SCRATCHES-to scrub or not? Need help!

[StrawberryFrosted]

I've done a ton of research on treating scratches and I need some clarification.

I was scrubbing (or gently wiping) the pastern/heel bulb area with either diluted betadine solution or nolvalsan solution. (warm water).
Then drying.
Applying hydrocortisone, desitin and neosporin (mixed) onto the scabs.
I tried to cover them with telfa gauze pads then vet wrap to keep them clean. The vet wrap always rides up from the coronary band thus leaving the scabs exposed to dirt, mud, bedding.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I get the area wet at all? The only reason I was doing this was because the area always gets dirty.

I read some people just wipe off the desitin mixture and re-apply. They don't get the area wet at all. HOW DO YOU DO THIS BECAUSE IT'S CAKED WITH DRIED MUD?

2. I feel if I don't wrap it, the scabs get worse. Wrapping obviously keeps the area clean. The scabs stay softer and are easier to remove.

3. Can you wrap vet wrap around the coronary band? I tried to put gauze padding around the coronary but it still rode up. Could I wrap vet wrap or duct tape under the hoof?


I am getting tucoprim powder today from the vet because I'm thinking I need to also fight this bacteria from the inside out. The horse is 19. Prone to scratches. He has had these scratches for several months. They are not spreading above the pastern area at all.

I'm going out there today, so any new advice would be greatly appreciated!

[BornToRide]

Yes, recurring scratches is usually a sign the horse is lacking something internally, making it harder for the skin to fight off pathogens like this. I would boost his immune system and wnure he also gets enough minerals like copper and zinc for example.

You can wrap around the Coronet band and I would use duct tape on the outside to stabilise it. I would also only use Desitin after cleaning, or I have heard that people had good results with using Ichtamol. It would soften the scaps and they would just fall off, making it easier on the horse and easier to apply medication to the affected area afterwards.

Good luck with that :-)

[JB]

I've had the best results with just wiping the old stuff off.

[Altamont Sport Horses]

I do not use any water. I buy the Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan is a brand) by the gallon from Jeffers ($12.95/gallon). I pour it into a spray bottle full strength and spray it directly on the scratches, scabs, dirt, etc. until it is saturated. If there is a lot of loose dirt on the foot I will just brush it off before starting with the Chlorhexidine . I'll pick at the scabs after it is softened up and then apply more Chlorahexidine liberally and making sure that all the skin and hair is completely saturated. Then I turn them out if it is dry outside or put them in a dry lot or stall to allow it to dry thoroughly. No wrapping or anything. While it will keep mud out it won't keep moisture out or allow moisture from the body to evaporate completely. Seems like a dark moist environment conducive to growing more funky stuff.

I've never had to use anything like Desitin and I'm sure it works for some people but to me it seems like it would be trapping moisture in. I've always thought that keeping it dry dry dry was best. But perhaps it has to do with what is causing the scratches. Mine will occasionally get scratches when it is very wet. The Chlorhexidine treatment clears it up really fast for me. Great stuff for rainrot as well.

[pintopiaffe]

Please, don't pick scabs. They are there to PROTECT. You are perpetuating infection and chancing it getting worse if you remove them before they are ready to come off.
If they come off after softened when you are wiping off old topicals, great. If not, LEAVE THEM. Scabs are not the 'cause', they are the effect. Scabs don't 'spread' though you can get new ones if the CONDITION spreads.

Search this forum. There are many, many threads on scratches.

If it is persistant and doesn't respond to treatment, save yourself a TON Of money and possibly your horse's soundness and just suck it up and get a vet call. Internal Rx may be needed.

[SquishTheBunny]

I have one with chronic scratches. I tried picking, notpicking etc.

What works for me: soak the scabs in a zinc cream for a few days, then remove them (they will peel off easily and not be painful for thehorse). No water needed. Once the skin underneath the skin is exposed, wipe with chlorhexadine OR bedatine and water. Dry well. Apply antibacterial/antifuncal/antiprotozoal/anti-inflammatory cream (I use otomax, it was the only cream he did not become resistent to). Wait an hour, an apply more zinc cream.

