dematiaceous fungus?

[missamandarose]

Posting for a friend who is at wits end trying to figure out what she can do for her mares...

Over the summer one of her mares developed what she thought were summer sores, and had the vet out when they didn't clear up as expected. A pathology was done and the vet found "dematiaceous type sp." and "coccoid bacteria". The areas have cleared up and flared up again on the original mare, but are now appearing on her second mare as well. These are the only two horses on her property currently, but she has had two others perviously and they did not have any issues (and it has been at least 1 yr since those boys were gone before she brought her two girls home)

Other buzz words, according to my friend, are "dematiaceious-like sp." and "septate fungal hyphae". I've googled and wiki'ed and Binged and can't find a lot... just that "dematiaceous" is any fungus with a dark pigment (or membrane or something... not at all a scientist!)

This fungus is evidently something that lives naturally in the soil (which she and the vet know), but what my friend is really after is something she can treat the SOIL with in her paddocks so the fungus is less prevailent, if such a thing even exists. Currently she is treating thusly:

TMZ 960mg (antibiotic) 10 tabs twice a day
Fluconozole 200mg 10 tabs once a day
topically with MTG, Wonderdust and Aluminum spray

Any help at all would be appreciated!!! Thanks!

[deltawave]

Fungi are ubiquitous in soil, and trying to eradicate fungus from the soil so it can't become a problem with a horse's skin is a little bit like draining the ocean so the basement in your beach house doesn't flood. :)

Far better IMO to focus on the horse and whatever skin, management, health, or other problems might be making the animals more vulnerable to infection with something that most animals don't have a problem handling.

[BuddyRoo]

I would be looking towards immune issues.

IE: These things are present everywhere. Horses typically are unaffected if their immune system is up to par.

Things that can suppress or compromise the immune system and/or skin health:

-metabolic disorders that increase cortisol levels--cushings, IR
-low grade systemic type infections
-poor nutrition: lack of vit A, E, and selenium
-underweight
-stress...ulcers, stressful environment
-use of corticosteroids like prednisone

I would look very carefully at the management of the horse nutritionally.

[Androcles]

I think those are fancy names for 'summer sore'. Has she tried topically applying ivermectin to the sores? That might be more economical than trying to apply it topically to the ground.

[BuddyRoo]

I personally would not add MTG to the mix...too many horses with bad reactions.

[starkissed]

I don't know what she could do about the soil. BUT What I do is I always bath my horses with a dermatitis shampoo- it's just a medicated low suds shampoo for pets. I get it by gallon from my vet and it's not expensive. After rides I don't give full baths but a add a cupful of shampoo to the bucket and just rinse their body and don't hose off. And for their legs- especially this time of year, I put a little soap on the sponge and scrub their legs and leave it on. Keeps the dermatitis away, which in our area always pops up this time of year.

[missamandarose]

Thanks for the ideas so far... clearly I don't know *exactly* what her medicating routine is, other than what she emailed me (she is in Melbourne, FL; I'm in ATL) and I C&Pd before.

I'll definitely send a link of this thread to her. The pathologist said he hasn't actually seen anything like this... so they are kind of at a loss. I suggested taking a soil sample to the county extension office just to see if they can shed any light.

Also... both mares are young (I think both are 4) and were adopted thru a rescue. Immune problems play a part, I'm sure, due to their "sketchy" past before coming to the rescue.