Crusty yellow scabs on belly

[FrittSkritt]

Hey all-
For the past few weeks, I've been picking off yucky little yellow crusties off my gelding's belly. He has a scar running almost the full length from colic surgery a few years ago, so there's not much hair along that line. Anyway, I've tried multiple treatments -- first Gnatural cream, then roll-on repellent, etc. - no luck. He also had some under his jaw until I dabbed some spot-on pyrethrin there and they pretty much went away, so I did the same along his belly. So far it seems to have worked, but there are still a few crusties the show up every day.

Are the scabs from gnats, or something else? I originally thought ticks, but am not quite sure. What can I do to prevent them from coming back entirely?

[ChocoMare]

Read through the majority of This Thread (http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=155469)

Very enlightening ;)

[veebug22]

Usually it's either bugs (a fly sheet with a belly guard *might* help), in which case I slather the area with whatever wound ointment I have that also repels bugs, OR it's a gelding and he's peeing on himself and turning himself raw. If it's a gelding, watch next time he pees. Is he coming out of his sheath, or just staying in and spraying himself? If that's the case, he probably needs his sheath cleaned. Some slathering of the same wound treatment ointment/fly repellant would also help it to heal.

[FrittSkritt]

Definitely not peeing on himself, I'm pretty sure it's bugs or some other type of vermin.

[Janet]

When was he last wormed with Ivermectin?

[FrittSkritt]

April 20th.

[Donkey]

Sounds like sweet itch to me. Try appying swat along the scar to see if a lack of bugs = a lack of crusties. I find I need to use a coating fly repellent as a spray doesn't keep the gnats off for long enough.

[betsyk]

Yellow crusty stuff = the serum that oozes after a tick has dropped off. Check up under his mane and along his tail. There's probably some sort of fly spray that helps with ticks but I haven't found it yet. Some Swat on the open sores will help keep flies from adding insult to injury.

[MunchkinsMom]

If it is along the midline, most likely gnat bites.

I use a mixture of even portions of Swat, Vet's Dream Cream, and Cortaid Ointment, mix well and apply liberally.

The Swat helps repel the gnats, the Cortaid helps with itching and swelling, and the Vet's cream helps with the healing.

[FrittSkritt]

BetsyK - that's what I thought, but it seems like new ones crop up every day (e.g., too frequently for a tick to attach without me noticing). I'd hate to think it's Onchocerciasis, especially since he had some dermatitis issues on his back/rump after hives that turned into rainrot. (Nothing on his mane or tail, though.) We have a show this weekend so I wouldn't double dose him with Equimax until after it's over.

Edited to add: The scabs themselves are usually on top of a pea sized lump... being the itchy fingered horse owner I am, I keep picking them off -- should I leave them on and just add Swat/etc.?

[GallopingGrape]

BetsyK and others... Bug Block kills ticks. As soon as they crawl on, they die.

[jen-s]

My gelding's belly is awful! I clean, scrub, medicate, anti-bug and it just keeps getting worse. I'll link to pics on my facebook which should be viewable to everyone. In case you can't open them, here's the text that I wrote to go along with my album:

So, Gus has amber-colored crud on his belly. It's doesn't seem to bother him too much, but it's revolting! What I'm finding online is that either this is from him being a sloppy pee-er (possible) or worms that aren't being killed during worming. Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas? Last two wormings were with Quest Plus, most recent was about 10 days ago. This has really gotten worse in the last week. His sheath was cleaned in early March-ish when the vet was out for spring shots. I've done it twice since then (without getting the bean as he won't drop and I'm still getting him used to being touched there without drugs) and both times were revoltingly awful. He is peeing in fits and starts/spurts, so I have every reason to think he's got a bean or two, but that's a work in progress that I hope to continue to work on in the next few weeks. Other thoughts/ideas? Swat, anti-fungal shampoo, fly sprays don't seem to help.

link to album:
http://www.facebook.com/editphoto.php?aid=275162#/album.php?aid=275162&id=789305028

TIA for any help. Thanks FrittSkritt for starting this thread before I could. I'm so glad we aren't the only ones!

[jen-s]

That Gus has had chronic rain rot on his hind cannon bone area for the year that I've been riding him and an occasional spot at the top of his tail. Also, has recently developed a fungus-y spot on his face (near the inside corner of his right eye, about the size of 2 nickels side by side) that he gets every summer according to his owner (I'm just leasing). Both are treated with anti-fungal shampoo and have seen little to no improvement. Could this all be linked?

Sorry if I've hijacked too much, but I'm hoping if we can help one equine, we can help them all.

[ladipus]

Hey all-
For the past few weeks, I've been picking off yucky little yellow crusties off my gelding's belly. He has a scar running almost the full length from colic surgery a few years ago, so there's not much hair along that line. Anyway, I've tried multiple treatments -- first Gnatural cream, then roll-on repellent, etc. - no luck. He also had some under his jaw until I dabbed some spot-on pyrethrin there and they pretty much went away, so I did the same along his belly. So far it seems to have worked, but there are still a few crusties the show up every day.

Are the scabs from gnats, or something else? I originally thought ticks, but am not quite sure. What can I do to prevent them from coming back entirely?


Sounds like an irritation from bugs and/or parasites or a possible irritation from fly spray...i highly recommend using MTG-slather that on generously all over the belly,crusties/scabs-its for almost all skin conditions-from rain rot,fungus,sweet itch,bug/insect bites etc etc-smells awful,and is greasy,but it clears up anything...and you could also do a double dosing of Equimax(ivermectin/praziquantel) for clearing up the possibility of adult onchocherra(sp?)...there's a bunch of threads on that here which is caused by a parasite that affects the horses ventral midline,chest,neck,mane etc and makes them extremely itchy as well.

[jen-s]

Thanks ladipus. I'll pick up some MTG this weekend. I've heard it's fabulous but never tried it as my local tack shop doesn't carry it. But I'll check around at the other local stores.

[FrittSkritt]

M-T-G is wonderful stuff -- granted, it smells kind like rancid hot dogs... but it works!

Jen-s: that hind cannon bone rainrot might actually not be rainrot -- my old horse used to get it every year, I forget what it's called... anyway, try use some Ly-Tar shampoo (or use half regular tar/dandruff shampoo from the pet section and half salicylic acid acne cleanser, e.g. neutrogena wash or the generic equivalent) - scrub and rinse. :)

[jen-s]

M-T-G is wonderful stuff -- granted, it smells kind like rancid hot dogs... but it works!

Jen-s: that hind cannon bone rainrot might actually not be rainrot -- my old horse used to get it every year, I forget what it's called... anyway, try use some Ly-Tar shampoo (or use half regular tar/dandruff shampoo from the pet section and half salicylic acid acne cleanser, e.g. neutrogena wash or the generic equivalent) - scrub and rinse. :)

Scrub, rinse and dry or just scrub and rinse? And you may very well be onto something by saying that it might not be rainrot as it just won't clear with regular rainrot treatments. I did hear from an old cowboy type that the best thing for dermatitis is apple cider vinegar. Gave it a brief try and it seemed to help some, but Gus objected mightily to the smell. I'm afraid I might have that problem with MTG. He doesn't even like the smell of peppermints! What a fussy, silly boy.