Fungus among us *pictures* help wanted *UPDATE P20* *another update 23*

[Kitari]

Red has a fungus, not sure what exactly.

I first noticed it yesterday but due to time issues with work (I was running late) I couldnt check it out. Well I got a chance today to check it out. Red has been having some mild looking dandruff looking issues when (since) I got her a couple months ago, i treated it lightly with some iodine baths and it appeared to clear up. All of the scabby dandruff looking bits were nearly compleatly gone, running my hand through her coat I would pick up a couple. Satisfied I figured the problem was gone. Then yesterday i look at her and I see what looks lik the same thing the dandruff looking bits. I went "huh" and figured it may have come back and to just start the iodine treatments again, this time for longer to make sure whatever was causing it was killed.

Well while I had a chance today to take a look at it, I took a before and after picture by the way, I got my curry to see just how much it had come back.

With one pass of the curry she was bald in a streak. I rubbed and scrubbed with the curry getting as much of it as i could off of her, she has whole bare patches on her neck and a little bit towards her ears towards her jawline.

At this and sorely vexed. The iodine bath wouldnt exactly help with this, it was more than a few flecks, not to mention she was bald now. The iodine is straight iodine, I never leave it one for more than a few minutes (roughly 5-8) before rinsing it of, but the water is COLD, and its windy and chilly today.

So I went and bought some MTG. Now Red is out 24/7 so that leaves me a little problem with direct sunlight.

I do have a standing wrap... Can i wrap her neck or should i wait til its night time (and very cold) to apply the MTG?

Before the scrub
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h49/meowzic/IMG_1134.jpg

After
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h49/meowzic/IMG_1140.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h49/meowzic/IMG_1136.jpg

One pass ball (there were at least 6 of these when i was through)
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h49/meowzic/IMG_1141.jpg

[amdfarm]

It looks like rainrot to me. Do a search and you should come up w/ a lot of solutions to get rid of it. I'd put the MTG on during the day when it's warmer as a spot treatment. I don't think I'd wrap her neck though. It is contagious, so don't use her items on other horses and disinfect what you're using on her now so you're not constantly reinfecting her.

Good luck.

[appychik]

That's odd. I definitely would call the vet though and not apply the MTG. It can cause more problems... I've heard on here of people using Listerine, so that may help. But, you're better off calling the vet and perhaps doing a skin scraping of sorts.

Was there any blood or anything? It really looks weird... and itchy. Poor girl. Do let us know what you find out.

[purplnurpl]

I love the comment you are about to read. It is usually the first listed on almost all skin threads.

You mentioned that she is new as of a few months ago.
What WAS her worming schedule and what IS her worming schedule?

And just incase you missed the Adult Onchocerca thread go check it out.

[Kitari]

I love the comment you are about to read. It is usually the first listed on almost all skin threads.

You mentioned that she is new as of a few months ago.
What WAS her worming schedule and what IS her worming schedule?

And just incase you missed the Adult Onchocerca thread go check it out.

I wish I knew what her worming schedule was before i got her. Lets just say her old wner did not exactly like her, she wasnt neglected persay but she didnt get the level of needs the others got, so for all i know she got wormed maybe once or twice in the year or two she was there. (her feet were shitty too)

Now however I keep her and my other mare one a 6 - 8 week rotation between invermectin, promectin and i forgot that other one. Her next worming is scheduled on the 24th of march. I do keep a running chart so that i keep ontop of what her last wormer was.

Sterilizing is a great idea, and i do admit i didnt do it before because at first i figured it was due entirly to her very poor skin/coat condition.

[ChocoMare]

Read this very informative thread on Adult Onchocerca ;) :

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum...d.php?t=155469 (http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=155469)

Then follow the protocol of Double Dose Equimax -- Wait Two Weeks -- Double Dose again. ;)

If the skin/hair shows NO improvement whatsoever, then you know you're dealing with something more nefarious and t'would be time for a skin scraping via the vet.

Ten bucks says the vet won't be necessary tho :D

[brightwhitestockings]

looks like rain rot or some other similar fungus.

keep up the scrubbing with iodine, that works great to kill the bacteria. Equiss (sp?) has a great product called Micro-Tek and that is perfect for stuff like this.

I also have a super sensitive Chestnut and i use apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle to prevent him from getting stuff like that. It works really well. :yes: stinks tho. Everyone else in my barn always yells at me when i spray it! :lol:

Once the fungus itself is gone, and its just hair missing, desitin works really well to help it grow back.

Good luck!

[Kitari]

looks like rain rot or some other similar fungus.

keep up the scrubbing with iodine, that works great to kill the bacteria. Equiss (sp?) has a great product called Micro-Tek and that is perfect for stuff like this.

