Ring worm??

thebundychick · Ring worm??

Howdy!

Hoping I can get some advice -

I've just got back from the paddock, gave both ponies a pat and a groom, and it was while i was grooming Rebel that I noticed what I'm not sure is either Ring worm, or Rain Scald.

Rain scald i'm fairly familiar with - Sante's had it a handful of times, and i've seen dozens of other horses with it - its an easy fix.

But I'm not sure If its what Rebel has.

I was grooming her, and noticed a raised bump, indicating a scab. I went to pick it off, it came away very very easily - exposing raw skin, pink, maybe slight red. I thought "thats odd" but kept on brushing.

Over the next 15 minutes, i probably "de-scabbed" 12 or more like scabs.

All scabs came off with very very little pressure - just touching it bought the scab off. I'd say at least half had pus under them. Most of them were only 1cm in diameter, one or two were 2cm in diameter.

All pretty well perfectly round.

They didn't seem to annoy her, she didn't seem itchy or anything like that. I found them spread from her whither, along her back to her HQ. 10-15 bumps in all.

From my very limited understanding of Ring worm, its a dry scab? Which is flakey? looks crusty / like dandruff?

I'm going to assume its RW and treat is as such anyway (starting with a full body antibacterial wash on Saturday) So i will know soon enough I suppose.

Sante, who is in the same paddock, isn't showing signs at all - however he is rugged.

Gillies_mom

Sounds very much like ringworm. My two have both just had it. I tend to panic and hit it with all sorts, but between all the remedies I put on it goes away. This time I used apple cider vinegar (diluted 50:50 with water) and sprayed onto the spots plus a bit further around the affected area. Once dry I put Sudocrem directly onto the spots, once the scabs had been picked off, it's important to pick any scabs away. I don't know if you have Sudocrem over there, it's nappy rash cream, a thick zinc oxide one. I also use a bit of athletes foot cream rubbed into the spots. Within a week or so they are usually better. It's important to disinfect any areas they may scratch against, such as stable walls, gates, fences etc to try to prevent it happening again. It is very contagious to other horses, my dog once picked it up too, as can humans. My horses get it twice a year living in the paddock they do, luckily we are moving soon, so I'm hoping to leave it behind. The ringworm can still be present in affected buildings for 10 years.

I found washing with hibiscrub (antibacterial wash) made it worse, I think because it meant they were damp for a few hours and the weather is warm, so of course fungal infections love warm damp conditions.

The fungus that causes it feeds on the protein in skin and hair.

Good luck with, at least you've caught it early.
Kate

thebundychick

I have heard of Sudocream, but we don't have it here - not sure whether our "Potty's White ointment" is the equivalent.

The apple cider vinegar sounds like a good idea! I might wash them both in the morning, and then apply the ACV in the afternoon after their dry

We have ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS weather here at the moment, so i'm hoping that will help with the whole thing!

calatar

Definitely sounds like ringworm. Bruiser had it at the end of last winter and it cleared up with Eqyss Micro-Tec Spray.

Clarissa

That rain scald should be showing signs of healing by now Bundy, with all this lovely dry weather you're having now.

Horseshoe Creek

My mare got ringworm a couple of years ago (dang cows) and it healed up great in a short time just using athlete's foot cream. Within a week she had hair growing back. Good thing because it was winter and about-30!

thebundychick

hi all!!

Happy to report that its Rain Scald!! Spoke to a few rather helpful people that have experienced ringworm or are knowledgable on the subject (Clarissa

) Am thrilled to say that I'm happy that its rain scald

Its been well over a week, Sante doesn't show any signs of it, and neither do I - (spent 15mins knee deep in scabs before i thought "Oh you probably shouldn't be doing that")

But all is good

Its RainScald :D

Clarissa

2 treatments for fungal based skin/hair conditions like rain scald.

Remove scabs first if possible:-

Gently massage affected areas with paste of baking soda & water;

Spray on & gently massage in 10% tea tree solution to whole affected skin area. If that doesn’t work dab neat tea tree oil just onto the lesions twice, a few days apart.