Ask The Vet: Skin Problems - August 07

Question: Many times when trail riding in the late summer and fall months, my horse develops bumps on his legs that cause him great distress. The itching is intense, the bumps start to ooze and soon it looks like 'pine tar' running down his legs. If I don't treat him, the hair eventually falls out. I say it is a chigger (harvest mite) infestation. Everyone else (non-vets) say it is turkey mites or seed ticks. I say there is no such thing as turkey mites or seed ticks. No one else believes that horses can get chiggers. Please set us all straight.

Question: I have a 6-year-old grey Arabian gelding that seems to be sensitive to bug bits. He is in the pasture 24/7 with three other horses and always come in with a new scratch, bite, etc. I always check his wounds to see if they cause him any pain and to make sure he is alright. The other day, I noticed a little lump on his back just before the hindquarters. I did my usual touch test to see if the lump bothered him. To my surprise, I was able to move the lump. The lump was a little smaller than a pea under the skin. He didn't seem bothered at all when I moved it around. I was able to push it about 1/2 an inch from the original location. About an hour later I tried to show it to someone but it was gone. Should I be worried? Everyone I spoke to about this has never heard of such a thing.

Question: I have a 9-year-old Clydesdale mare that we thought had sweet itch, but now the vet says he doesn't think that's it. On her right back foot, just above her hoof, she has four folds and her foot above her hoof is blackened, oozey and the odor is like rotting flesh. The last time out (of many) the vet shaved her feathers on all four legs and I started a regime of furocin followed by zinc, but this was no help. The next visit, we discovered there were maggots on that back foot only, which we treated. Then she was placed on a regimen of sulfur and mineral oil, which also didn't work. This problem is now spreading to her left front foot and the vet is at a loss as to what to do next. At this point, you can insert your finger into these folds at least to your second nuckle on your first finger. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can try next? My mare is so uncomfortable and I am at my wits end as to what else to do.

Question: have a 3-year-old Saddlebred/Arabian gelding. Our training program was going great, getting out on the trails, until the flys and mosquitos got really bad 2 to 3 weeks ago. Now he resists leaving the indoor arena, and if forced outside, kicks and bites at the bugs and his skin violently. He seems much less reactive out in the pasture with his herdmates. However, when it's just me and him, he is very hard to control and seems miserable. The other horses barely seem bothered while he is just swarmed by the insects. I've tried a variety of commercial fly/mosquito sprays and bought a sheet/hood impregnated with repellant that he'll wear. Any other ideas? Why is he targeted more than the others and why so sensitive?

Question: What can be done for a horse who has anhidrosis, however sweats just not sufficeintly in the summer here in Florida. He seems to develop "hot spots" in the areas that he sweats. They become very itchy and he rubs these areas on anything available. During the fall, he is back to normal and tolerates work well since the itching goes away. This itching is different from that caused by insects. What can I do to make him more comfortable?

Question: I used two types of spray on my horses. I have a favorite for my first choice to use when putting my horses out to pasture. However, when they get in their stalls they start to rub their tails. The only spray that is effective in non-rubbing is another type of spray. I give my horses dewormer faithfully, wash their anal area every day, groom them every day and give them psyllium the first week of every month. Why do they still rub their tail area?

Question: After owning my mare for four days, she developed a raised urticaria type rash only on the white areas of her haircoat around her middle. It is particularly strange the way that it is demarcated only on the white and affects the whole area. It is worse later in the day. Originally, the swelling came up 24 hours after bathing in tea tree horse shampoo and 48 hours after being turned out in the field full time. It is uncomfortable, but the horse seems well in itself. Any ideas?

Question: I have an 11-year-old Thoroughbred that has flaky, dry skin in what I could best describe as his armpits. My veterinarian gave me some wipes to use to keep the area clean and moist, but he's still flaking. He is currently on stall rest due to an injury and the crusting seems to be worse now. Any ideas?

Question: I have a four-year-old Quarter horse gelding that has an extreme reaction to anything around his nose in the way of flies or sunshine. He will start shaking his head so hard that he will run into fences and stall walls, if ridden or not ridden. This is so extreme that he falls down in the stall and strikes at his nose as when he has something in his nose.

I have talked to my veterinarian about this and tried many different things such as uding a different saddle, massage, dental care, blood tests, suncreams and even shaking powders, but nothing seems to help. Have you ever seen or heard of anything like this? Is this an itch reaction?

Question: My stallion has been losing facial hair revealing skin that does not look burned. He also has dry looking skin on his eyelids and around the eye area. What do I need to treat this? I have been putting a fly mask to block the sun and vitamin E oil on at night. I live in SW Kansas where it has been extremely dry. He usually is out in the sun, although there is a barn for him. Should I keep him closed up in the stall or is this anything I should worry about? He doesn't appear to be scratching?

Question: You recently answered a question for me regarding my two-year-old filly and sweet itch. I have been reading the web site every day and am amazed at how many people are asking questions pertaining to skin problems and horses.

