E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
Season: All year, but are most evident in hot, humid, moist environments. More commonly affects horses in the rainy season. Areas affected: The rump and top line are most affected (associated with areas receiving most rainfall). The saddle area, face, neck, pasterns, coronets and distal limbs can also be affected. Can be confused with: Chronic lesions with hair loss can be confused with ringworm. It can also be confused with staphylococcal folliculitis, demodicosis (parasite), and pemphigus foliaceous (autoimmune disease). Itchiness: Not usually itchy, but active lesions can be painful. Diagnosis: Definitive diagnosis is based on cytology, skin biopsy and culture. How to treat: Most lesions will generally clear up within four weeks if you can keep your horses dry. Keeping your horses dry and out of wet, muddy, unhygenic conditions is very important to treating this condition! Topical solutions for treatment include iodophors, 2-5 percent lime sulfur, sulfur/salicylic acid, and 1-4 percent chlorhexidine solutions. Apply topical solutions for three to five consecutive days, allowing the solution to remain in contact with skin for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Systemic antibiotics may be needed in severe cases. Proper removal and disposal of crusts is important as crusts can harbor bacteria for as long as 34 days, making this condition contagious. Proper management of tack, blankets and grooming equipment is also important to prevent the spread of infection to the rest of the herd as grooming utensils can act as fomites and spread infection to other horses they are used on. The most common skin conditions we see affecting our horses can all look very similar, but have vastly different causes. Skin conditions can be easily confused with each other, making an accurate diagnosis important to ensure the best treatment is utilized. Horses are too large to warrant the expense of treating skin conditions systemically, therefore, the first line of treatment is topical solutions. For skin treatments, your veterinarian can recommend a good shampoo or wash that can simultaneously treat all the bacterial and fungal causes of dermatitis mentioned here. Unlike in small animal medicine, your veterinarian may not initially go through all the diagnostic skin tests (skin scrape, cytology and culture) to obtain a definitive diagnoses unless the skin condition has not been responding to treatment, is continually recurring or has a deep lesion or mass that needs to be biopsied. Obtaining a good topical solution or shampoo with 2-4 percent
chlorhexidine should do the trick for all conditions (except insect hypersensitivity) listed above. It is important you leave the topical solution in contact with the skin for at least 10 to 15 minutes before washing off thoroughly. Keeping horses dry and clean is another great step you can take to try and clear up skin conditions. Once you see skin problems arise, good barn management practices should be instituted; isolate that particular horse and any equipment used on it to prevent further spread of dermatologic problems. Disinfect all brushes, bedding, blankets and riding equipment before using them on other horses. If you ever have concerns about the contagious nature of a skin condition, contact your veterinarian. Skin disease can also alert you to deeper problems within your horses and their immune system, making your veterinarian’s expertise vital to helping your horses maintain optimum health. You can easily take the first steps to treat your horse’s skin issues, but if they do not respond to treatment or they reoccur, enlist the help of your veterinarian. •
Dermatophilosis can cause crusty lesions on the legs, rump, face and neck.
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