Rain Rot! Ugh!

[SCM1959]

My wonderful Rocky Road is shedding like crazy now that it is staying light out longer. Hooray! He gets so scruffy looking in the winter. I am usually able to keep him looking somewhat decent, but this year, we have had record amounts of rain. No sooner do I get him cleaned up than we have four-five straight days of rain, rain, rain. When I fed him tonight, I noticed he had shedded hair clumped up on his rump and as I brushed it away, I felt the bumps. Ugh!

He is out 24/7 which has certainly contributed to this.

I have done a search on rain rot, but find conflicting advice. It seems like most google searches bring up advice from manufacturers of various shampoos and sprays. Searching the forums brings up thousands of posts …

What does COTH advise? I need to help him with the sudden shedding, but am worried about irritating his skin with the shedding blade. It is still a bit too cold to do a clip … by March maybe, but not now.

I have never dealt with this before in the 12 years I have had him. What is the advice from COTH? It will be a dry day tomorrow with temps in the low sixties, so I can certainly bathe him, but what do I do about all that hair? How do I get it off without opening up scabs?

SCM1959

[PalmPony]

I’ve had good luck with MTG, especially if you still have raining/damp weather. Just dont use it with any iodine based products like medicated shampoo/etc because it can have a reaction and scald the skin.

[SCM1959]

@PalmPony

I’ve had good luck with MTG, especially if you still have raining/damp weather. Just dont use it with any iodine based products like medicated shampoo/etc because it can have a reaction and scald the skin.

So should I groom him and try to get the excess hair off first? Is MTG the stuff that smells like bacon? Sort of greasy?

SCM1959

[PalmPony]

@SCM1959

So should I groom him and try to get the excess hair off first? Is MTG the stuff that smells like bacon? Sort of greasy?

SCM1959

I usually put the mtg on and let it soften the scabs for a day or so then groom. With mild cases, it usually just kind of falls off while currying. Just keep at it, re-apply as needed and try to keep them dry if possible. Yep, it is stinky- I use gloves; it has stained more than one pair of breeches:(

if you arent a fan of the mtg, I also like the equus products, specifically their medicated shampoo andleave on gel. Just avoid using WITH mtg because the equus does have iodine I believe.

[scruffy_the_cat]

Tomorrow mastitis treatment. My guy had rain rot on his shoulder under his blanket. I squirted some on a gloved hand and then worked it into his coat- 2 days later, rain rot is gone. It’s a fabulous thrush treatment, too.

[Catsnur]

My only issue with MTG is that it smells terrible and the smell and greasy feeling stay on you and your horse for a few days. Surprisingly, I found Listerine diluted with water and some good currying to help.

[Wanderosa]

@scruffy the cat

Tomorrow mastitis treatment. My guy had rain rot on his shoulder under his blanket. I squirted some on a gloved hand and then worked it into his coat- 2 days later, rain rot is gone. It’s a fabulous thrush treatment, too.

I’m sitting here wracking my brain trying to remember why I’ve bought Tomorrow. Then, reading comprehension! It was for a gnarly case of thrush with nascient abcess in a draft horse.

[Gardenhorse]

Everyone in my barn swears by MTG, but I prefer the Equiderma lotion. Works well and smells a lot better.

[mmeqcenter]

A vet tech gave me an amazing remedy - soak in baby oil to soften up and remove the scabs, wash off thoroughly with medicated shampoo, then treat/spray with 50/50 water/Listerine. Works like a charm.

[SCM1959]

Well, I have just come in from gently using a shedding blade to get the enormous clumps of hair off of Rocky. Then I used my dishwashing gloves to hand groom him, getting off a lot more. I had some of the Equyss shampoo for rain rot and skin conditions (when did I buy this?), so I did a saddle and rump and tail area gentle wash. That got off so much of the dirt and skirf (is that spelled correctly?). I towel dried him and gave him a thorough spraying with the Equyss skin spray. He looks so much better.

I was pleased that up close, on my stepstool, in the sunshine, that it doesn’t seem as horrible as it did yesterday. We will see.

We actually have a few days in a row (!!!) with no rain predicted and lots of sunshine, so I know that will be helpful for healing.

I had only a small bottle of Listerine and worried that it might sting, so I did not use that yet. I remember vaguely that Listerine is a fast remedy for dandruffy areas at the top of the tail (old Pony Club trick, I think).

SCM1959

[skipollo]

@mmeqcenter

A vet tech gave me an amazing remedy - soak in baby oil to soften up and remove the scabs, wash off thoroughly with medicated shampoo, then treat/spray with 50/50 water/Listerine. Works like a charm.

^^^^this. Just make sure you get the original brown Listerine, none of the blue minty ones.

I put it in a spray bottle not diluted and spray on the area after getting all of the crusties off. It works well and is super cheap. I didn’t have any problems with it stinging my horse.

I like Banixx too, but it’s more expensive.

[merrygoround]

For years I, and people in this barn, have used a very simple remedy. Spray on undiluted chlorhexadine solution. Leave it.Groom as usual when it dries.

When it rains it will soak down into the skin. Groom as usual. The undiluted solution can be repplied after several days. Do not pick scabs off.

If you want to go at it more ambitiously, make a paste of equal parts of desitin, chlorhexadine cream, add OTC htdrocortisone.cream. Rub in daily, do not pick scabs. It is messy but works too.

[Puzzled]

I agree with Gardenhorse. Equiderma Lotion works well for rain rot. Not very expensive and is safe for you and the horse. Also works great on cannon crud. No scrubbing. Just apply and then rinse next day/brush away. Soft on the skin and won’t irritate. Good luck.

[SLW]

Rain rot develops where it is dark and moist. Keep shedding out your guy and keep fingers crossed for some sunshine.

I use chlorhexadine shampoo on affected areas. I usually wash the area with chlorhexadine every other day for 3 days then wash twice the following week. In total that will be 5 treatments in the course of 2 weeks.

My hunt horse is trace clipped and she developed one spot of RR one side where the saddle flap makes contact. I clipped away a 2" square of hair to “open and daylight” the RR and treated it with chlorhexadine. It’s back to normal now.

​​​​​​Chlorhexadine is available as a solution and a shampoo. I prefer the shampoo version because of how I use it.

Good luck.

[IslandDQ]

I had success with the Equus product Micro Tek in spray and shampoo form when I bought my youngster she came out of a pasture setting and had some rain rot. It cleared up really quickly.