I grew up in Texas, (I'm 52 now), and spent many years at the local stable down the street and at rodeos during my childhood. I cannot recall one instance of these types of skin problems in horses when I was a kid. Texas equals heat, humidity and bugs, so it should equal sweet itch or other skin problems in horses. I don't think we were really concerned with fly spraying the horses on a regular basis, but back then we probably weren't aware of all the diseases carried by flies and mosquitos. My question is, is it possible there is an increase in skin problems due to chemicals and preservatives in horse feed or could it be something in the fly sprays themselves? To your knowledge, are any of the veterinary colleges looking into the skin problems in today's horses?

Question: My question is about sarcoids. We purchased a Quarter horse gelding three years ago and shortly after, he developed a sarcoid in his ear. We confirmed this with a biopsy. Our vet froze it off and it has done well, but he has developed others all along his neck on the same side he had the one in his ear. Each started out very small and we were just told to keep and eye on them, same advise as they started to grow. Eventually, one vet suggested cisplatinum treatment, which we did on two sites. These sites were open. We really didn't get results with the cisplatinum so we used Xxterra on these areas, which has helped decrease there size, but still they are not healing. He has two other sites that have not broken open, but continue to spread out in size. I am at a loss on what to do. If we don't treat them they grow and if we do treat them they seem to continue to grow. Any suggestions? Our vet is hesitant about freezing now because of the size of each.

Question: I bought an American Bashkir Curly in December, 2006. When he came to the barn in February, 2004 he was completely hairless from the knees up. Rumor has it that he was mistreated and fed a very poor diet. He originated in Pennsylvania and made his way to Rhode Island by way of open stock trailer in 15 degrees below zero weather. He spent the entire winter double blanketed. He is currently fed a high quality diet. His hair has regrown and covers most parts of his body, but he continues to have scarce hair patches on his rump, some areas on his lower neck and in his girth area. He has a peach fuzz hair coverage in these areas in the summer. In the winter, the above noted areas are completely bare right to the skin and his hair does not grow. His winter fur is extremely curly, which is typical of his breed. He receives a vitamin supplement in the winter and a daily supplement in his feed in the summer. Although his hair quality has improved, it still remains an issue. He has no fur covering his tail and his mane has not regrown. The owner of the barn sent skin samples out for testing but there was nothing conclusive in the findings. He is 9-years-old and was previously used as a cart horse. He is a healthy horse with strong hooves and a happy disposition. Should we do additional testing or target anything specific to determine what might be the cause?

Question: I have a 17-month-old colt that has had a skin problem we have been trying to solve for a year. Four lumps have appeared on his right rear quarter nearly the size of a golf ball. Within a week, they deflate by half but loosing hair in the middle. They have never oozed, but the middle looks like scar tissue. He has many located on his quarters down to the pasterns, with a few also on the body, neck and face. He has had two biopsies, taken eight weeks of prednisone, had a herda test and two strep tighter tests. Five veterinarians in my area have never seen anything like it. The University of Missouri and UC Davis have not been able to have a definite diagnosis. HELP!

Question: I have a white horse and he is losing hair on his face and is starting to lose hair on his neck and body. Is there any kind of cream that we could get for him to help this situation?

Question: My mare has experienced itchy skin every year from early spring until her winter coat is in. I have tried everything....sprays, shampoos, lotions, feed supplements like garlic, vinegar, prescriptions for allergies, cortisone shots, you name it. I have also kept her covered with fly sheets as well as keeping her indoors during the days, and nights. This year I tried a product called Inside Out by Cheval. It is a garlic, vinegar, yeast, herb supplement. Her coat has never looked this good. I was all ready to write a testimonial about this product when I started looking at some ot the other changes in her care. My vet thinks it's because I moved her to a pasture with nothing for her to rub up against so she is not creating the cycle of rubbing, releasing hystamines, causing more itching that leads to more rubbing etc., etc,. Also I took her off a daily dewormer, which she had been on for years. Would this have been related to her itching and subsequent lack there of?

Question: We have a two-year-old gelding that came up from the pasture lame in his right rear leg. The next morning, his leg was double its size and he had a fever of 104.6. The vet came out, found a hot spot by his groin and put him on penicillin injections and bute. He seems to recover quickly and was back to the pasture within five days. Mid-July, he became lethargic and had a temperature of 104. Once again, he was limping and avoiding his right rear leg and again, another vet visit. This time they treated him for Erllichia with five days of Oxytertracycline IV. Again, he seemed stiff, but better. A few days later, he had another infection and avoided putting weight on his right rear leg. The vet came out, took x-rays, CBC and did various land tests.

There were no neurological problems, his x-rays were fine, but his white cell count was up to 15,000. They placed him on sulfa twice a day for two weeks. Ten days later, he is lifting his right rear leg and having a difficult time moving. I called in a different vet clinic to see if they had new ideas. Today he was diagnosed with Cellulitis. He's on another antibiotic and if he doesn't improve in five days, they want to bring him into the hospital for a more serious antibiotic regime. Any ideas or suggests? I understand medicine is a lot of guess work, but is there something we're missing or a test that hasn't been given? Everyone keeps telling me if we don't get this treated soon he will be lame for life.