I also have a super sensitive Chestnut and i use apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle to prevent him from getting stuff like that. It works really well. :yes: stinks tho. Everyone else in my barn always yells at me when i spray it! :lol:

Once the fungus itself is gone, and its just hair missing, desitin works really well to help it grow back.

Good luck!

Since im now dealing with a larger area that is well bald(before it was just minor flaking and that was it) should I switch to my baby oil iodine mixture? i used for my other mare's very minor fungle issue on her mane (along time ago) its about 1/3rd iodine and 2/3rds baby oil.

next question since it is nor bald in a line that is where the reins would normally go across should i avoid riding until a lite layer of fur starts grwing back? I only ride her once a week (she is 3 years old) I would prefer to keep up her once a week (occasionally 2) routine, and try out her new bit.

[Brown Horse]

For rainrot...first step: wash and dry (make sure it's DRY or you could be counterproductive). Second, some kind of antibacterial. Take your pick. Then, use undiluted baby oil. Smothers the organism and acts as a dirt and 'wetness' barrier.
Good luck!

ETA: the above poster is right about vinegar being very useful to prevent it. However it's not a treatment so you should take the above steps then once it's gone use the vinegar. I would actually reccomend using a mixture of vinegar and baby oil sprayed on (of course not where the saddle goes...could be a bit slippery!)

[SunshineAcres]

I tend to lean toward the neck threadworms in this instance. Reason being is that the rest of her body seems to look fine. Very odd place for rain rot to reside and mostly on the neck. I'd try the double dose of Equimax for her body weight and repeat in two weeks. I wouldn't use a topical with this treatment so you know for sure which it is. If the treatment for NTW's is working, you'll see the scabs just start coming off like magic!

[Kitari]

I tend to lean toward the neck threadworms in this instance. Reason being is that the rest of her body seems to look fine. Very odd place for rain rot to reside and mostly on the neck. I'd try the double dose of Equimax for her body weight and repeat in two weeks. I wouldn't use a topical with this treatment so you know for sure which it is. If the treatment for NTW's is working, you'll see the scabs just start coming off like magic!

she did have some scabs hidden under the fur on her haunches, those have sence discovery, fallen off and nearly healed now. I will wait on the treatment and give the double dose a shot tomorrow (payday!)

[ChocoMare]

... I will wait on the treatment and give the double dose a shot tomorrow (payday!)

Ahhh, you have chosen well Grasshopper. :winkgrin:

[Kitari]

Ahhh, you have chosen well Grasshopper. :winkgrin:

I am the young fungus/worm padawan I bow to the fungus/worm master!

[MunchkinsMom]

Since you asked for photos of fungus, check out the photos on the Equiderma site:

http://www.equiderma.com/fungus.html

And then purchase some Equiderma, it is fantastic at clearing up fungus and rainrot in record time.

[ChocoMare]

I am the young fungus/worm padawan I bow to the fungus/worm master!

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Tom Bloomer]

If it is rain rot, you can try chlorhexadine surgical scrub (the blue stuff) or diluted chlorhexadine gluconate solution. Sold under the brand name Nolvasan, but available in generic brands as well.

Chlorhexadine is considerably more effective than iodine based antimocrobals. It also works great on other stuff like thrush or disinfecting scrapes, cuts, and open wounds.

[Phaxxton]

Then follow the protocol of Double Dose Equimax -- Wait Two Weeks -- Double Dose again. ;)

If the skin/hair shows NO improvement whatsoever, then you know you're dealing with something more nefarious and t'would be time for a skin scraping via the vet.

Ten bucks says the vet won't be necessary tho :D

I totally agree. :yes:

[ChocoMare]

Please note that NTWs don't just emerge/show themselves on the neck....the name is a bit of a misnomer.

Co-boarder's handsome 3 y/o gelding showed the scurfies on his hips about a month ago.... told her to follow the DDEM protocol and see what happened. Shazam, all hair is back, no itchies, no scabbies, etc.

Any patchy hair loss like you see in the OPs pics, can (I'd say) be attributed to Onchocherca microfilia emergence 95% of the time. As you work your way through the humongo thread, you'll perhaps realize just how often NTWs are to blame...not fungus.

[Kitari]

She's lost a little bit more hair this morning. otherwise no change (duh?) Im waiting for another hour and a half to grab my check.

Should I worry about that area getting too cold now that it is nekked? I dont think last night was too much of a bother it was 30 degreesF, but we do occasionally get down in the teens to low 20s.

