 |
Re: [RC] scratches - Karen SullivanHi Cheryl.... A friend has been fighting scratches on the white sock of a very nice Arab gelding. It seems to be cropping up also when he is stressed, and also possibly in the fall..... So leads to the question: why the heck are breeders still breeding for this darn "chrome?" The last thing I want at this point in my life is a horse with white socks or a white tail!! Too hard to keep clean! BUT, the current two mares with BLACK tails are giving me fits by rubbing them on trees and fences; I am getting darn tired of washing tails every week!! Anyway, thanks for the post; I will forward it to my friend..... Karen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Winter, Randy or Cheryl" <cherylrandy@xxxxxxx> To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 4:59 PM Subject: [RC] scratches We got a new horse last October with lots of chrome on him. Came with a set of scratches. Used the traditional clean, medicate and wrap, but they kept advancing steadily. After several sessions of having to sedate him to clean them completely because they were becoming to painful to handle we had to resort to Prednisone and oral antibiotics in one course, and then had to do the prednisone again for a complete month. FINALLY after five months we saw them go. What did I learn with this persistent case. I think Bette could be right in certain cases that the moisture under the wraps could make it worse even though keeping the sun off is good. We used DMSO with Triple antibiotic, hydrocortisone and Vitamin A type cream base. Then moved into prescription strength steroid cream, and started using an antifugal cream also. Towards the end I tried the Trail Rite cream, and with all of these things used at different times got rid of it. We took him off anything, even vitamins that could add to a possible photosensitive problem especially if it had an alfalfa base to it. Then started adding back one thing at a time for a week to see if it affected anything. I think I will try a sun block spray this summer since he has a fine haircoat with very pink skin in the white areas. Have been preventative with destin ointment in the pink areas to block sun, wash his legs with betadine when they get too dirty and dry them off well. Any little nick or bumpy type feeling thing gets a layer of Trail rite or destin right away. I have heard that in alkali soil that washing the legs down with a 10% vinegar wash will help neutralize the affect of the soil on the skin. whatever you do, try to check the legs daily at feeding time or whenever, and anything that feels suspicious get after it. So far this spring we are holding them off pretty well. Cheryl ============================================================ They're athletes! This is a partnership between horse and rider - we don't have any jockeys out there, just pals and partners. We'd allow a rider with a broken foot, a sore back and a nasty cold to compete - but we would never let a horse in a similiar condition hit the trail. ~ Dr. Barney Flemming DVM ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ Arabians were bred for years primarily as a war horse and those requirements are similar to what we do today with endurance riding. ~ Homer Saferwiffle ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
|