Question: My 11-year-old gray Peruvian Paso has very pink back pasterns with sores all around his pasterns. He has also rubbed sores on his sunburned face, side of the head and sometimes other places of the body. I have used medicated shampoos, zinc oxide (diaper cream) and my veterinarian have also given him a shot.

This is his third summer in the same pasture but the first year with skin ailments. What could this be and what can I do to treat it?

Question: My 21-year-old gelding has three fleshy lumps, one on the left side of his face, which has opened into an open sore inside his mouth on the gum just in front of the molars. One on these sores is located on his left knee and one on the sesamoid bone on his left ankle. My vet has biopsied the sore in his mouth and both the biopsy and blood work were negative for cancer. The lump on his knee has been there for years (was there when I bought him) and has occasionally broken open. However, repeated x-rays and ultrasounds have revealed nothing. The lump on his ankle is also new (as is the face) and by x-rays appears "fleshy" in nature. Could these lumps be related? Any ideas of what condition we could be looking at would be appreciated. The lumps on his legs have never caused any lameness.

Question: I have recently aquired a Thoroughbred off the track. He raced for over eight years and has a number of health issues, but one in particular stumps me and the members of my support team. He has what appears to be a continuing loss of pigmentaion in the skin especially in the areas of contact with tack and sweat. The skin in the colorless areas is flakey, wispy and sensitive, but there seems to be no raising underneath. In some spots, the skin has blistered or opened. I thought this could be from sun exposure. There are also little sores on his body. He is turned out with other horses but these are not your usual paddock mate scrapes and scuffs. I had thought it was fungal and was treating it with a mild shampoo, but it seems to only have dried it out, making it increasingly flakey and the surrounding healthy skin chapped. I could have him biopsied, but thought I would see if anyone had heard or seen of this before.

Question: My problem is the itching. It just started out to be just one of my horses and now it's almost all of them. It seems that I've already tried everything possible. The itching is so bad that they rub on trees, fence posts and anything else they can get to in order to scratch on. I have had her at the vet and they just call it sweet itch. In three years, they are dry and scaly. They have welps and spots all over the neck, front legs, girth area, but not so much on the hind quarters,just the rest of the body. I would also like to know if sweet itch is contagious.

Question: Every summer and all summer my 6-year-old mare gets an itchy skin condition on her front-end. She scratches on things alot and has spots where the hair has come off. It is mainly on her chest and neck area, but continues up to her face and shoulders. We try to keep her sprayed with permethrin fly spray or a homemade remedy with Avon's Skin-So-Soft, and water and vinegar. The Skin-So-Soft formula seems to help the skin some. It has been flaking off. What could be causing this problem?

Question: I have a 3-year-old Paint gelding. It is really hot here in Utah, which has caused the white areas on the side of his neck to become sunburned. He lost some of the hair in this area and has become sunburned. The hair is coming back, but scaly. What worries me is that I have been told that this is an indication of a liver problem. Should I be concerned?

Question: We have four geldings and two mares. They are kept in two pastures with one gelding and the two mares in one and the three remaining geldings in another. They are all brought into their stalls each evening to be grained and have their feet picked out. Recently, some of them started rubbing their tails and backends when they came into the barn to the point of nearly tearing the walls down. We dewormed them with Strongid paste, which gave them all loose bowel movements. This didn't seem to completely eliminate the problem, so on the recommendation of our vet, we followed up several days later with an Ivermectin paste. Two of them are still rubbing their backends. What is your opinion/ recommendation? Incidentally, there is no apparent fungus problem.

On another issue, we have a gray Arabian gelding who has always had a summer itching problem to the point of getting open runny sores on his face and stomach. We have battled this problem for several years and have always only managed to maintain until fall when the sores and itching would finally subside. This year when they got started we began using caladryl lotion and gave him Dexamethasone injections. We started with 2CC each day for three days, them 1 1/2CC each day for three days and then backed on down to about 3/4 CC each day for 4 to 5 days, then we'd skip a day and get back on for another 4 to 5 days. The results have been amazing. There are no sores at all. Two black crusty places on his neck are now growing hair and gradually going away. Do you have any comment on this treatment?

Question: I have a 4-year-old Paint gelding that is at the bottom of the pecking order. I have only had him for two weeks and two other geldings corner and beat up on him. Because of this, he has broken out in what looks like hives. Can stress cause hives in horses? He has had the bumps for three days. How soon should they go away? Is there anything I can do for him? He has currently been separated due to the hives and injuries.

Question: My horse seems to have sores on her udders. I have been cleaning them, but now one side appears swollen. What should I do?

Question: I have a small herd of miniature horses. One of them is an 18-year-old mare, that has had a very severe itching problem for a few months. She rubs her sides, rear and neck on the fencing and corral fences. We wash her with medicated shampoo at least twice a week, and there are no signs of parasites as there is no hair loss or open lesions. We put a three-part ointment, neosporin and antibiotic under the rear legs where she seems to be chafed. Should I try deworming her? I have read it may be parasitic. If so, what dewormer should I use? None of the other horses in the herd have any of these signs.

