Re: RC: scratches

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Hmm...that's interesting....didn't know that.  I have really lush
pastures in the summer with lots of white and red clover.  There is some
alsike clover as well.  Sunny really loves the clover and the only side
effect I've seen is that he slobbers all over the barn floor once in a
while.  In fact, I was so worried about that I once took him off the
pasture a few days before a ride....was afraid he was losing to much
liquid!  Don'cha just love it when he's standing there very quietly
being groomed and then he opens his mouth and inundates you with green
sticky slobber.  My farrier particularly likes that! :)

Anyway, back to the scratches comment.  Sunny has a large white area
(stripe,snip,strip) on his face from the middle of his forehead through
his nose.  In the summer only, he grows something on this that looks
like caked flour.  If you scratch it off, the hair comes with it
sometimes and the skin is pink, but not raw, under it.  His nose also
gets very pink sometimes with small scabs, including around his nostrils
which are also white, but doesn't peel. It seems to itch, since he will
scratch it sometimes. Vet and I hashed it over, tried a few things,
finally I decided it was a sun reaction (he's out all the time) and
started using a larger flymask and coating it with Diaperene.  This
didn't "cure" it, but does control the problem and eliminate the scabs
and scratching, although it's messy. 

Is it possible that this could be a reaction to clover?  He also has one
white sock, but that doesn't have the problem and he doesn't seem to get
scratches on that foot anymore than the darker ones. 

Susan, have you or any of the vets heard of this?...particularly in the
SE?

Regards, Jim and Sun of Dimanche


Rides 2 Far wrote:
> 
> > throw > into> the pot that sometimes a high alfalfa diet can also
> exacerbate > scratches.
> 
> As long as you're mentioning that, don't forget that clover can cause
> photosensitivity, really  burning those white stockings and making it
> look something like scratches. I had a horse with scabs all the way up 3
> socks and half way up his blaze. Nothing worked but taking him off the
> clover.
> 
> Angie
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