How do I treat my horses itchy skin and hair loss.?

My horse has spots on him where he has lost hair, but not in large amounts....He gets little scabs on him and they get flaky and then he loses the hair.....I think it is a fungus but i cant be sure....i used a Medicated shampoo and it seemed to work then I found another spot on him....The scabs are crusty, and raised and are on mostly where his saddle sits and his legs and ankles....?mud fever? He had really dry itchy skin before the medicated shampoo, we called him "itchy scratchy"


Any help would be appreciated.

How do I treat my horses itchy skin and hair loss.?
Use betadine shampoo, it is medicated for antibacterial and antifungal purposes, then finish the bath with harts hydrocortiscone shampoo. Try currying and brushing him every day to activate oils in his coat this may help itching. Make sure it is not lice or mites and rain rot, mud/sweet itch or ring worm. You can try adding vegetable oil to his feed to get some fat in his diet and I believe Absorbine makes a spray on moisturizer for the coat. if he has naturally dry skin he may itch and scratching the skin introduces bacteria that may make it flake. Good Luck.
Reply:He probably has rain rot. It is a fungus. Make sure to keep him brushed as much as possible, and bathe him with an iodine scrub. You can buy big bottles of it at feed stores.
Reply:There are fungus washes for horses at the tack store. If it were happening to my horse, I would sure have the vet out. You could do Spring shots, too. I had a horse at a trainers and she got scabby sores from the cinch, which were cinch sores. I washed it and I forget what I put on it. I would also use Dr. Bronners Hemp Oil Soap from the natural food store. It has tea tree oil in it which is good for virus/bacteria/fungus. Dry very well after washing.
Reply:WHAT





It sounds like rain rot-- which is one of the most common skin infections seen in horses.





WHY?





The organism that causes rain rot appears and multiplies in warm, damp conditions where high temperature and high humidity are present. This condition is not life-threatening, so don't worry.





TREATMENT


While the horse has rain rot, anything that may rub and irritate the infected skin should be eliminated-- and you said that the rain rot was right around the saddle spot.





Make sure you try and treat it fast because; since the organism needs a warm, moist environment, it is likely that a secondary bacterial infection may become present. The most common secondary bacterial infections known are staphylococcus (staph), and streptococcus (strep). This is why it is very important to treat rain rot immediately, since any secondary bacterial infection may be even more resistant and difficult to treat





Dermatophilus congolensis grows better with a lack of oxygen. Since the organism doesn't like oxygen, you'll have to eliminate a the heavy hair coat (if your horse's hair is long and thick), and remove any scabs that hold the organism to the horse's skin.





It is not a good idea to use ointments on rain rot, since they hold moisture to the skin (and moisture needs to be removed for the condition to cease).





The best treatment is to wash the horse with antimicrobial and antibacterial shampoos and rinses. These medications help to kill the dermatophilus congolensis organism. If Betadine, Phenol or Nolvasan is used, you should continue applying them once a day for one week.





THE TREATMENT:





1. Keep the horse in a dry, clean area that is very well ventilated. Give the horse protection against biting insects. Separate the horse from any others that also have rain rot.





2. Use an antimicrobal shampoo that lathers well. Vigorously lather the horse, let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse. Be sure to follow with a conditioner that works well. Continue this for daily for 1 week.





3. Remove all scabs that are present. This is usually painful for the horse, so be gentle! The best way I have seen to remove these scabs is to temporarily moisten them (so they become soft and easy to remove). Be sure to dry the horse immediately after scab removal.





4. The organism in the horse's skin must be killed. This can be done by using any of the products listed below.





SEVERE CASES ONLY: for severe cases, antibiotics may be used. These include potassium penicillin, procaine penicillin G, sodium ampicillin, streptomycin or gentamycin. Immune-boosting drugs may also be needed for the horse's immune system to fight off the organism and heal. If your horse has a severe case of rain rot, make an appointment with your veterinarian and discuss the antibiotics listed above.





Here is good site that explains it a bit more: I pulled a bit of info from here and checked to see if it was accurate and it cleared =)





http://www.equusite.com/articles/health/...
Reply:Try shampoo with moisture in it.
Reply:This sounds like rain scald. Here in Australia, all I do is put homebrand babyoil on the spots and they dissapear within a week. It is simple and works


:)
Reply:Sounds like rain scald. Mix baby oil with a bit of tea tree oil (the 'melaleuca alternifolia' one, not the other type), and wipe over the area. I only had to apply it once, but I managed to catch it early.
Reply:It could be a number of things. As you said it could be mud fever. Another possibility is ringworm. I can't say for sure but get the vet or someone to check it out and once you know exactly what it is you can get shampoo or skin products to prevent the specific problem.
Reply:Take a sample of his hair to your vet and have it analyzed.to see if it a fungus .it could be ran rot do you clean him good before you saddle up? Check your saddle and the pad maybe change what type of pad you use .Get a good medicated shampoo .Don't wash him so much while treating him and see if it'll clear up. Good luck
Reply:check it out here.

dendrobium