Question: My 3-month-old foal has developed a "hot spot". What should I do to treat it?

Question: My gleding has an 8 inch portion of his mane that has been thin since spring. There is a lot of flaky skin in this area only, and as summer has progressed, the mane has become thinner. The rest of his mane is fine as I don't see him rubbing it.

My mare had the same condition coming out of winter, but one cleaning with betadine and some hibitane applied alleviated the problem. This has not worked for my gelding and I have discontinued it in case I had not been rinsing the betadine out well enough and was making the condition worse.

Should I try something different for my gelding?

Question: Is it possible for a horse to have an allergic reaction to its own sweat?

Question: My 2-year-old filly has developed sweet itch. Her sire had it very badly, her dam showed no signs so I'm hoping her case will not be as bad as her sire's. I have read where someone was giving their horse with sweet itch Benadryl capsules, a total of 20 per day, to help with the itching. Is this recommended? Also, my filly may be pregnant. Should I try give her Benadryl or an equivalent? She has very little tail left from the scratching despite any topical's I use and she's now working on rubbing all the hair off her face. As yet, I have no choice but to leave her pastured 24/7 as our barn is not yet completed.

Question: My Quarter horse gelding seems to be sweating much more this year. He won't stand under the shade and is always in the hot Arizona sun. Will all the sweating cause any skin problems or dryness?

Question: I have an Appaloosa gelding with a pink muzzle. Every year he gets blistered on his muzzle. I have a fellow rider with a Paint horse that has similar issues on the muzzle and around the eyes.

I have tried sunscreen, but as I prefer to board him in a facility that pastures him, he is out all day. I cannot apply sunscreen all day and in fact the distance makes it impractical to apply sunscreen even daily. I have tried zinc oxide diaper rash ointment, which lasts longer, but still he ends up burned by the end of the week. Are there any longer lasting suncreens?

I have read that henna dye will provide UV protection, but don't know if that would be safe to apply long-term to a horse. Are there any other dyes or products which might work?

Question: I purchased a Thoroughbred/Perchron gelding when he was 10-months-old. He was shipped to Florida at 11-months-old in the month of April. His skin was fine during that summer. The next summer at age 2, his skin began showing signs of hypersensitivity to gnat bites (commonly called "Sweet Itch"). By his 3rd summer, his condition was classified as severe (large amount of hair loss, constant itching, bleeding, ...). With concern and signs of secondary infections and condition worsening, with the help of multiple vets, I began various different treatments with him such as herbs, vitamins, sprays, spot-ons, fly sheets soaked in reppelant, fly masks, fan on him at dusk and dawn, even homeopath treatments and acupuncture. He never got better, only worse. By the end of his 4th summer, I was willing to try steroids but very concerned because of his age and knowing he would have to continue with the steroids for life due to the extreme condition we were dealing with. That October, I happened to meet a natural vet at an expo and tried his product. I was willing to try anything to not use the steroids on him. In the early spring, I started him on the product. It was a miracle! We never tried the steroids and even stopped the treatments that I had been doing for so long. He is now 6-years-old and you would never know it was the same horse.

Long story being told, I still feed him the product year round and will continue for his needs, but I am curious if there are any cures for horses with Sweek Itch? Will I always have to feed him this product?

A new neighbor with horses said she has a mare that was the same way as my gelding. The mare looks great. The neighbor said an old-timer told her to apply a very ripe banana over the affected skin a few times a week for the summer. She claims it CURED her mare's skin/bug issue and she has never treated her again after doing that for a summer. What would this very ripe banana have to offer in the cure of "Sweet Itch"? Or is her horse tale like a fish tale ;).

Question: I have a six-year-old Quarter horse gelding that last year developed insect allergies after never having problems previously, which I understand is common. He gets bumps, which obviously itch, and he scratches to the point of creating oozing sores and losing most of his hair on his head and neck. We tried treating him with antihistamine, but he had a severe respiratory reaction. I am hesitant to use injectable or oral steroids because of the risk of laminitis. I managed his condition through the summer trying to prevent bites with fly spray and trying to minimize his itching by sponging him with an Aveeno bath oil mixture every few days. When it got cold and the bugs went away, his condition also went away.

This year, he exploded with lesions that were far worse than last year, which I understand is common as well. He literally had no hair on both sides of his head, his ears and a good part of his neck. He was constantly scratching himself raw. I started applying 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to his lesions the first of June. At that time, I was applying about half a tube a day (about 1 ounce). After about a week, I noticed his lesions were healing. After a couple weeks, I realized he wasn’t developing any new lesions. It appears that he is receiving enough cortisone from the cream to supress his allergic reaction.

After applying the cream for approximately six weeks, his initial lesions healed and the hair grew back. As they healed, I put less and less cream on him. Now I am rubbing about a 50 cent-piece size of cream into his neck every evening as a preventative. After two months of applying the cream, he still has not developed any new lesions.

I understand that he is receiving steroids, but at a very low level. This is a very manageable way for me to treat this condition (both logistically and financially) if it is safe for him. I read somewhere that a human could rub 1percent hydrocortisone on their hands every day for 25 years without any adverse effects. What I would like to know is: 1) Do you think it is safe to apply 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to this horse for six months (or so) out of the year? and 2) Do you think I’ll need to go though any kind of “withdrawal” period at the end of the season as is common with stronger steroids?

