“By learning about common skin diseases, we will discover that not every case of itchy, scabby skin is caused by fungus and that fungal infections are overdiag- nosed, which may be why that anti-fungal cream you’ve been using isn’t get ing the job done.”
with mites should be treated with an oral ivermectin product. Regardless of cause, the hair on the limb should be clipped short to allow access for cleaning and drying of the area. T e area should be scrubbed with an antibacterial/antifungal shampoo, allowing for long contact time, and the scabs and crusts should be gently removed. One of the biggest factors in resolving scratches is keeping the area dry. In cases where clip-
ping the feathers is not an option, employing chamois cloths, towels and even hair dryers are necessary to ensure that the hair and skin remain dry. T ere is always a debate as to whether these limbs should be covered in a topical treatment and bandaged or just leſt open to dry. In many cases if the area is properly cleaned and kept dry, the lesions will regress over the course of a few weeks. T ere is a concern that topical treatments (especially petroleum-based oint- ments) and bandaging will just keep the moisture in and not allow the skin to dry and heal. If your horse is in a wet environment (something we can’t always control), then bandaging
may be necessary to keep the area clean. Occasionally these infections become so severe that oral antibiotics are required to completely resolve the infection. Anti-infl ammatory medica- tions are helpful in severe cases, especially when accompanied by lameness, and occasionally corticosteroids are included in the treatment regime to rapidly decrease infl ammation.
THE TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Dermatitis in horses is frustrating and diffi cult to treat because we rarely know exactly what
it is we are treating. By allowing your veterinarian to perform diagnostic tests, you can approach treatment in a bet er and more eff ective way. T at being said, when this level of investigation is not an option, being familiar with the major players and how they are managed is key to helping your horse feel and look his best.
Joan Norton, VMD, DACVIM, founded Norton Veterinary Consult- ing and Education Resources to promote equine veterinary education to horse owners, professionals and veterinarians. She is the author of “Equine First Aid Handbook,” a pocket-sized guide that’s perfect to tuck into the trunk at the barn, containing must-have information on how to recognize and handle common equine emergencies. One of the country’s
most popular and engaging speakers on veterinary topics, Dr. Norton also off ers a series of Online Education Courses through her website
www.nortonveterinaryconsulting.com
For more information about the best horse-health products, see:
Dr. Rose Remedies, p.93 Eqyss Grooming Products, p.3 Espree Animal Products, p.59 JM Saddler Inc., p.25
Horse Health USA, p.19 Smartpak Equine, p.21 Wendals Herbs. p.11 Zephyr’s Garden, p.60
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US • June 2013 | 71
FMI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100