Advice: Equine derm case

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Virginia Campbell — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:50:56 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

Get some Switch

[/quote]

and turn it out on top of a windy hill.

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:02:06 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]pruritus pruritus pruritus[/quote]

Er, strange use of the An On account???

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

An On MRCVS — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:58:47 GMT

pruritus pruritus pruritus

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Mike Martin — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:25:50 GMT

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Richard Fox — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:28:10 GMT

That tail looks like it has broken hairs (cut off short) rather than alopecia therefore prob rubbing it back end and other areas - as to a DDx aetiology how long it a piece of string However the midges and mozzies are out in abundance so I would certainly start there first?

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Tim Cheyne — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 05:43:08 GMT

I agree that sweet itch seems the most likely but when a horse or cow returns from other premises with an itchy skin I would always include ringworm in the differential diagnosis. That said, these lesions are not typical but ringworm does not always follow the book.

Tim.

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Luke Edwards — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:35:19 GMT

Mr Martin,

The hair loss looks like self-trauma so pruritis is likely to have been the cause.

A general list of differentials for pruritic horses would include:-

Sweet Itch
General non allergic insect worry
Lice (winter)
Oxyuris infestation (pinworms - check anus)
Pyoderma
Chorioptic mange (Itchy heels, stamps and rubs feet)
contact allergy
pemphigus -uncommon
onchocerciasis (unlikely if wormed regularly)
food allergy - rare
atopy -rare
Probably some others I can't remember.

I would agree that sweet Itch is by far and way, the most likely cause, the signs are typical and the age of onset is right. I believe some degree of immune tolerance is found in Sweet Itch, which might explain why the pony is not too pruritic at home (with the local midge population), but suffered away from home (with a novel midge population).

Best solution - keep it away from midges. Fly repellents. If necessary buy a anti-midge rug. The "Boett" rugs work well, but the "Rambo Sweet Itch" rug is also good and cheaper. Standard fly rugs do not work. Hopefully now he is back at home the pruritis will ease and the hair grow back.

Luke Edwards

Re: Advice: Equine derm case

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:17:13 GMT

Sweet Itch!

Get some Switch

There are all sorts of crappy herbal horse fly repellents you can buy. They don't work well. The best product I have found is something called Switch (not Swish, that's a cattle product). It's pour on permethrin for horses, applied weekly. Does a great job.

Good old Benzyl benzoate is ok if red raw and sore but I have had best results with the Switch.