Question: My girlfriend's gelding has cellulitis and is receiving shots for a period of five days. What exactly is this an infection of?

Question: I have a 28-year-old Thoroughbred that has had a miserable skin condition on his belly for several years. His skin appears rash-like in somewhat circle shapes and hair loss in these areas. He constantly goes down on his bellly with his front legs stretched out to rock himself to rub. The rash can become scabbed and bleeds slightly. When I first noticed this, (years ago) I used many different fly sprays thinking it was due to biting insects. Consequently, he went to the hospital with liver failure and stayed three weeks and fortunately recovered. It was not confirmed that the sprays caused this, but I am now afraid to use anything on him. The area covers almost his entire under belly and he also has small pimple like bumps on the inside of his thighs. I can provide photos if you would like. If there is anything you can think of to give him some relief or to clear the condition it would be very appreciated. I cannot be certain of this, but it does seem to be less itchy after he has been dewormed.

Question: My horse has been spending extra time under the oak trees for shade and it appears as though he has developed a fungus on his rump sacroiliac areas, traveling up towards the neck. That or maybe it is sweet itch. I have heard that oak trees can aide a horse in getting fungus. Is there any truth to this claim?

Question: My 14-year-old mare suffers very badly with sweet-itch (not disclosed at time of purchase). Our first summer together she developed hives all over her body. The irritation drove her crazy and she scratched so violently on anything she could find that she would actually lose her footing and fall. The places she managed to scratch became nasty open sores, particularly the mane and tail areas. It was extremely distressing for her and for me. She is also prone to laminitis if not very carefully managed.

I have come to dread the summer months, though I manage to keep things under control with fly sheets, sprays and strict diet management. The summer is just not a fun time anymore.

I have heard that these two conditions are linked. If this is true, can you explain the connection? Is there anything more I can do to help my mare enjoy the summer months?

Question: My 6-year-old gelding has rapidly developing urticaria on both gaskins, stifles and flanks with ventral oedema. Within hours, the melon size swellings ooze serum and then the skin peels off like tissue paper leaving a raw ulcer. He has no temperature and though he acts a bit depressed, is still eating well. I brought him in from pasture as I thought it might be fly bites, but he has gotten worse! He is eating only grass and since coming in, just hay. He has just finished a course of Gastrogard, but has had no other medications, washes, sprays, etc. The distribution is wrong for our only nasty fly here in Ireland, the horse fly, as it bites mainly the head and neck. The pasture is clean of weeds except the occasional nettle weed. Any idea what is causing it? He is being treated with Dexamethasone and Antibiotics and it is slowly improving, but I would love to avoid future occurences.

Question: My mare has tiny bumps all along her sides, from her elbows back past her flanks, with a slight yellowish, crusty oozing, that seems to cause itching. I'm not sure the oozing isn't because she has been rubbing that area. She also has swollen glands under her jaw and at her throat latch. My vets are stumped. Her blood work is normal (she doesn't have Strangles), and my vet gave her a mild steriod, but it hasn't seemed to help. She is also two months in foal. Any thoughts? I realize her swollen glands and her skin condition may or may not be related.

Question: My horse has multiple skin allergies, (grasses, bugs, etc.), which we manage pretty well with one exception. He has almost no hair on the upper part of his tail.

Every winter, we get excited when we see hair starting to come in, but as spring approaches, he rubs it all off. We almost never see any signs of welts, redness, etc. We have tried fly sheets and different products advertised as helping hair grow back. We have him on Vit C, Spirulina and MSM supplements, and routinely use bug spray. I am wondering if there is anything topical we can put on his tail to protect it from allergens and/or bugs.

Question: We have a pony who started having skin issues last August. We have ruled out ringworm, fungus, food allergies, senstivities to grooming products and insects. The skin gets a thick and rolled appearance as if it is dehydrated. He scratches on trees, posts or whatever he can reach until it is raw. In the winter, it appeared mostly on his back and shoulders. It cleared up for awhile and then with hot and muggy weather, it appeared between his front legs and girth area. It has periodically gotten better, but always comes back. It also seems to be related to getting him wet, with either sweat or rain. Steroids help, but make him nuts! I can cover the bad spots with Alushield, which makes him more comfortable, but haven't been able to get rid of it completely.

We've also tried medicated baths, steroids, changing bedding, feed, products and antihistamines. Any suggestions? Any clue what this could be?

Question: I have a 4-year-old Quarter horse gelding that has an area about 14" long and 6" wide on one side of neck (only) that is hairless, patchy, grey skin. I had our local vet examine him and he suggested IV Sodium Iodideto to clear it up. We did this (twice over a peiod of two months) and the area never cleared up. Next, we biopsied the area and submitted it to a lab. The results came back inconclusive. Next, a dermatogist was consulted. She took scrapings, pictures (for a book she is writing) and re-examined the original biopsy. Her diagnosis was "LInear Keratoma". I cannot seem to find any information on the internet. I'm told it is genetically found in Quarter horses and requires human medication to control it, but I cannot find out "what" human medication nor any further info. Any ideas?

