# Very itchy horse, losing small patches of hair



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Have you considered mange? Horses do get it.


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

Call your vet. Mange is quite possible, but having your vet out to see her is the best thing for her.


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## PilatesGal (Sep 7, 2012)

A horse at our barn is just getting over a similar episode ... turns out he was getting an allergic reaction to the MTG. Not sure what started the intitial issue, but MTG definitely made it worse. Now, after 2 weeks of no real treatment, he's healing up and the hair is slowing beginning to grow back. He had some real nasty raw patches on his hind quarters.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Ring worm!!!!! get the vet, get some antifungals and get it sorted.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

I sent pictures to the vet, waiting for him to call me back. Will be arranging for him to come out or I may take her there. My truck is down right now so I'll have to find someone to help me out if I take her there. 
It's sounding closest to ringworm. Again, some of them have cleared up, the ones under where the saddle pad sits got worse. She's off duty until we figure out what's going on. (She works as a lesson horse) 
Here are some pictures
























That last one looks horrible, she rubbed it so hard it started bleeding!


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Update: took her to the vet and he suspects lice
It started last Tuesday and got wormed on Saturday, so he thinks the ivermectin knocked out the lice, so she was already getting better before I even brought her in. He gave me a cortisone topical spray to help with her itchiness. He said to apply Python dust 10-14 days after she was wormed, keep swat on it so its not exposed to gnats, and to give her a few days off work til her skin heals up a little.


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## acorn (Nov 27, 2012)

WHOOPS. I posted on the wrong thread. Sorry.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Looks like lice to me. Give her a dose of Ivomec dewormer, dust her with Sevin Dust and get heron a goo Vitamin A supplement. You cannot give lice or rain rot to a horse that has adequate Vitamin A levels. Vitamin A alone (or green grass) will clear up both rain rot and lice, but it is quicker to treat them and then get the horse started on Vitamin A. Look up old 'rain rot and Vitamin A' threads and you will see that the injectable will work fastest. Supplements also work but more slowly.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Thank you Cherie! You're always so incredibly helpful. So, can you recommend supplements I can give her? It's already clearing up but I would like to start her on a good vitamin a supplement.


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

Looks and sounds like what my horse had. Vet said it was an allergic reaction to something. Never found out what, it eventually went away. I would stop using the MTG some horses are allergic to it.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Mochachino said:


> Looks and sounds like what my horse had. Vet said it was an allergic reaction to something. Never found out what, it eventually went away. I would stop using the MTG some horses are allergic to it.


Thanks! The vet said it was lice. He said the sulfur in the MTG actually repelled the lice. She's not allergic to it, but thanks for the tip!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Lice and mange are both 'bugs' that feed off the horse so will be killed by ivermectin as it goes through the bloodstream but both also lay eggs and can live off the horse in bedding etc so you'll need to keep up the treatment and I would spray and disinfect the stable too if she lives in.
I wouldnt rule out rain rot - a daily wipe over with a something that works on fungal and bacterial infections wouldnt hurt or cost much


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm thinking its possible she had a small amount of the lice when I got her, and then a combination of the darker, warmer environment of the stall encouraged them to thrive, plus she went from the pasture, high in vitamin A, to grass hay. I just got her on the first of February and she hadn't been de wormed by the previous owners for almost a year. 
I didn't get a chance to call the vet and see if we should disinfect the stall, but my barn owner has spray and a sprayer and offered to disinfect her stall for me. So we'll probably just do that anyway.
I have been applying MTG daily, and that should take care of any rain rot. She was very, very itchy though, which I thought was inconsistent with rain rot?


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

For a supplement try Farnam's VitaPlus or MarePlus. I use the vitaplus and I have had great results so far.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Ok, thanks! Anyone have any experience with red cell? It was recommended by a fellow boarder.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Too much iron content and very low in vitamin a and e. I used that for 6 months then switched to vitaplus and I am much happier with the results. I see a big difference in my mares health from using vitaplus. Her respiratory issues have resolved and so far no scratches!!! Even though its prime time for it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Red Cell is mostly a 'blood builder'. It just makes horses 'high' unless you need improved appetite and energy.

Mare Plus has the highest levels of Vitamin A WITHOUT adding the blood and energy builders (which are usually counter-productive to quiet, easy-going recreational saddle horses.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Tessa7707 said:


> Ok, thanks! Anyone have any experience with red cell? It was recommended by a fellow boarder.


 On the few occasions I've used Red Cell it turned a sensible horse into a raving hot head so I avoid it - if a horse is anaemic you can get straight iron supplements.
Most of the insect repellants contain Permethrin which should kill lice and scabies mange mites but avoid contact with any sore patches
Anything that disrupts the normal health of the skin can cause itching
I've bought ponies/horses with terrible lice infestations but the only sore patches I've seen on them is on the mane and tail area or other parts like the shoulders, head and rear end where they've rubbed/scratched themselves on things because they were itching and not isolated areas like your horse has.
Lice are fairly easy to see - if you rub some hair conditioner into the mane and then comb it through with a fine tooth comb you will dislodge them as you can often find them along the line of the mane whereas mites burrow under the skin so less easy to detect


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

Ok! Thanks, that makes a lot of sense because her horse _is_ a raving lunatic, and I figured it was just because she's young, but I bet it has something to do with the red cell.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

What is MTG? I went to start soaking the oats for Jems and giving attention to the others when I noticed Sugar,3 yr old lineback dun, has what looks like your pics only the skin is dry where the hair comes out. I also noticed the 2 geldings nipping and running her off as I was around.. figured it was some payback for how she treated them the last week or so doing the same thing.
I'll start a new thread if need be and will posst pics when I come back from feeding them.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Here are the pics of her patches..I also found some on her left side as well and have pics here of it.


































Here is the pics of her left front arm pit area.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

I looked over the other 3 and they only have bitten off hair and spots you can tell came from the others biting and such. Nothing like hers.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

That looks more like rain rot to me especially if its scabby. 
Giving them a good curry combing at this time of year to help remove loose & clumped hair and dirt helps get the air to the skin
Any good treatment that attacks bacterial and fungal infections should help - iodine based or hydrogen peroxide based are cheap and effective as she doesnt look sore
Plus a good vitamin supplement added to her feed. I use wheatgerm oil - Vits A,D & E - all good for healthy skin and coats


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

@roadyy, yours looks like rain rot to me too. MTG is this topical treatment, stands for 'mane, tail, groom' and treats a plethora of skin conditions. It has worked for me for rain rot several times in the past, with a lot of different horses. A lot of people report an allergy, I have never had an allergic reaction, but its something to watch for. 
Original M-T-G Shapley's


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

MTG -
I would think its the Cade oil in it that can cause an allergic reaction so probably best to try a small patch first. Cade oil has been clinically proven to have excellent bacteria killing qualities - and combined with the sulphur which is one of the oldest fungicides it explains why it works well


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Ok thanks. I contacted the couple we got her from to find out they didn't have her long enough to get her worked so I went ahead on dewormed her this morning after posting the pics. I will pick up some MTG tomorrow on my way home from work and will have my wife or daughter to run the curry comb over her as they are all starting to shed now. Again thanks for the info.


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