Aural Plaque - What are they and is there a cure?

[16_Hands]

My new guy, Spud, has what I think are aural plaque. I was looking inside his ear yesterday and saw these little white patches that were like scabs as they were crusty and seemed to be quite tender when I poked at them gently. I’ve never had to deal with this before and don’t know if there is a cure or if they’re just one of those things that are cosmetic. I do plan to show him at some point but the only ear clipping I do is just the extraneous stuff so no chance of me hitting one with the clippers. Any information is appreciated.

Also, I placed a bin outside his paddock with hay and the barn turnout person is tossing hay for him in the morning. So we’re on the right track.

Thanks!

[2DogsFarm]

Here’s what Merck’s Vet Manual says:

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/eye-and-ear/diseases-of-the-pinna/equine-aural-plaques

Bottom Line: not much you can do to “cure” them. Try a flymask with ears.

Sorry, did you post something else about hay?
If not, I don’t get the connection between hay outside & aural plaques…

[16_Hands]

Thanks for the link. Yes, I had another thread on here about my horse being turned out before being able to eat his breakfast hay and then not having anything to eat all day until I brought him in in the late afternoon.

[jawa]

I had a horse with aural plaques a while ago. He presented as being sensitive to bridle. Keeping him in a fly mask with ears during bug season was helpful in keeping them from being overly sensitive. In order to bridle him without having to touch his sensitive ears, we undid the cheek piece on his bridle, slipped the crown piece over his ears, placed the bit in his mouth and then re buckled the cheek piece.

[16_Hands]

He’s okay to bridle and doesn’t mind me brushing around his ears or even handling his ears but is sensitive when they are touched. I think the fly mask with ears is the way to go to keep him comfortable.

[ToTheNines]

Dermafas

[AKB]

https://thehorse.com/18046/could-a-cream-eliminate-equine-aural-plaques/. Imiquimod works.

[Training_Cupid]

My horse has them, I don’t really do anything about it. He is not sensitive in that area.

[lifeishorsesarelove]

@AKB

https://thehorse.com/18046/could-a-cream-eliminate-equine-aural-plaques/. Imiquimod works.

This is really good to know. My 6yo mare has them, they’re ugly and I do think they bother her. I will ask my vet about this at spring shots time.

[2DogsFarm]

@AKB

https://thehorse.com/18046/could-a-cream-eliminate-equine-aural-plaques/. Imiquimod works.

Yes - but according to Merck it has some drawbacks - from the link I posted:

“A recent, open-label pilot study showed that imiquimod cream is effective in the treatment of aural plaques; however, the severe inflammation induced by the drug makes this treatment difficult to use, with most horses requiring sedation.”

[AKB]

Imiquimod cream is potent stuff. I used imiquimod on my horse’s facial sarcoid. Cleaning the area before applying the imiquimod cream was painful for him. The sarcoid got very swollen and crusted, before developing a big crater. It was ugly. My Irish Draught was unhappy about my touching the inflamed sarcoid but did let me do it. I only had to apply the cream 6 times over a 2 week time period before the sarcoid was gone. I imagine the aural plaques will get similarly inflamed. The treatment was unpleasant but pwas worth it.

[merrygoround]

IME I found that if I simply used a fly mask with ears, & faithfully fly-sprayed the plaques disappeared on their own.

[walkinthewalk]

OP, you commented the horse is new to you ----- one of my horses had aural,plaques when I first brought him home but they disappeared over several months.

He was well cared for by the Seller so I thought it may have had to do with a change in diet, including coming to a bigger and healthier pasture. He was eleven when I bought him so being young didn’t have any influence.