# dime size spots on Palomino - bend or spots??



## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

Call up your vet for an appointment, bald spots are not a good sign. There is something going on that needs to be diagnosed by a professional and the sooner, the better


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

I do plan on calling my vet.. 

I kind of thought it might be ring worm? But there is no scab, no itching, nothing. The one on the right side of her neck was gold this winter and then turned dark. The spots are not bald, just very little hair compared to the rest of her body..


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

You're seeing spots because you're seeing dark skin through the thinning hair. Not sure what's causing the hair loss could be a fungal or bacterial thing or she could be rubbing it out (do you blanket her?) or a slew of other things. Only your vet can tell you for sure and they might even have to do skin scrapings to know.


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

thanks for all your responses. I will take better pictures and send them to my vet to see what he thinks! 

fingers crossed its nothing serious.


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

I spoke to my vet last night. From what I explained to him he does think it is ring worm... 


She is separated from the horses horse’s for 10-12 and will be getting medicated bathes every other day. If there is no improvement after 10 days he will need to look into it further. Last night when I gave her bath I found more and more spots that seemed to just pop up over night... its spread to her girth area and her back legs :/


My question now is: 
How to I disinfect all my tack? Do I do need to do it after every ride? I'm mostly confused on how you disinfect a wool saddle pad??? Any advice would be appreciated


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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

Can she just have a 10 day break from riding? Do some ground work instead while treating her? You could damage your tack from scrubbing and disinfecting it. Washable nylon halters and leads/lunge lines are much easier to disinfect


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

Yes, she could have a 10 break.. but these spots have been there for a while now. 

I thought at first they were just bend or spots or soot spot. I started to second guess when they starting losing hair. So I have ridden her with the ring worm already... If that IS what it ends up being.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I'd disinfect all your riding tack and stay off of her until you have it cleared up. Any spots under her tack are going to start hurting her if they aren't already. I've never had a case of ringworm on one of my regular horses but have dealt with it on a couple of new horses so I've never had to disinfect saddle pads or bridles and don't know if using this product will cause any kind of color fading but I use this:

Lysol Original Scent Disinfectant, 12 oz - Walmart.com

I'll make up a bucket and soak halters, lead ropes or any other grooming tools I used on the infected horse for several minutes and then rinse and let dry in the sun. I'll use that for a couple of days until it starts looking really dirty and then make up a fresh bucket.

You could try a corner of your pad and see if it took the color out although it never has on my halter and lead ropes. If it doesn't do any harm make up a spray bottle and soak down your pad good, let sit for 10 minutes or so and then rinse well.


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## SarahStorms (Sep 8, 2014)

How extreme do I need to be about this??? (I am having a mini panic attack haha)

Do I have to wash her halter and brushes EVERY day? 

I have heard that ringworm will takes its course and eventually clear up. But treating helps clear it up much faster and is more comfortable for the horse. 
I am already treating and will continue to treat. 

I'm just over worried about how much I need to disinfect everything!!!


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Disinfecting won't really help to be honest. Ring worm is a fungus, not a bacteria. The best way to treat it is with an antifungal - something for treating thrush in women is usually a good place to start (check with your vet first!) because it is going to be fairly gentle on the skin, given where ladies apply it. The cream needs to be applied two or three times a day at least - if you can do it more, that will help, but twice is enough to knock it over. 

As for other equipment, the best way to stop it from carrying ring worm is threefold. First, use hot, hot HOT water to wash it with - boiling is best. Second, make sure you dry everything between uses - if it is a clear day, lay everything out in the sun as well, as the sunlight will help kill the fungus. Third, quarantine your gear - do NOT use the same brushes, halter, bridle etc on any other horses. This is imperative - ringworm is spread easily by contact like this.

Another thing to be aware of, is ringworm can also spread to humans. It starts as dry patches on the skin - usually in "warm" areas - inside your elbow, armpit, groin, behind your ears. It is also fairly common to see it on forearms - probably because we get a lot of incidental contact on our arms without realising it. It usually starts off looking something like this:


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

It won't hurt the horse. Try wiping oil, baby oil, cooking oil, on those spots and for an inch extra all around. If it's ringworm, oil can suffocate it. A vet told me about this when my colt got it.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I always disinfected everything that came in contact with the horse every day. I don't know for sure this needs to be done but better safe than sorry is always my motto.


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