# Cold Sore in Horse's Mouth



## selika01 (Sep 24, 2013)

My horse has a cold sore in her mouth on her upper lip. 
What can I do for it? The flies are getting on it and bothering her a lot!
Thanks Guys!


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## Chickenoverlord (Apr 30, 2013)

Um, I dont think horses can get cold sores, correct me if I'm wrong. Are you sure that's what it is, and not an injury from snuffling something sharp in her paddock?


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I also did not think horses could get cold sores. I suspect it more likely an externally caused injury - poke with a stalk while eating, insect bite that got infected, etc. You could probably get by with keeping it as clean as possible and using an antibiotic cream on it. If it doesn't appear to be healing over the next couple of days or getting worse, it's a call to the vet.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

More than likely you are talking about a summer sore. What that is is simply fly larvae that have been deposited on a break in the skin. The easiest way to deal with it is to rub ivermectin paste dewormer on the sore until it goes away. Maybe 3-4 days.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chickenoverlord (Apr 30, 2013)

I would not do the ivermectin! It is very easy to OD on it, and a little goes a long way. I also highly doubt that a maggot would remain on that part of aliving horse for more than a few minutes. Is it possible there is foxtail in her pasture? It causes ulceration of the mouth and digestive tract. Pics would help.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Last winter when our Belgian got kicked in the mouth by our Mustang, he had quite a nasty wound inside his lip. Luckily the mouth heals quickly. I used a big syringe filled with warm salt water to irrigate the lip wound. I also sprayed it with Cepacol to help numb and disinfect it. It only took about 3 days. If it doesn't respond in a couple of days or begins to look worse, time to call a Vet. Good luck!


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

I have seen a appy who had sores like that. He had them all over his mouth and his sheath and other sensitive areas. I always thought it looked like herpes (it wasn't) but i cant remember for the life of me what it was called. The owner just left them alone as there was nothing she could do about them.


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## selika01 (Sep 24, 2013)

*Thanks Guys!*

Thanks for your Tips  
She might have ate a Thorn or something She is in the Open pasture There are some Thorny plants out there other than that I don't know what it could be?
It is looking quite better already I have not used anything but a Charcoal Paste It seems to be working. I will Keep using it and if it doesn't get better i will try what you suggested.

I will Try to get Pics..


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Chickenoverlord said:


> I would not do the ivermectin! It is very easy to OD on it, and a little goes a long way. I also highly doubt that a maggot would remain on that part of aliving horse for more than a few minutes. Is it possible there is foxtail in her pasture? It causes ulceration of the mouth and digestive tract. Pics would help.


Ummm...Actually Ivermectin has a very very very very LOW chance of overdosing...Like you can dose a horse with 60 times the standard dose without complications. Not that you should ever do that, but, you get my point. Ivermectin is probably one of the safest dewormers on the market.

http://www.webertrainingstables.com/wormer.cfm
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Is her skin pink? It could be sunburn. Diaper rash cream would help if that's the case, and it stays on longer than sunscreen.

To Chickenoverlord: look up warbles. They're gross. They're basically flies that grow under the skin like a bump - effectively a maggot growing on a horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Doodlesweaver (Dec 12, 2012)

Equine herpes virus is definitely possible. I always thought it was herpes encehpalitis but it appears there are other forms, too, based on what I read at link below. Sores Inside Horse's Lip? (Pics Included) - Page 5

Do your horse's sores appear to be very painful to the touch?


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## selika01 (Sep 24, 2013)

Doodlesweaver said:


> Equine herpes virus is definitely possible. I always thought it was herpes encehpalitis but it appears there are other forms, too, based on what I read at link below. Sores Inside Horse's Lip? (Pics Included) - Page 5
> 
> Do your horse's sores appear to be very painful to the touch?


Yes,
But sometimes not it is an open wound it looks like a faded red color


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## wdblevin (Aug 30, 2013)

Left Hand Percherons said:


> More than likely you are talking about a summer sore. What that is is simply fly larvae that have been deposited on a break in the skin. The easiest way to deal with it is to rub ivermectin paste dewormer on the sore until it goes away. Maybe 3-4 days.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Our horse is very prone to this. Our vet advises the same as you noted as well as use Ivermectin orally every two weeks until the would is healed over. I do gently clean the wound with saline first and that seems to also support healing. I wish the sores our horse gets would heal in 3-4 days, but they generally take a few weeks. They will start to look better in the shorter period.

FYI: This pix is a pretty blown up sore. They pop up pretty quickly, so the sooner you catch it the better.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Are there any more inside his mouth? Under his lips, inside the cheeks, or on his gums? If there are anymore, I would check your hay or grazing areas for foxtail. It has little stickers that get caught in their mouth and cause nasty ulcers. One of my horses had a little one on her lip that didn't seem like much, then her mouth was dripping blood, so I flipped her lip up and she had bigger ones inside her mouth.


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## selika01 (Sep 24, 2013)

*It is Improving!*



wdblevin said:


> Our horse is very prone to this. Our vet advises the same as you noted as well as use Ivermectin orally every two weeks until the would is healed over. I do gently clean the wound with saline first and that seems to also support healing. I wish the sores our horse gets would heal in 3-4 days, but they generally take a few weeks. They will start to look better in the shorter period.
> 
> FYI: This pix is a pretty blown up sore. They pop up pretty quickly, so the sooner you catch it the better.


It used to look like that but it is getting smaller and smaller


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