder balancer and all the herbs.

A better barrier cream, not sure how breathable nappy rash cream is, you may be trapping bacteria in a nice humid environment. And try not washing, you won't need it if the barrier is good.

Does sound like he'd benefit from staying in but appreciate he has other needs. Any way you can try it for a few days with lots of in hand walks just to see?

Poor boy, I hope he improves.
 
Could he be eating something that is making him photosensitive? Things like hogweed can make them very photosensitive. I imagine he'll be on hay now, but it might be worth checking the hay/trying a different supply for a week or so?
 
Jambarissa said:
Anti inflammatory diet? Worked wonders for my mare, basic grass nut and powder balancer and all the herbs.

A better barrier cream, not sure how breathable nappy rash cream is, you may be trapping bacteria in a nice humid environment. And try not washing, you won't need it if the barrier is good.

Does sound like he'd benefit from staying in but appreciate he has other needs. Any way you can try it for a few days with lots of in hand walks just to see?

Poor boy, I hope he improves.
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I do wonder about the inflammatory process. In the last year he's had trigeminal headshaking (fixed with electroacupuncture), arthritis, and secondary ulcers. He's on chaff, omega rice (only thing that keeps weight on him), top spec balancer (started after all this kicked off) and a vet-prescribed gut supplement. Will add herbs, his ulcers were pyloric so caused by unhappy stomach lining rather than acid splash.

I've asked the YO to stop washing legs as of today.
 
You must must must get the silver whinnies, I promise you they will change your life!
Don’t use barrier cream, use those instead. When in get it clean and dry then steroid cream (neat, not one the vets mix in with barrier cream). Dont pick off scabs and definitely don’t cling film
 
The first year mine was with me he got nasty pastern dermatitis on his white socks which cleared up with plenty of Filtabac blocking the sun. Was a bit tricky at first as he hadn't had a lot of handling. I honestly don't know what caused it as he's been fine since.
Hope you fix it.
 
Gloi said:
The first year mine was with me he got nasty pastern dermatitis on his white socks which cleared up with plenty of Filtabac blocking the sun. Was a bit tricky at first as he hadn't had a lot of handling. I honestly don't know what caused it as he's been fine since.
Hope you fix it.
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Filtabac is wonderful stuff- the best thing to use once the skin has cleared up for sure as a prevention
 
I always found that athletes foot cream/powder done wonders for anything fungal

If mud is a problem could you try some pig oil and and sulphur to help mud run off?

Id second not washing legs off, cold and wet can be half the cause of issues especially on pink skin.
 
silver whinnies.

When I was in your position they worked perfectly but I used them for a year because that was what Dr Knott told someone on here. Don't wash them, get them wet, don't use hibiscrub or anything like it. Keep them dry, put the sox on and you will resolve the problem. You have to keep the light off them.

i'm not sure you will find many 2nd hand silver whinnies. Once you realise how good they are you hang onto them.

You could try putting a post in Tackroom on here asking for some.
 
I have finally got on top of my cobs dermatitis. It's been a long haul with people feeding her over the field walls, which has had to get stopped and has cost a fortune in fencing BUT diet has been key. She now is fed Arovs Wiesencobs, Aloe Vera juice, natural Vit E, milk thistle, Marigold & Cleavers. We had most success with Sudocrem applied to the sores after trying a wide range of prescription and OTC lotions and potions.
 
TheMule said:
Because it burns them! You put oil on pink skin, add sunlight = disaster, especially on legs which are showing photosensitivity
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I didn't mean put it on in bright sunlight tbf.
ATM in current weather it would be safe especially if horse is stood in mud

Otherwise I'd agree it would be daft.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I have emailed the Silver Whinnys people as their fb post says to do that rather than ordering from the website - though their fb also says they are great fans of Katie Hopkins, which makes me a little sick.
In googling 'silver socks' I also found these for diabetic people. Could I use these under turnout boots? https://www.raynaudsdisease.com/308...xbszXAG1CT2XJl2VbPw-iE60dOk7q8JYaAnwTEALw_wcB
 
I battled LV for years. It truly is a nightmare, costly, painful and impossible to truly get rid of long term.

Silver Whinnies are a must. There is a facebook page with LV info and you might find socks for sale. I sold 8 pairs on there the instant they were posted. If you can buy them make sure you get the right size, you need them to stay over the bulb of the heel and go well to the knee. Wash in non bio detergent, wash regularly to maintain elasticity.

Do not slather lotions and potions on it will not work, and in no circumstances put anything oil based on the horse ever. The only thing that helped my horse was lengthy courses of Karidox and once the legs had calmed down, Filtabac put on religiously ensuring a good coverage of white socks.

You need to get control well before the sun has any strength and you need to cover the legs well before the sun gets to them.
 
For those saying that the sun is not a problem at this time of year. My oh got a drug induced photo sensitivity and he got severe sunburn on his hands while going about his normal chores. He felt a right twit wearing gloves all the time but it was the only way to keep any daylight off his hands.
 
I would get the legs clean and dry
Then I would apply Cuvestrequin it’s a fiddle to apply you need it clean dry and preferably clipped or trimmed with scissors
You have to take up the bedding and tie the horse up for one hour
It’s an extremely fancy barrier cream you apply every other day on top of wants still on.
It’s extremely strong and can withstand hunting on the back of a horse under the saddle .
We recently used it when a horse got cellulitis through a small wound on its leg
the horse lived out with the barrier on it withstood the mud etc .
 
TheMule said:
Because it burns them! You put oil on pink skin, add sunlight = disaster, especially on legs which are showing photosensitivity
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Deffo wouldn’t put pig oil on cannon crud / mud fever type issue.

Rooni had really bad scabby heals this year over summer. Used the Cashel sun chaps for turn out + flamazine by the bucket load. He wears Equi Med wraps behind for stabling (chews them off in front and bizarrely front legs never affected. I did not pick the scabs at all.
 
Eek, so we have 'apply XYZ cream', 'don't apply creams' and 'wash them' 'don't wash them'.

That's not a complaint by any means - it's just hard to know what to do, especially as my vet's advice is steroid cream & clingfilm. That treatment with stable boots over the top worked to bring down the swelling overnight but I simply cannot get to the yard twice a day indefinitely.

I am keeping him in for the time being to let it properly dry out, but that can't continue for too long because of the KS. I've just put wound powder on for the day. I'll have to cave and order the SW, though it really sticks in my craw to give money to pro-Trump businesses.

Honestly fed up with it. For the last 2 years, it's been one thing after another. It's taking all my time and money (not insured except for accidents), and I've had to accept that we won't compete or really school above prelim level anymore. My dream was to compete at medium and I was on the cusp of achieving it when the latest round of disasters happened.
I'm tempted to simply retire him, but the vet says he must stay in work to help his back. He's an ok hack, but it's not really either of our best thing. Feeling miserable.
 
suffolkp said:
I've been looking at those, but a bit wary that they'll rub the already very thin skin. I'm having to use fleece bandages because even his fleecy brushing boots are rubbing...
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Weirdly they just don’t. I battled LV for ages before reading about Silver Whinneys on here and they were the best buy ever.
 
My lad always got scabby legs and I’d manage with the usual lotions and potions. Last year I started feeding chondroitin for itchy skin issues and so far this winter hasn’t had any scabs despite being out overnight in all weathers so I would definitely recommend looking at diet as well if you have the headspace x
 
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