Bumps on the Back

[sorrelfilly721]

I’m so frustrated right now. I had to move my horses suddenly because the property I was keeping them on was foreclosed on and sold at auction (all without my prior knowledge). It was super stressful as I had to move buildings and steel panels, hay, tack, and horses or risk losing them. A friend offered me space on her property and I took the horses there. I didn’t ride the first three days because I was setting up pens. The fourth day I rode and two days later my riding horse had about 7 bumps on her back all under where the saddle pad was. The pad was clean and I have not changed detergents in years. I had already scheduled a local vet to come out (the only one who will come) and look at bumps on my weanling’s chest. I just adopted her from a wild herd, so I didn’t know if she came with the bumps or got them after. When the vet arrived, I had her look at the 7yo as well. She was unsure what the bumps were and prescribed SMZ’s for both horses along with a medicated shampoo.

That night, I did something I never do - I left the gate between the pens open. The weanling ate an enormous amount of SMZ’s and nearly died. I managed to get her through it thank God and decided to stop the SMZ for her. I read an article saying bumps confined to the chest could be allergy, so I gave her a small dose of Zyrtec. Bumps gone the next day. Meanwhile…

7yo mare has MORE bumps. Since I am highly allergic to sulfa, I started looking online and found that horses can be too. And it can manifest as bumps on the back. All bumps are confined to her back and flank. I called a vet hospital two hrs away and told them I had a local vet see her, but that vet is new and for further diagnostics, I would like to have her seen by someone with more experience. I gave them the whole history including medicated shampoo. I sent them a pic and they texted me back and told me to wash her with another medicated shampoo. I don’t think they heard a word I said. I decided to take her off the SMZ’s and give her Zyrtec as well. She is getting the max dose for her size, but the bumps do not appear to be going away. They changed from hive like to having a thick lesion (not exactly a scab) that can be picked away and they are a bit smaller. The skin underneath is irritated and super sensitive. I texted the local young vet again and she said just put medicated shampoo on her (which I will), but I am at the end of my rope. At this point, I don’t feel I can trust either one to do diagnostics.

Anyone experience anything like this?

[trubandloki]

@sorrelfilly721

I’m so frustrated right now. I had to move my horses suddenly because the property I was keeping them on was foreclosed on and sold at auction (all without my prior knowledge). It was super stressful as I had to move buildings and steel panels, hay, tack, and horses or risk losing them. A friend offered me space on her property and I took the horses there. I didn’t ride the first three days because I was setting up pens. The fourth day I rode and two days later my riding horse had about 7 bumps on her back all under where the saddle pad was. The pad was clean and I have not changed detergents in years. I had already scheduled a local vet to come out (the only one who will come) and look at bumps on my weanling’s chest. I just adopted her from a wild herd, so I didn’t know if she came with the bumps or got them after. When the vet arrived, I had her look at the 7yo as well. She was unsure what the bumps were and prescribed SMZ’s for both horses along with a medicated shampoo.

That night, I did something I never do - I left the gate between the pens open. The weanling ate an enormous amount of SMZ’s and nearly died. I managed to get her through it thank God and decided to stop the SMZ for her. I read an article saying bumps confined to the chest could be allergy, so I gave her a small dose of Zyrtec. Bumps gone the next day. Meanwhile…

7yo mare has MORE bumps. Since I am highly allergic to sulfa, I started looking online and found that horses can be too. And it can manifest as bumps on the back. All bumps are confined to her back and flank. I called a vet hospital two hrs away and told them I had a local vet see her, but that vet is new and for further diagnostics, I would like to have her seen by someone with more experience. I gave them the whole history including medicated shampoo. I sent them a pic and they texted me back and told me to wash her with another medicated shampoo. I don’t think they heard a word I said. I decided to take her off the SMZ’s and give her Zyrtec as well. She is getting the max dose for her size, but the bumps do not appear to be going away. They changed from hive like to having a thick lesion (not exactly a scab) that can be picked away and they are a bit smaller. The skin underneath is irritated and super sensitive. I texted the local young vet again and she said just put medicated shampoo on her (which I will), but I am at the end of my rope. At this point, I don’t feel I can trust either one to do diagnostics.

Anyone experience anything like this?

If I have the timeline right, the 7yo mare had bumps on her back before you ever put her on SMZs so the likeliness of them being from the SMZs seems like a strange leap to make.

At this point I would guess more likely rain rot from the stress of everything.

[sorrelfilly721]

You are correct. I don’t think the original bumps were from the SMZ, but she got about 50 more after taking the SMZ for 2 days.

Do you think she could get rain rot even though there’s no moisture? I live in the desert. Never had a horse with rain rot.

I forgot to add that I can’t get a shelter built until Christmas, so they are out in the wind and dust.

AND, she never had allergies in her life until I moved her to the last place where her salivary glands would swell if she was out in the dry lot pasture.

[sorrelfilly721]

Here’s a pic of the bumps. Sort of hard to see.

[trubandloki]

Rain rot does not require rain.

Rain rot in horses

[endlessclimb]

I have always heard of these described as “heat bumps” but it’s not the technical term I’m sure. Has something to do with a hair follicle getting inflamed and is nearly always underneath a piece of tack.

Maybe?

Unfortunately, outside of injecting them individually with steroids, they go away on their own timeframe.

[sorrelfilly721]

Interesting - sounds like it tracks with her. This article says it lives in the soil, but doesn’t say if there’s a way to eliminate it from the soil.

Edit that to say, another article says it cannot be removed from the soil. UGH.

[sorrelfilly721]

Finally got hold of the local vet. Asked her if she thought it could be rain rot. “Oh yeah, that’s what I thought it was”. Really? Why then did you tell me you didn’t know what it was??? She is prescribing Excede and continue with the medicated shampoo. I hope the heck this fixes her!