Rain Rot Treatments for Horses It thrives in warm, moist conditions, showing up as crusty scabs. S ooner or later, you’re going to encounter a horse with rain rot. It’s found most often on horses maintained outside in times of high rainfall, especially if they have thick, winter coats. If untreated, these spots will spread and often coalesce. Any horse can develop this infection, but it is most likely to occur in horses with compromised immune systems from malnutrition, old age or diseases like Cushing’s. The organism thrives in the warm, moist conditions against the skin. However, it can also occur as a result of bug bites, too. The same organism (Dermatophilus) also can cause severe heel dermatitis (scratches). The lesions begin as multiple small bumps/scabs, which can spread and grow together to form large patches if not detected and treated early. The scabs are tightly adherent to the skin and painful to remove. They come off with the hair and leave open sores. Once the scabs are off and medications can Because mixing the wrong ingredients together can worsen a skin problem, we like the twin-pack options like this one from Absorbine. get to the skin level itself, healing is usually rapid (see below for help removing scabs). Treatments A variety of treatments can be used. Iodine-based shampoos and other medicated or herbal shampoos with tea-tree oil may work on mild, early cases, but when crusting is heavy the most they can usually do is slow the appearance of new lesions. We’ve round the combination of EQyss Micro-Tek shampoo and Gel or the Absorbine Medicated Twin Pack Shampoo and Spray are both good for moderate cases, although they may not penetrate heavy areas of scab. This is a bacterial skin infection. For areas of thick scabbing, we like the application of a tea-treeoil based sheath cleaner, like Exapplying it, as it is very dusty. calibur from Farnam. Wet the area Sprayed-on original Listerine is and leave it on five to 10 minutes a popular treatment for mild to then rinse. Crusts/scabs may come moderate cases of rain rot. After off after a single treatment. The spraying, just leave the Listerine animal can then be bathed with on the horse. Remember, though, a tea-tree-oil shampoo and open that it can be painful on open skin, areas protected with a tea-tree-oilif there are open areas under those based cream. Note: Some horses are crusty lesions. Once the initial sensitive to tea-tree-oil, so do a spot sting is over, though, its mild anestreatment and wait 24 hours to see thetic and anti-itch properties kick if there’s a reaction before using the in. treatment. A very highly effective is the Fungus antifungal dust, captan. Bathe the In the fungal category, horses can horse to remove surface dirt and get ringworm, a highly infectious any loose scabs then rinse a solufungus that can also be transmittion of ½ oz. Captan to 150 oz. of ted to people. Ringworm infections water over the infected areas. Pour are circular lesions that start as an it on or apply with a sponge. Scrape inflamed and scaly area, very itchy, away the excess, then let it dry on which grows out from the center. the coat. Because of how easily it is spread, Some vets advise to just sprinkle ringworm is best treated with antithe dry powder on the horse while fungal medications. still wet from the shampooing. CapCaptan also works well on ringtan is an EPA-registered fungicide, worm, or you can use a topical intended for garden use, so be sure antifungal cream from your vet or to follow safety instructions on the a human product made for fungal package. Captan should never be foot or vaginal infections. used around the horse’s eyes, as it is The most severe form of ringworm a severe eye irritant. Wear protecis caused by the fungus Trichophytive gloves and eye goggles while tum, which can spread to humans. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014 antimicrobial effects. Some shampoos still include iodine but their concentrations are only half of what you find in iodine-based skin scrubs. Iodine’s drying and irritating effects can only be prevented by skin conditioners and aloe. Phenol (carbolic acid) was the first disinfecCaptan has its critics, but there’s no disputing the fact that it tant used for surgeries, works. back in the late 1800s. Trichophytum infections usually It’s also an effective local anesthetic cause itching, while milder infecin open wounds, but concern about tions with other fungal strains will potential for tissue damage has led not. If your horse has an infection to use of more modern disinfecthat looks like ringworm and is also tants. itchy, call your veterinarian. You Benzalkonium chloride is the acwant the heavy guns (prescription tive ingredient in hand sanitizers, remedies) to deal with this, and you diaper wipes and some dandruff don’t want to risk it spreading from shampoos. Triclosan is a widely horse to horse to you. used antibacterial with antifungal Very young, debilitated/malnouractivity as well. Another common ished and immunocompromised ingredient is PCMX (chloroxylenol), horses are at greatest risk for which is a rapid acting antibacteringworm. Bacteria as the primary rial and antifungal with very low cause of skin problems is rare, but toxicity. secondary infection can occur in any area with broken skin. Bottom Line Other fungal species can also The best antimicrobial in the world cause problems, especially on won’t do any good if it can’t get at the face and at the tail base. They the organism. The ability to eftypically do not cause as intense fectively soften and release dense an itching. The lesions are hairless buildups is therefore important. patches with varying degrees of For treatment of difficult problems scaling but are not as angry looking like rain rot and heavily scabbed as true ringworm and are slow to scratches, we got the best results spread or enlarge. combining a medicated shampoo These less serious fungal infecwith a medicated topical spray or tions usually respond well to iodine cream to use between baths. We’ve shampoos, tea-tree oil products, found that combining products EQyss Micro-Tek system, and the with different types of active ingreAbsorbine Twin Medicated system. dients runs the risk of creating additional problems, such as chemical Medicated Shampoos burns. And, as much as we like Medicated shampoos aren’t everyCaptan for really difficult cases, it day shampoos, so save them for isn’t our first choice. when the horse obviously has a For that reason, our top choices skin problem that calls for antimiinclude a number of spray/shampoo crobial effects. If you need a daily combination products that we have shampoo, are favorites are Corona, had success with over the years: Orvus, Lucky Braids and Absor• Chlorhex 2X shampoo/spray bine. On the herbal end, again, tea• Ketochlor shampoo/spray tree oil is a good ingredient choice • Vetericyn spray for both antibacterial and antifun• EQyss Microtek shampoo/spray, gal effects. Aloe is a common incluand sion and helps by soothing and • Absorbine Medicated Shampoo/ encouraging healing rather than Spray. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014