[EventerAJ]

If the scabs want to come off, I remove them. But I don't "attack" them. I will scrub gently *in the direction of the hair* and if things come off, great. For the very large scabby patches, I work gently at the edges, but again I don't get overzealous trying to take the whole thing off.

My cardinal rule: IF YOU PICK AT IT, WRAP IT! You will make the leg *angry* when you rub off those scabs and expose the raw skin. Unless it's really low on the pastern/heels, I wrap a normal standing bandage with a "faso" sweat (furacin-based, with dex to reduce swelling, scarlet oil to help the open sore, and DMSO). The wrap keeps the leg from blowing up, the sweat ointment pacifies it a little. For lower-pastern problems, I might use some cotton and vetwrap.

In an ideal world, you can keep the horse in a plastic bubble, nice and dry until the scratches are gone. In the REAL world, you'll have to turn the horse out, sometimes in mud. My routine: clean leg after turnout; hose mud off, wash with betadine/nolvasan scrub, removing any loosened scabs. Dry leg with towel, wait 15mins (DRY!), then apply faso and wrap. I don't usually wash the faso off before turnout.

Days that I don't "anger" the scabs, I just coat them with diaper ointment or a thick layer of corona. They're more likely to come off "nicely" the next day. ;)

Some horses are just predisposed to scratches. With them, it is important to stay ahead of the disease... scrub/wrap at the very very first sign of scabs, or hose legs off daily (when muddy) to prevent it starting. It sounds backwards to "get the legs wet" to prevent the chafing, but it's worked for me.

[Appassionato]

I mentioned it in another post and will here too, it may help to get some pictures. ;)

[MunchkinsMom]

Here's a link to some information about treating scratches:

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

[mhtokay]

I do not pick the scabs. I've had the best success with just using Tomorrow dry cow treatment and will often put desitin over it to help keep it on longer. I never try to wrap. But I don't have to treat daily. Once and done generally does it. A week or so later all is cleared up, scabs coming off and looking good. I've occasionally treated scratches twice.

If the horse is chronic, the immune system is the issue or the photo sensitivity often associated with red clover.

[Altamont Sport Horses]

I'm sorry, I do not pick "tight" scabs off. I only pull off the ones that are already coming off so that I can get the Chlorhexidine onto the skin underneath. The scabs that are holding on tight get saturated with Chlorhexidine.

[StrawberryFrosted]

I started him on a course of Tucoprim last night. I will keep him on the antibiotics for 7 days and I hope that will help.

My issue is keeping the area clean. The scratches are mostly low on the pastern...right above the coronary band. Most of them are on the back of the heel bulb.

The horse does go outside and even though it's drying up, he manages to find mud.

I can see not wetting the area at all if it's clean but I can only keep it clean if I wrap him.

For those of you who just wipe off the cream...is the horse inside and already clean? I'm assuming the horse is either wrapped or staying inside.
I can't imagine trying to wipe all the mud off as I think it would agrevate the scabs. If I didn't wrap him, I think I would have to hose off the mud.

[May the FORCE bwu]

My horse lives outside.....so he always gets a batch of scratches....my vet has this great remedy that he has made up - desitin, DMSO, furacin and dexamethasone powder....no matter how bad the scratches get - this ointment clears it up in three days......must clean area really well , then dry completely then put goop on.......it is awesome.......can use it under a wrap as well........

[pines4equines]

Maybe he is finding the mud because it feels cool and soothing to his scratches.

I had an older horse who got them one year very bad. Here's what I did: I'd wash the area with Ivory soap and then dry well. I actually got this horse use to me wrapping a towel around the back of the hoof and then I could swish back and forth with the towel as if I was shining a shoe. It got that area really dry. Then I liberally applied Gold Bond Powder. Our horses were stalled so she stayed in overnight with this on. Then turn out the next day to do again that night. Now I didn't wash it every night but I did splash on that powder every night. Kinda of expensive and as the scratches healed, I then used plain old baby powder...

I tried the diaper rash stuff but it was too gooey and trapped too much moisture in...

[Christine (Fgs)]

Isles paste.. -- Just put lots on his heels in the morning (thick) then remove any of the soft scabs which want off and then put another thick layer..