Question: I have two horses that appear to have a generalized fungus, which is obviously itchy with both of them rubbing their necks, ears and faces. In many places they have rubbed the hair off, but there doesn't appear to be rain rot symptoms since the hair doesn't come off in little clumps and there is no heavy scabbing. I have been using a diluted vinegar wash on the areas and that seems to help, but the itching returns. Any advise on products or topicals to use to help them get relief?

Question: My 35-year-old Quarter horse mare has had episodes of softball size oily patches (only one at a time). They appear overnight and are EXTREMELY tender to the touch. They have appeared on her rump, back, shoulder and behind her withers during both summer and winter. I treat them with lime sulfur and they dry up the next day and are no longer sensitive to touch. She is not worked at all. Do you have any idea what this could be Bloodwork is normal and scrappings were inconclusive.

Question: My 10-year-old gelding experiences hair loss around the tail and lesions under the tail about this time of year. The areas around the tail appear greasy and HOT at first, then the hair and a layer of skin can be peeled off. After that, they are dry to the touch and have less heat. The areas under his tail (at the top) are more like small pink lesions or "cuts". Currently, I treat these with shampooing the area 2 to 3 times a week with Ly-Tar shampoo, then keeping either Desitin or a Band-aid spray of benzocaine, calamine and camphor on it. This seems to help the itching. Hair will grow back, but it is a slow process. He also scratches along his neck and shoulder, but no hot spots or hair loss. Also, more snorting and sneezing, especially in the morning and evening.

I would love to know what might be the cause and if there is a better "cure"?

We have sometimes suspected hay (1st cutting orchard grass, appears weed-free). We live in western NC, near the mountains. He has access to excellent pasture and really doesn't get much hay until winter. His pasture is fescue, orchard grass, bermuda grass and white clover. It is also (mostly) weed free.

Question: My 5-year-old Appaloosa has a skin condition that occurs twice a year. This year we warded off the spring bout. Now that August and fall are starting, he is showing it more. He gets a scabby like area, no specific location on his body, that peels off to raw skin, bleeds and then it takes weeks to heal. As a youngster, he got it when the hair coat changed with the seasons. Now I am seeing it earlier. I have had three vets look at it and no one can figure it out. I also contacted the Iowa State University equine section and they did not have any answers. I have used everything from shampoos, iodine, fungus medication orally and topically, anti bacterial and many more and it still returns. It does seem to be getting somewhat less aggressive as he gets older. His skin also seems to be very thin and gets raw areas very easy. I don't know if these are related. Do you have any idea what this condition might be? He is also on supplement grain and other mixture for his hooves to get stronger. Since the vet and I adjusted these supplements, it has also seemed to have help some. His hooves look great, but his skin condition still comes out. Today I treated him for five more spots of out breaks.

Question: Since I moved my horses to Northern VA, they have experienced rainrot. They are stalled during the day, out at night and rarely out in rain. Topical treatments have not worked. My 19-year-old Thoroughbred gelding suffers the worst with head to tail bumps that are sore and then become itchy and shed wth clumps of hair. I can't even bathe him without him breaking out. I believe it is in the red clay soil; he experienced the same problem when we lived in south Alabama 10 years ago. How do I effectively treat this? I have tried Equistem shots and SMZ with results, but only temporary. The last vet gave me Azium, and it works to dry the bumps, but it is not preventing it, not to mention I worry about founder. How do I treat this systemicly and safely?

Question: My horse has a recurring skin condition that he has gotten every summer for the past five years. He only gets it in the summer. The best way I can describe it is that his skin peels off in large chunks. It must be just one or two layers because there is no bleeding or sores associated with it. When I rub the peeling skin, it seems to mildly irritate him. The peeling is the worst on his chest, neck, shoulders and girth area, but has at times spread all over his body. I have had two vets look at the condition and they do not know what it is. They gave me a medicated shampoo and told me to bathe him with it and try to scrape the skin off. This did not help, and seemed to make it worse. It seems to me that the days after I ride him in the summer (and have hosed him off) are the days the peeling is the worst. If I don't bathe him or get him wet for a few days, sometimes it will lessen. Do you have any idea what could be causing this condition and how I could get rid of it?

Question: I have a 12-year-old warmblood gelding that has been covered with hives for the past three weeks. They have responded somewhat to steroids in conjunction with Trihist, but they have not resolved. Initially, they were large, welty lesions that were warm and painful to the touch. Now, they are smaller bumps that do not seem to hurt. The hives extend from his poll, down his neck and along his sides, but are not on his face or belly. We are wetting his hay and shavings and he is rinsed after he comes in from turnout and several times throughout the day (we are experiencing an extreme heat wave). He also receives a supplement that contains Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. I was hoping you may have some other suggestions as my vet is stumped!