[Kitari]

Its been a titch over a week since Ive doubled dosed her and Im seeing some improvment. No more hair is falling out in anyrate, I have applied MTG once to get her hair growing back and it is growing back slowly but surly. Im going to keep an eye on it and give her her next DD in a week.

[ChocoMare]

:D ahhhh, another who has seen The NTW Light :cool:

Glad to hear of the improvement. ;)

[Kitari]

:D ahhhh, another who has seen The NTW Light :cool:

Glad to hear of the improvement. ;)

Hopefully everything clears up, the only section that hasnt started to grow hair back yet is the section along her jawline, but im not worried about it yet. I think I'll ride her today, since i wasnt 100% sure it wasnt a fungus I didnt want to potentially spread it to Poco since they both use the same saddle.

[Kitari]

Well, the improvement went away and even more hair fell out, and now its taking the look of rain rot.

Is it possible its a combo?

[Thomas_1]

Looks like dermatophilus. (otherwise known as: Rain scald, scratches, rain rot, mud fever)

Use astringent antimicrobial lotions NOT soap/shampoo and water and ensure the horse is dry. It is also not a good idea to ever use ointments unless they are specifically antibiotic and for severe cases, since they hold moisture to the skin (and moisture needs to be removed for the condition to cease). Likewise it's best not to cover it up or that will create the warm moist environment it needs to thrive.

The best treatment is to wash the horse with antimicrobial and antibacterial shampoos and astringent rinses. These medications help to kill the dermatophilus congolensis organism. If Betadine, Phenol or Nolvasan is used, you should continue applying them once a day for one week.

Use an antimicrobal shampoo that lathers well. Vigorously lather the horse, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse. Be sure to follow with an astringent conditioner that works well. Continue this for daily for 1 week.

Remove all scabs that are present. This is usually painful for the horse, so be gentle! The best way I have seen to remove these scabs is to temporarily moisten them (so they become soft and easy to remove). Be sure to dry the horse immediately after scab removal.

The organism in the horse's skin must be killed.

SEVERE CASES ONLY: for severe cases, antibiotics may be used. These include potassium penicillin, procaine penicillin G, sodium ampicillin, streptomycin or gentamycin.

You never said if you have him turned out still or not - but if its wet then you need to keep him in dry conditions - the bacterium thrives on prolonged moisture and bacteriologically poor hygiene. And ensure no rugs or neck covers. If he was wearing one, then make sure it's washed.

Wear rubber gloves when you wash or treat and always work away from unaffected areas or you'll spread it as you are working. Remove any long hair shielding the lesions by clipping (and ensure you sterilize the blades after use) Use an astringent lotion - here it would be such as hibiscrub - not sure if its called the same there but basically its a surgical scrub.

You should really only wash for that first week and on discovery and using astringent antimicrobial product and tepid water and just to initially clean the horse and you must ensure you can get all the areas dry after the washing - you shouldn't repeat washing after the initial week because he needs to be clean and dry. That is the prime aim of the treatment.

So don't ever cover anything with bandages or rugs as it can get moist underneath and it will spread. And you shouldn't soak either. That will only make it spread and get worse. Keep the horse in a dry area too and it might be beneficial to dress the lesions with an antibiotic ointment.

Dermatophilus congolensis grows better with a lack of oxygen. Since the organism doesn't like oxygen, you'll have to eliminate a the heavy hair coat (if your horse's hair is long and thick), and remove any scabs that hold the organism to the horse's skin.

Since the organism needs a warm, moist environment, it is likely that a secondary bacterial infection may become present. The most common secondary bacterial infections known are staphylococcus (staph), and streptococcus (strep). This is why it is very important to treat rain rot immediately, since any secondary bacterial infection may be even more resistant and difficult to treat. If the horse has persistent chronic dermatophilus then the vet would normally take swabs to grow culture to check if its a step infection and treat with targeted specific antibiotics.

A horse can become infected by shared saddle blankets, leg wraps and brushes with other infected horses. NEVER SHARE tack or equipment and you will also need to ensure that everything the horse has been using whilst its had it is thoroughly cleaned otherwise again it will just continue to spread. Furthermore you need to ensure that if your horse is inside that you don't have damp stalls, poor ventilation and that you totally pressure wash your stall with bleach to ensure its clear of infection. Again NEVER share stalls and switch about with other horses as cross contamination will occur.

[Cherry]

Chlorhexadine is considerably more effective than iodine based antimocrobals.
Tom, when I questioned my vet he told me that iodine was more effective than chlorhexadine.... Hmmmmmmm, I wonder what the truth is.... :uhoh:

Kitari, why don't you just break down and get the vet involved so you can get an accurate diagnosis and actually start to treat the problem....