I've done the hydrocortizone and all that ... it generally isn't effective.

isles paste (baby bum cream) is thick and doesn't allow moisture in.. takes about 3-4 days.. try it..

[brightwhitestockings]

My horse lives outside.....so he always gets a batch of scratches....my vet has this great remedy that he has made up - desitin, DMSO, furacin and dexamethasone powder....no matter how bad the scratches get - this ointment clears it up in three days......must clean area really well , then dry completely then put goop on.......it is awesome.......can use it under a wrap as well........

i've used a very similar cocktail with really good results!

[Angela Freda]

My former vet said absolutely get the scabs off to let air at the infecting whatever.
I like to use a sauerkraut wrap- drain sauerkraut, and put the pulp on the area, wrap with plastic, then wraps, and leave on 24h.
When you take the wraps off the scabs will drop right off... then treat. It gives you a head start.

[pines4equines]

Sauerkraut!!! Cool!

[pinkdiamondracing]

I have a horse who has two white front feet, hence every spring he gets chronic scratches, to the point that last year my farrier refused to trim his feet for fear of irritating them, they were into his coronet bands really bad.

I put him on a five day round of Gentocin antibiotics given once daily IV.

The scratches disappeared, no rubbing, no scrubbing!!!!!! :eek::eek::yes::yes:
This horse was in ankle deep mud, and they did not return!!! :winkgrin:


No more will I rub and scrub scratches, I have tried that method, and it seems to be a losing battle.:confused::confused:

[Angela Freda]

Sauerkraut!!! Cool!
And yummy!

I did this recently for my gelding... his ankles were low that week- who knew you could get wrinkles on the backs of the ankle when fetlocks sink?... anyway....
So I open the can, and one of the workers is like 'are you going to feed that to him'
HA! I was lucky to get it ON him, let alone IN him!

[Mrs. Cowboy]

The Equine Elite brand of horse products treated my boy's scratches very well. Since I had him going out to hunt, I first washed gently with body wash mixed with water, and thenafter the feet dried, I sprayed the inflamed area with blue spray. Two days later, his feet are white again, instead of pink.

I've found the Equine Elite products to be fast-acting, gentle and very soothing. And yes I've tried them on my own burns and scrapes, to be sure I wasn't applying something that would hurt the horses. www.equineelite.com They ship products the same day, so I generally have my order in hand within 36 hours of ordering.

[used2]

Has anyone tried Keratex Mud Shield Powder to prevent scratches? I used it for the first time this weekend after trimming legs (show time!) on a horse prone to scratches in the past. Thought I'd risk the $15.00 on the front end to see if it helps. He suffered through a couple weeks last spring before we got it under control.

[StrawberryFrosted]

I did buy the Mud Shield Powder too.....to use AFTER I get rid of the scratches.
Would welcome feedback from anyone who has used it!

[cute_lil_fancy_pants_pony]

Shapley's MTG (mane, tail, groom). Someone recommended this to me for my horse and I didn't believe them, I was all about the desitin and the cortisone etc... but I tried it and it was amazing, within a few days the scratches were GONE! I would just pour it on, and it is oily so the scabs would slowly dissolve and the skin irritation went away. I would give it a try, as soon as I see any hint of scratches just one application will make them go away. Also works good for itchy tails.

[Icecapade]

haven't dealt with this in a while but used to do fierce battle with my stallion on it...

we did EVERYTHING. bastard was in love with being treated I think

But I was suprised no one had mentioned the krout route- felt like I was a freak for knowing that. lol

we used that with moderate success, it did the job or removing junk, tended to eat dead flesh away which has left him with heels that aren't all gonkied up. But let me tell you that is a food i will never. EVER eat. two days of that crap in a bag w/ duct tape in california heat. Helllz no.

no no no. but it got the heels nice and pretty shiny squeaky clean!

[JB]

But let me tell you that is a food i will never. EVER eat. two days of that crap in a bag w/ duct tape in california heat. Helllz no.


:lol::lol::lol:

FWIW, I did the kraut treatment too, and it didn't do squat except make a mess when I undid the wrap.

[Angela Freda]

:lol::lol::lol:

FWIW, I did the kraut treatment too, and it didn't do squat except make a mess when I undid the wrap.
Did you use saran?
Weird.