If your horse has ever dealt with unexplained hair loss, itching, inflamed scabs, or conditions like greasy heel during wet and muddy conditions, you will understand how uncomfortable for the horse, and how inconvenient it can be, as you must watch hygiene closely and prevent spreading by keeping things like brushes and rugs clean. On top of that, such conditions can often take a long time to heal.
There are multiple reasons which can cause this to happen to our horses. Some are obvious and easy for us to control, but some horses are just prone to developing these issues continuously, no matter how much we try to stop them from occurring.
Before we dive into learning more about some common skin conditions we encounter in certain types of weather, one of the easiest ways to tackle them is prevention! If you know wet and muddy conditions are forecast and your horse is susceptible to skin conditions, the use of a water-resistant, antifungal, and antibacterial barrier cream like QuikHEAL on prone areas, can set your horse up for success in fighting off any issues.
Treating skin conditions
It is always important to consult with your veterinarian if you suspect your horse is suffering from any of the skin conditions listed below. Your vet will often take a skin scraping or pluck some hair out and analyse it under a microscope to determine if bacteria or fungi are the culprit. This can help you find the best treatment for your horse. In mild cases, using specialised shampoos in conjunction with QuikHEAL can help heal and even prevent skin conditions from recurring. In severe cases, sometimes additional medications like antibiotics are needed to fight the infection from the inside.
Let’s jump into learning about common equine skin conditions so that you can be ready to topically fight them off when the time comes.
Mud Fever and Rain Scald
As the names suggest, these conditions are mainly triggered by wet humid conditions. The main bacteria that cause this are found naturally on your horse’s skin, but when they encounter favourable weather conditions, they thrive and cause an infection that creates scabs, sores, and hair loss. If the infection occurs along the back, rump or even the face of your horse, it’s called ‘rain scald’ and if it affects the lower limbs, it’s called ‘mud fever’. Being an antibacterial, QuikHEAL is great for assisting with the rapid healing of these types of conditions. It helps to create a water-resistant barrier over the areas of concern to help shield them from these weather conditions whilst the infection heals. Learn more about rain scald .
Greasy Heel
Greasy heel is a common skin condition that causes the most grief among horse owners. This condition is often located on pasterns when wet and muddy conditions are around. Greasy heel infections can be caused by either bacteria, fungi or mites so choosing a product that contains sulphur and copper sulphate, like QuikHEAL, will help assist with the rapid healing of greasy heel as those ingredients aim to kill bacteria and fungi. They also create an unfavourable environment for bacteria in these areas, which helps prevent reinfection.
Often greasy heel lesions are crusty and scabby, and in severe cases can cause the limbs to swell around the areas of infection. If you want to learn more about if you should pick off the greasy heel scabs, read our blog article .
Did you know? Some greasy heel creams can easily rub off by accident, especially if you are unable to help reduce your horse’s exposure to wet conditions. QuikHEAL is actually water-resistant so you can ensure that the lesions are completely protected from wet conditions as they begin their healing process.
General Dermatitis
General dermatitis can be caused by multiple different factors ranging from the environment, allergens, infections, bug bites etc. Your vet can help determine what the cause is and when to use QuikHEAL to tackle this issue.
Ringworm
This is a highly transmissible fungal infection that can pass from horse to horse or from horse to human. It is very important to contact your vet to determine if the lesion you are looking at is indeed ringworm. Often the lesion will be circular in pattern where the hair has been lost, and it can be itchy and red. Your vet might recommend the use of an antifungal shampoo alongside an ointment with antifungal properties like QuikHEAL if your horse suffers from ringworm.
Minor Skin Wounds
As horse owners, we often have to deal with minor skin wounds from our horses’ everyday lives. If you come across any nicks and cuts, it is important to make sure they don’t get infected by bacteria or fungi. You can put on some QuikHEAL to give the injury the best chance of healing. Some additional skin wounds that QuikHEAL is also great to use for include girth gall and saddle sores.
Instead of choosing an ointment that easily rubs off which then stops it from working, or choosing an ointment that isn’t both antibacterial and antifungal, reach for QuikHEAL next time you encounter wet and muddy conditions!
Want to find out more? Head to the QuikHEAL page, get in touch on 1800 KELATO or email technical@kelato.com.au.