Have I found the miracle cure to scratches??

[BroncoMo]

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe just for this particular bout of scratches. But my white legged sensitive-skinned guy has had a thick, nasty area of scratches on a fetlock that is about 2 inches in diameter along with a couple smaller spots scattered throughout his hind legs. He developed them after having had his legs wrapped at a show, despite my attempts at keeping him clean. I tried the vinegar/DMSO/something-else-I-can’t-remember concoction that has worked before, with zero results this time. Dry Cow had stopped working on previous bouts.

I do understand that I am possibly fighting different bacteria/viruses each time so treatment may need to change each time. I was headed out of town for ten days but decided to liberally dab some vitamin E oil on the big spot before I left. I came back to find about 98% of the scabby crud (for a lack of a better term) was gone and new hair was pretty well grown in. There are a few small spotty scabs around the perimeter of where that particular cruddy spot was. But I am super impressed with how well it worked, and one treatment at that, on a particularly stubborn bout. It may not work for all but may also be worth a shot. :yes:

[walkinthewalk]

This is timely since my white legged horse is dealing a spot of Scratches for the first time in 3-4 years and it will not clear up. I was thinking yesterday, what can I try that I already haven’t.

I don’t have any liquid Vitamin E at home but I do have liquid Vitamin A that I occasionally put in the feed pan for sweet itch or rain rot. I might try the Vitamin A topically.

I have also read Neem oil can be good for Scratches but I would have to order it and my brain & checkbook are “ordered out” ATM.

[katyb]

I feed vitamin A. Works every time. 5 cc of the cattle injectable, top dressed on their feed once a week. 2-3 doses has worked on every horse I’ve had with any scratches/rain rot. Always fosters, as it’s a nutritional issue.

[BroncoMo]

Interesting about the Vitamin A. I’ve had luck in the past with simply adding E. He already gets beyond the NRC recommendation of Vitamin E (would have to crunch numbers on how bioavailable). But a few years ago I started adding a 8000 IU of synthetic and saw improvement in scratches and general skin quality. He got this bout of scratches despite being on additional E. So I tried a few of the topicals that have worked in the past with no luck. So I was happy to see that topically adding Vitamin E took care of it this time.

[walktrot]

My white-legged Paint hasn’t had scratches in a long time. I’m hooked on chlorhexidine instead of betadine scrub. You can get chlorhexidine scrub at the local pharmacy, Hibiclens is the brand name but the generic is usually called antiseptic skin cleanser. It’s a lotion so it is easier to use. I found a jar of a cream/ointment at the feed store. I used on his heels after an abscess blew out on his heel. I’ve also used it to clean out some thrush in the cleft. You can get down into the cracks and crevices with gauze squares and get some clean tissue. Then put Thrushbuster on it.

[Marla_100]

I’ve always believed that scratches and many other skin problems are a nutritional deficiency.

I’ve told this story so many times but it still rings true.

I boarded at a nice facility where it seems every single horse out of 40 or so, had some skin malady. My young 2 yr. old got a bad cases of scratches and also rain rot within a short period of time.
This barn would only feed Nutrena and no supplements even if you provided them.
We only stayed there 2 yrs and moved. That was 20 yrs. ago. Fast forward, this horse has never since had any skin problems,
nor has he ever been on a Nutrena feed since either. He’s been on 24/7 turnout for a dozen years even here in the Florida rainy season.

First thing I’d do w/ these maladies is change his feed source. And make sure it’s a quality balanced feed.

[lorilu]

I like the Equiderma “paste”. Seems to dry it out and protect the area.

[JB]

If you’re regularly dealing with scratches, the first thing to do is address likely dietary deficiencies and/or imbalances

I feel like a broken record on this :lol:

Most soil in the US is high in iron, which inherently means low in copper and zinc, either outright, or in relation to the iron.

When you don’t have enough usable copper or zinc in the body, you’re lowering the immune system. The immune system is important in preventing skin infections. Enough copper and zinc is also important for coat health (reducing sun bleaching) and hoof health

It’s cheap and easy to add copper and zinc. Even without a forage analysis there is a level of supplementation that will help at least some, in the majority of cases, and you can even increase beyond that to some extent.

Sometimes it’s about needing more Vit A. Or E Or Se. But plenty of horses on lots of fresh grass (so E and A are not the issue) get scratches, and for most of those, it’s a copper and zinc issue.

[BroncoMo]

Well this was supposed to be more of a PSA rather than needing ideas…

However, yes I agree with y’all that it is nutritionally related. For what it’s worth, this particular bout of scratches started when he was on TCS AND supplemented copper and zinc. Yes, Fe:Zn:Cu was balanced. I was not battling scratches until I wrapped his legs at a show. He hadn’t had a bad bout of scratches since the last time I wrapped his legs. I can use boots that are lined with neoprene with no issue.

Anyways, that all is aside from the fact that I topically added Vitamin E oil and the crap went away

[BroncoMo]

@walktrot

My white-legged Paint hasn’t had scratches in a long time. I’m hooked on chlorhexidine instead of biotin scrub. You can get chlorhexidine scrub at the local pharmacy, Hibiclens is the brand name but the generic is usually called antiseptic skin cleanser. It’s a lotion so it is easier to use. I found a jar of a cream/ointment at the feed store. I used on his heels after an abscess blew out on his heel. I’ve also used it to clean out some thrush in the cleft. You can get down into the cracks and crevices with gauze squares and get some clean tissue. Then put Thrushbuster on it.

