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Insect Hypersensitivity
Some horses can react to the saliva in an insect's
bite causing an allergic reaction. This includes
conditions known as Queensland Itch or Sweet
Itch. This can cause itchy lumps or welts sometimes
resulting in hives. When bitten by insects these
horses that are hypersensitive to the bite will
suffer from extreme itching causing the horse to
scratch excessively resulting in hair loss and/or skin
trauma. Treatment should first involve repelling and
stopping the insects from biting by using a fly and
insect repellent and by keeping the horse rugged.
Corticosteroids are often required in initial stages
to stop the itch scratch cycle.
Some tips for keeping your horse's skin and coat as
healthy as possible and to help avoid some of these
skin conditions include:
ü
Rugging - keeping the horse rugged will help
protect them from insects and sun damage
ü
Insect Repellents - applying insect and fly
repellents, like MuscaBan or Swat, regularly as
directed will keep those nuisance and biting insects
from causing damage.
ü
Parasite control - worming your horse is also
important to prevent them from becoming itchy,
particularly rubbing their tails, due to worms.
ü
Grooming - regular brushing will help remove
dirt, sweat and debris from the coat as well as
stimulate natural oil production in the coat.
ü
Supplements - there are a number of
supplements available to help improve coat health
particularly those containing Omega Oils which
help reduce inflammation in the body and support
immune health. We like Natural Animal Solutions
Omega 3, 6 & 9 for Dogs/Horses.
If you have any concerns about your horse's skin
or health please contact your vet.
Lumps, bumps, scruffy patches and hair loss are
all common and its likely that you have seen
something like that on your horse before. But
what is the underlying cause? Discussed in this
article are some of the common skin conditions
that can affect horses and how they are treated.
Ringworm
Ringworm is a fungal infection that causes a
round (or ring-like) shaped lesion on the skin.
Each ringworm forms a hairless circle, often
scabby or crusty with raised edges. It is highly
contagious and will quickly spread between
horses that are in direct contact or sharing
brushes, tack or rugs. Ringworm can also spread
to humans therefore when dealing with ringworm
care should be taken and gloves should be worn.
To treat ringworm an anti-fungal wash, such as
Imaverol Fungicidal Wash, is required. As it is
highly contagious the infected horse should be
separated and ensure that no sharing of tack
occurs. Tack should also be washed and sun
dried to prevent further spread.
Rain Scald
Rain scald, also referred to as rain rot or mud
fever, is caused by a bacteria due to the
horses coat being wet or damp without drying
out completely during hot humid weather.
The bacteria causes a yellow-greenish pussy
discharge on the skin which results in matted hair
and hair loss that comes out in tufts. Treatment
of rain scald typically involves washing the horse
with an anti-bacterial shampoo that contains
iodine or chlorhexidine such as Quit-Itch Lotion.
Aural Plaques
Aural plaques is a skin condition that effects the
inside of the horses ear. It results in white, crusty
plaque which is usually raised and rough with the
skin underneath often becoming thickened and
red. Although the cause is not known for sure
at this stage it is believed to be caused by the
papilloma virus and spread by biting flies. Aural
plaque is difficult to treat and is often done with
no result. Speak to your veterinarian with regards
to the best treatment option. Keeping your horse
from being bitten by flies by using rugs that
cover the ears and/or fly repellent is advisable.
Common skin
conditions
in horses
