Help me with Scratches!!!!!

[Samotis]

My 2 year old came back from the trainers with a small bout of scratches on his two hind legs below the ankles. (Both white)

When I scrubbed and cleaned them they seemed to get worse and when he went to a horse show they got really bad (may have been the different shaving or dirt not sure)

So he is home now and I just can’t get them to go away!!!

He is healthy, on a great diet, and never had scratches before.

I have tried the furazone/desitin mix, and cleaning it with betadine and letting dry, tried wrapping, tried the blue spray that everyone swears by ( the fancy bleach concoction in a gel form) but nothing seems to work.

While the scratches and scabs are pretty bad, he has never had any lameness or swelling.

Is it time to get the vet involved and get some kind of prescription cream?

Or does anyone have a cream that has worked?

Of course we just had 6 inches of rain which has never happened in the history of Arizona, so he is currently in a muddy condition.

[GrayCatFarm]

mix triple antibiotic and cortizone-10 and lotrimin antifungal cream in equal amounts. Slather on daily. Also, get some of the Keratex Mud Shield powder and apply periodically once the scratches are gone.

[Samotis]

I did try the cortisone, anti fungal and antibiotic, didn’t seem to help.

How long do I need to keep trying one thing to see if it works?

Also does wrapping help or hurt?

And do I have to shampoo and clean every other day or a couple times a week so I don’t bother the healing under the scabs too much?

[Samotis]

I did actually get this cream that is pine oil and sulfur that did wonders on my dogs hot spots.

It does say it is great for skin conditions.

Anyone tried it?

It’s called Nu-stock

[Lori_T]

It won’t help you now, but Hilton Herbs is introducing a new product for scratches next month, called Mud Defender. They trialed it for the past year and the results were very positive.

[ryansgirl]

Chlorhexidine. Soak cotton balls with it then soak the scratches/scabs. Make sure you get in between them too. Apply at least in the morning and night. This was the only thing that ever cleared up my old TB’s scratches. He had one white sock and that was the only leg affected - Chlorhexidine is my go-to product for any skin issue.

[Sansena]

stop washing it. Use whatever ointment you’ve decided to use twice daily for a week before you decide it’s not working.

Frankly, at this point, I’d ring the vet because it sounds as if you’re using something a few times, washing it too much, and now you have mud to boot. So who knows what complications are present.

[Countrywood]

call the vet, they have more powerful solutions to address the bacteria. do not scrub it, just blot it dry, call vet today, get the right treatment and keep area clean maybe Vaseline at this point to keep a barrier of moisture out. hose of mud, blot dry, apply any salve then vaseline over it.

[Laurierace]

Get the vet involved to make sure it isn’t actually photosensitivity.

[JB]

@Sansena;7757290

stop washing it. Use whatever ointment you’ve decided to use twice daily for a week before you decide it’s not working.

:yes:

Desitin (40% zinc oxide, not 10), cortisone cream, neosporin, all generic is fine, some like to add in some Safeguard dewormer. Mix well, slather on liberally twice a day, wipe off only - do not wash. Give it 7-10 days before deciding it’s working or not. For scabs that have taken a really good hold, it can take a while before they start letting go.

The desitin/zinc will keep all moisture off the area as well as make it all soft and feel good. The cortisone will help inflammation. The neosporin will help bacterial stuff. Some feel the dewormer can help if there is any parasite activity. I’m on the fence about that, but stranger things have been true

[ToTheNines]

Here is what works for my white legged horse. Similar to JB, but with Rx for dex liquid and Silvadine. This concoction is my wonderful vet clinic’s.

Get some injectable dex from your vet. Mix in with Desitin and Silvadine. I think I use about 8 cc Dex for about half tube each of the two creams. Slather on and wrap with polo… You want to soften the scabs with the cream. No water, no scrubbing. In 12 hours or so, unwrap and start seeing if you can work off scabs. Re-apply cream mix, re-wrap, repeat. Keep wrapped until scabs off, scratches gone.

[joiedevie99]

I prefer to get Otomax cream from the vet.

[Chester_Step]

What works best for me is washing the legs, dry them completely, then apply Gentocin spray that you can get from your vet. The legs have to be dry to get rid of the scratches.

[Showbizz]

I never wash. I use a similar concoction of cream as above posters and I do wrap. I think the wrapping helps keep the site protected, clean, dry, and keeps the scabs soft.

[Marla_100]

I have one that’s had bad scratches several times and all the formula’s suggested above helped but did not clear it up. Another COTHer suggested grinding up SMZ pills and make a paste w/ triple-anti-biotic cream and apply a couple times a day. Within 2 days the areas cleared up completely.

[NorCalDressage]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;7757396]
Get the vet involved to make sure it isn’t actually photosensitivity.[/QUOTE]

Agree with ruling out photosensitivity issues. Having dealt with photosensitive vasculitis a couple of times, it presents similar to “scratches” but gets more and more pissed off the more you mess with it and doesn’t respond to typical treatment. Or gets better for a couple of days and then blows up again.

[Samotis]

What is photo sensitivity?

I am pretty sure it is scratches. The place I had him at sprayed him off and put him always wet so that certainly can cause scratches.

I am going to stop washing and just keep the cream on and give it a week to see. If there is no improvement then I will get the vet out to get me a prescription for something she recommends.

Thanks for all the ideas/tips

[mswillie]

I’ve had great results with Desitin. Use it liberally and often. Do not scrub the area.

[Lilly]

[QUOTE=mswillie;7758653]
I’ve had great results with Desitin. Use it liberally and often. Do not scrub the area.[/QUOTE]

Me too. Works like a charm.

[seabreeze]

[QUOTE=mswillie;7758653]
I’ve had great results with Desitin. Use it liberally and often. Do not scrub the area.[/QUOTE]

Me three. Exactly this.