Help with rain rot . or some kind of skin issue

[PaddockWood]

Sparse pasture tells me he would benefit from Vitamin E. You could order Elevate in powder form and feed several grams a day for a month or so and get his skin headed in the right direction. Then move back to 1 or 2 gms/day. Better yet - Elevate’s liquid E would get in his system even sooner.

My 28 yo Cushings guy barely gets groomed and looks great. I test my hay and balance minerals and also give 4 oz flax/day in addition to 2gms Vitamin E daily. And feed loose salt. 2 TBLS /day.

I still say easy improvement is the Microtek Spray and no more currying. He’s probably sore. And make sure to keep him dry until you get him healing. No rain or moisture - use a rain sheet.

That’s what I would do.

[SuzieQNutter]

It can be caused by a horse being hot and wet. This includes sweating under a rug. Or a horse with a long thick mane can get it on their neck.

[Scribbler]

It’s not so much that hot and wet causes it but rather the microorganisms that cause it have a good environment on a horse that is hot, wet, and has a predisposition, such as a lowered immune system.

[Red_Barn]

@PaddockWood

. . . no more currying. He’s probably sore.

I agree.

[SmlHpy1]

I had his vitamin E levels tested in July. They were above range. I’m not opposed to giving him some, but he’s not deficient according to the blood test.

[PaddockWood]

That is good to know. Sounds like you don’t need it then.

[SmlHpy1]

Vet looked at it. She said rain rot. She gave a dose of antibiotics - exceed? He’s going to get a lot of baths and she’s sending me a shampoo with a steroid in it.

[JB]

@SmlHpy1

I think this is caused from lack of currying.

Doubtful I mean, it’s possible that was the final straw, but it definitely isn’t the actual cause.

@Scribbler

In general usage horse owners call any skin infection on the back rain rot, like we call the same symptoms on the lower legs scratches.

I agree, that’s what’s often done, but you know as well as I do that lots of people use terms incorrectly just because it looks similar

@StormyDay

I worded that somewhat poorly. What I mean is that there’s no specific bacteria or fungus that has been identified that causes it.

Yes, it has been known for a good while what causes rain rot:

This is from 2014 and it wasn’t new then

A bacterial organism known as dermatophilus congolensis , which thrives in high moisture conditions, causes rain rot.
Rain rot in horses - MSU Extension

If you’ve got horses, whether 1 or multiple, who get rain rot on a regular schedule, I would be investigating the diet. It’s amazing how many horses “magically” stop having problems once there’s enough copper and zinc in the diet, occasionally it’s Vit E or A that’s needed.

[JB]

@SmlHpy1

I had his vitamin E levels tested in July. They were above range. I’m not opposed to giving him some, but he’s not deficient according to the blood test.

You definitely don’t want to supplement (more) if he’s above high, unless maybe he’s a true endurance horse and you’re still competing.

[PaddockWood]

Yes. Don’t want sweating or moist under a blanket. Good to point that out.

[SmlHpy1]

The vet did tell me to add some vitamin E back in. I’ll do that and test again in a few months.

[JB]

@SmlHpy1

The vet did tell me to add some vitamin E back in.

If he’s already outside the high normal, what was her reasoning for adding more?

[SmlHpy1]

Skin issues.
I’m not sure how high is too high, so I’ll retest again early in the year when we test cushings levels.

[PaddockWood]

The vitamin E thing is interesting. I have my mare on Elevate because she barely gets pasture and her level was near the bottom of acceptable. So valuable to do those tests and know.

[stargzng386]

How would it cause sweating? My horse gets elevate 1000 IU and he sweats more than any horse at the barn.

[JB]

@PaddockWood

I have my mare on Elevate because she barely gets pasture and her level was near the bottom of acceptable.

Maintenance, or W.S. (water-soluble)? If you find her re-test doesn’t show much improvement and you’re using Maintenance, then I would switch to a water-soluble form, but would use the significantly cheaper Emcelle instead of the Elevate W.S.

[eightpondfarm]

I use Micro Tek spray for rain rot. This year no one had anything… I had a gelding that used to get yuck every Spring. https://www.chewy.com/eqyss-grooming-products-micro-tek/dp/133861?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=EQyss%20Grooming%20Products&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXLnOlz2Zla8AxLhf55c4XQNsoaRK51KaAQmHBM3dduUVjyEPSLJTMBoCyrMQAvD_BwE

[StormyDay]

@JB

@SmlHpy1

I think this is caused from lack of currying.

Doubtful I mean, it’s possible that was the final straw, but it definitely isn’t the actual cause.

@Scribbler

In general usage horse owners call any skin infection on the back rain rot, like we call the same symptoms on the lower legs scratches.

I agree, that’s what’s often done, but you know as well as I do that lots of people use terms incorrectly just because it looks similar

@StormyDay

I worded that somewhat poorly. What I mean is that there’s no specific bacteria or fungus that has been identified that causes it.

Yes, it has been known for a good while what causes rain rot:

This is from 2014 and it wasn’t new then

A bacterial organism known as dermatophilus congolensis , which thrives in high moisture conditions, causes rain rot.
Rain rot in horses - MSU Extension

If you’ve got horses, whether 1 or multiple, who get rain rot on a regular schedule, I would be investigating the diet. It’s amazing how many horses “magically” stop having problems once there’s enough copper and zinc in the diet, occasionally it’s Vit E or A that’s needed.

Hmm, well they still will culture rain rot to see what the cause is. Especially in bad cases. And it’s called rain rot by my vet…

One gets rain rot when it’s too humid in the summer, so not diet related. The other gets it seasonally, and his diet is just supplemented with copper, zinc, and vitamin E already.
But thank you for your concern

[PaddockWood]

We were talking using a rain sheet to keep the skin dry until healed. Not about Vitamin E.

[SuzieQNutter]

@stargzng386

How would it cause sweating? My horse gets elevate 1000 IU and he sweats more than any horse at the barn.

It was me who mentioned sweating. Sweating does not cause it. But if the sweat is under a blanket it is keeping the area moist which you don’t want.

Sweat is supposed to leave the body which cools the horse.