Question: My 21-year-old Arabian gelding has a multitude of skin problems, which seem to get worse as he ages. He has received allergy shots for over a year with no improvement. This was after doing extensive skin testing. He also has been diagnosed with hyper-esthetic leukotrichea. This causes extreme sensitivity at the the wither area with scabs and then white hair comes in. I have been told there is nothing that can be done for this. Is this true? Because of all his other skin problems, strange flaky sores with some black debris that show inconclusive results on skin scraping cultures and allergic reactions, he has been treated with dexamethazone, hydroxizine, and Tucoprim, as well as, sulfur shampoos, etc. Currently, we are trying panalog on specific sores and a steroid cream on larger areas that he is rubbing. Any other ideas on how we can help this guy?

Question: Several of my horses have broken out in hives, even our "baby" (3-month-old appendix QH colt). I have seen hives before, but only on my paint mare with photosensitivity, or I'd think this baby had massive rainrot. What can I give them other than prednisone (two of the affected mares are bred) that will help alleviate the outbreak? Deximethazone? Something better? And can it be given to the baby?

Question: One foal out of my herd got ringworm this summer. I bathed her with Betadine and after that didn't help, switched to the Microtek products. I bathed her with the shampoo and then started using the spray, which I use daily. It has taken weeks and she still has lesions although they are now growing hair and seem to be healing. Can I start brushing her or can this be spread to other parts of her body at this stage? Also, why would one horse get this and none of the other mares or foals, when I understand it is very contagious?

Question: I have a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that has, what looks like, rainrot. It was diagnosed by a culture as a strep infection. We have fought it on his rear fetlocks for four years, and would come and go. It is now covering the entire back half of his body. It's out of control.

We were given the option of IV or IM Penicillan or Chloraphenacol. We would also have to scrub the entire region daily with Clorahexadine, let sit for 20 min or more, and apply a penicillan paste topically. He is very sore to touch and scrubbing is not going to be an easy process. He also kicks due to the pain. Is this something that might go away, or are we fighting a loosing battle? Are their any other treatment options? None of our options are good.

Question: What treatment should we do when our horses come in from the field with obvious bee stings (i.e., welts). They seem to just resolve over the next day or so and don't seem to cause any pain/discomfort. I've heard they should get banamine? Cold hosing? Antihistamines? Just what should the average horseowner do? It just doesn't seem to need a vet call but am I wrong?

Question: Two years ago my paint gelding came down with sweet itch. Last year my Quarter horse mare came down with the same symptoms. This year they are BAD. I have tried pretty much everything 'claimed to be the cure' on the market, including depo-medral shots. I was told it was not contagious, but this year, my 2 year old gelding is showing signs he may be starting with it. Is it true? Is there no cure? I live in East Texas - zone A - very humid. My question is, if I move these horses to California, what is the posibility of this disorder clearing up on these animals? They are absolutly miserable.

Question: I have owned for six years a Connemara/TB of about 14-years-old. I have never had a problem before this year. April 2006 she had major colic surgery (tumor strangulating small intestine) and was at the equine hospital for six weeks (developed peritonitis, severe diahrhea) and came home in June 2006. She was doing well the rest of that summer. April 2007 she began really scratching herself, and lost most of her tail, tore up the skin on her neck and broke fence posts scratching herself on them. She was then put on dexamethasone, but after one week was switched to prednisone due to worries about laminitis. After five days on prednisone (itching stopped) she developed laminitis. We stopped this treatment immediately. She is now covered in a fly sheet and has equispot put on every two weeks, but she just can't stop itching. We have also tried the leg strips on her, but she reacted to them immediately by swelling of the legs. I'm at my wits end to stop the scratching (she's just broken two more fence boards scratching on them). She's itching everywhere, neck, back, rump, tail, belly and udder.

Question: What do you put on a horse to treat sunburn and/or prevent sunburn?

Question: The 20-year-old Morgan mare my daughter is riding this summer has begun to lose her hair right down to the skin. She seems a little itchy, but not excessively. The hair is coming out by the roots leaving her "bald". Our vet has taken a punch biopsy, but we don't have the answer yet.

The mare is overweight and is on limited grazing with only a few pellets for grain. Can this be due to seasonal shedding in overdrive? What precautions should we take in dealing with a horse with "no hair"?

Question: What causes one horse to be more susceptible to irritation from insect bites versus another horse? One gelding of ours just gets all chewed up on his undercarriage and would like me to stand there all day and scratch with my fingernails. It appears that he could be experiencing sweet itch, but nothing I try seems to prevent the reaction or soothe the itchiness for very long. What suggestions do you have in helping him be more comfortable?

Question: I live on the east coast of Florida where it is wet and humid a lot of the time. I have two QH/Throughbred horses (2 yr old and 8 yr old - that are not related) that have the same problem. Every summer they lose the hair on their face - no where else. They do not rub or scratch their faces. We have tried several different ways of correcting this to no avail. including injections of Dexamethasone, shampooing or not shampooing and just rinsing makes no difference. They are stalled under fans during the day and turned out during the night. We are at a loss how to treat this. Do you have any suggestion?