Chlorhexedine scrub (actually any cleansing scrub) has done precisely squat for this horse :no:

[Lusoluv]

Funny…my horse had a case of scratches each summer for the last 3 years. She’s been on Uckele Poly Zinc and Copper since the first case. When I ran out late last summer I didn’t re-order it. Well, no scratches since. My experience isn’t a scientific study, but it didn’t do anything for my horse.

[BroncoMo]

@Lusoluv

Funny…my horse had a case of scratches each summer for the last 3 years. She’s been on Uckele Poly Zinc and Copper since the first case. When I ran out late last summer I didn’t re-order it. Well, no scratches since. My experience isn’t a scientific study, but it didn’t do anything for my horse.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some pretty significant improvements when I started feeding it. But it doesn’t change the fact that this horse gets scratches when his legs are wrapped with polos or standing wraps; ie prolonged heat, moisture, and pathogens. Yes his immune system may be on the weak side and allowing the bacteria/virus to take hold. But bottom line and the purpose behind this post is that I put vitamin E on it topically and it went away with one treatment. Just another thing to have in the arsenal that could be of use.

[walktrot]

Vit E is an anti-inflammatory and I’ve been feeding my gelding, now 26, natural vit e. for years. I started poking around online for topical uses and found this very interesting article on 10 uses for the oil:

https://www.insightfulequine.com/ten-ways-to-use-vitamin-e-oil-on-your-horse/

Chlorhexidine and Betadine both are surgical scrubs so they kill bacteria, fungi, and yeast. I was using Betadine scrub on a weird cut and my horse didn’t like it. I think it was stinging him. He’s been fine with the chlorhex. I got hooked on it because it kills so many organisms that populate cuts and skin problems. I did run it by the vet when she removed a cutaneous hemangiosarcoma and I used it to keep the wound clean.

I’ll get some of the E oil to add to the first aid bag.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and does wonders for skin issues so reading this does not surprise me. I have not heard of using topically though to treat scratches/leg funk.

I also have one who had a nasty spot of scratches the white area of a hind fetlock. Treated topically with dex/zinc oxide/antifungal cream and triple antibiotic mixture then doubled his copper/zinc.

No scratches this year.

[JB]

No doubt Vit E can be very soothing and healing to skin issues. No doubt.

From the article:
“By protecting your horse’s skin with oil you can give them defense against the irritation that comes with mud.”

There doesn’t have to be a speck of mud to develop scratches/mud fever/dew poisoning, or rain rot. It’s not even necessarily irritation from mud. All it takes is a small break in the skin, whatever the cause, for the organisms that live in the soil, to start the process.

[buck22]

@BroncoMo

Anyways, that all is aside from the fact that I topically added Vitamin E oil and the crap went away

I’ve always had great success with Vit E topically for broken skin/scabs/minor wounds, and I’m glad you’re sharing the news.

Even chewing the corner off of a liquid pill and squeezing out the contents works, though I buy a small jar of the honey-like liquid it at the local CVS for a couple of bucks. A little lasts a long time.

I’ve also had great success using jojoba oil on skin irritations/inflammations. Also inexpensive and effective. Jojoba oil is solid below 50° however, so have to keep it in your jacket pocket for 30 min in the winter.

[BroncoMo]

@buck22

I’ve always had great success with Vit E topically for broken skin/scabs/minor wounds, and I’m glad you’re sharing the news.

Even chewing the corner off of a liquid pill and squeezing out the contents works, though I buy a small jar of the honey-like liquid it at the local CVS for a couple of bucks. A little lasts a long time.

I’ve also had great success using jojoba oil on skin irritations/inflammations. Also inexpensive and effective. Jojoba oil is solid below 50° however, so have to keep it in your jacket pocket for 30 min in the winter.

I was reading a thread about someone squeezing the contents out of a capsule on to feed because a horse objected to the capsules found in his feed. So a light bulb went off and I ran to walmart to grab some capsules. On the vitamin aisle, I saw the little bottle of oil and I smacked my forehead because I had a bottle of it at home that I tried on a sunburn (jury is out on that one). I went ahead and bought one because who knows if I would actually be able to find the one at home. I may now add it to his leave-in tail conditioner since he swatted his tail to pieces over the summer. I’ll have to try on various minor ailments.

[BroncoMo]

@JB

No doubt Vit E can be very soothing and healing to skin issues. No doubt.

From the article:
“By protecting your horse’s skin with oil you can give them defense against the irritation that comes with mud.”

There doesn’t have to be a speck of mud to develop scratches/mud fever/dew poisoning, or rain rot. It’s not even necessarily irritation from mud. All it takes is a small break in the skin, whatever the cause, for the organisms that live in the soil, to start the process.

Yep I had a black legged yearling a while back who developed a minor case of scratches for a very short time one winter. I treated with dry cow and it cleared up quickly, and never came back. I chalked that one up to irritation from trampling around crusty snow and scratching the back of his cannon bones. This white legged one used to get it ALL the time until I addressed nutritional issues. The quality of his skin much improved over his early years, but every time I think I’m doing right by him in wrapping his legs, it blows up. Again, no mud there but perhaps some small void and a clearly irritating environment; dirt, sweat, and heat. I’m just super impressed with how the oil has worked for him. Figured the masses would do good to know

[Simkie]

I find anything greasy super helpful for this stuff. My go to is castor oil. Works great!

If you want, mix a little chlorhexidine in. Equiderma is mostly just mineral oil and chlorhexidine, after all.

[4horses]

If you trail ride there’s either an infestation of mites or chiggers at some of the state parks in Florida. Nasty things cause swollen oozy legs, scabs, and when you pick the scabs off you get raw spots. Permethrin concentrate is the only thing that works- dilute it and dip the legs before and after riding. The local vet thought it was scratches. All she recommended was the chlorhexidine wash. That obviously didn’t work.