Question: I have a 20-year-old Appaloosa mare that is currently on stall rest due to a broken coffin bone (she broke it back in March). Normally, she would be a pastured horse. About two months ago I noticed some funny scabby bumbs on her side that she was scratching. I had my vet examine them, which she took samples and had a fungal culture done on them. It came back positive. I treated her with a Nolvasan wash daily and within five days, all signs were completey gone. I continued the wash for an additional five days. I disinfected all of my brushes at the time as well.

Yesterday, I noticed the same scabby bumps again on her side. The vet's coming this week to take another look at her. I was wondering how often skin conditions might be secondary to a underlying problem? I've had her for eight years and never had this happen before. No one else in the barn is having a problem, and her stall is kept clean and she is groomed daily. She has tested negative for Cushing's, EMS and IR in the past year. Are there any additional tests that I should ask for? Is it more common to see skin problems in stalled horses?

Question: I have a 9-year-old bay gelding and live in central TX. I have had the horse for about three years. Every summer he gets sores on his chest and this year he has them down the center of his stomach, between his legs and around his sheath area. I am wondering if he has a skin problem or is it the flies? This year we hardly have any flies and he seems to be worse than ever before.

Question: My 10-year-old Percheron has been itchy year round since moving into this barn four years ago. The vet found no sign of lice and stool samples tested negative for parasites. We've tried antihistimines and corticosterioids with no improvement. The poor guy rubs his tail, mane and face, sometimes to the point of bloodiness. I don't know what else to try or test for.

Question: Is there an effective organic substance to be used as an insect repellent for two pastured horses?

Question: My friends Belgian/Quarter horse gelding had a major itching problem. She had him tested for allergies and it turned out he was allergic to oats, molasses, apples and some other foods we were feeding him. She gave him some medicine for the allergies and his itching did decrease. He still continues to itch though. Is there any way we can stop him from scratching so badly?

Question: My mare will be 4-years and is rubbing her tail terribly. I cannot find any ticks and I keep her clean between her udders (Excalibur at bath time and baby wipes and Udder Butter daily and use Lucky Braids when I wash her tail once a week). Is this an "in season" issue that I just can't address?

Question: I have a 5-year-old Canadian mare that is continually scratching her mane and tail head. She does this a little in the winter but goes crazy in the summer and rubs enough to cause loss of her mane. I pulled her mane quite short this summer to try to help to no avail. She also rubs her chest a lot on whatever she can find during the summer. She is brushed frequently but not overly washed with shampoo, maybe once a week, but hosed after workouts. There always seems to be some dandruff in the base of the mane and top of the tail. The hairs feel almost sticky except immediately after a shampoo, but then she does a lot of rolling. I am using a tar shampoo on her mane and tailhead right now that is helping a bit but only for a day or so. I have also tried conditioners to no avail. She is outside about 12 hours a day on pasture and does a lot of rolling. Her coat in general is quite sun-bleached.

We use bug spray as needed to keep off flies and fly masks as flies really freak this mare out as she is very sensitive to touch. In fly weather, she will bite at her sides to get rid of them and almost panic if the flies are really bad. I'd appreciate any help to make her life easier and more comfortable.

Question: Can you use products containing DEET on horses? I have often thought of spraying my horse with the same repellent I use as it works very well on me, but will it hurt my horse?

Question: One of my ten horses has crusts on her pastern/cannon bones. It looks like mud fever or scratches but no other horse has it. She is sensitive to my touching around these areas and the scabs are strongly adhered. They are only on her white area and not on the black. They start out small and slowly enlarge in a circular pattern to silver dollar size. Is this photosensitivity and if so, why? She is two years old, no diet change or exposure to allergens that we know of. What should we do about them?

Question: I have a new mare that has extremely sensitive skin. Bug bites of all kinds cause small welts on her skin and she goes crazy trying to scratch them in her stall. She is kept inside most of the time, wears a full fly sheet with body,neck, legs and mask and also has fans on her constantly. I have used all kinds of fly sprays without sucess. The other horses do not seem to be bothered that bad. What else can I do?

Question: My mare has developed itchy scabs betwen her fetlocks and heels on all four feet, mostly the rear. How can I tell the difference between insect bites and scratches? She will chew on the areas until she draws blood. She will also sometimes stand and "stomp" her back feet. We live in an area with chiggers, but also had a wet spring and late summer. She is in the pasture 24/7 and trail ridden 3 to 4 times a week. Should I quit riding her and contact the vet to examine her? I heard scratches can cause lameness.

Question: My horse came in to eat last week with bumps all over his face and neck. They looked like hives. They began to weep serum by the next morning and seemed a bit itchy. We washed him for two days with a histacalm shampoo. After a few days, they became scabbed over and eventually they fell off, leaving the areas without hair. He did not rub the scabs off.

I originally thought he might have been stung by wasps, but there was little swelling. I then thought about a food allegy since our pastures were quite brown with the drought. Or he may have eaten some new plant or tree.

A few other horses in the barn developed the same bumps, but mainly on their lower legs. Any ideas on the causes and how to prevent future bumps?

Question: Why do regularly dewormed, healthy and clean horses rub their tail heads? Can chickens or birds, in the stalls and nesting in rafters, transfer mites?