Ringworm? Tick related? Why is my horse oozing!

[CHT]

Background: Coming 6 year old mare, bought Nov 2021 with her (half) sister. Came from a quiet , closed herd. Very little handling. Both had no vaccinations, and then turned out to have ticks, so they have been in isolation (together), although it is a “soft” isolation in that I don’t change my clothes after handling them, and they are in the barn to be worked, just no direct contact with other horses. Ticks last spotted in January. Each mare had over 15 ticks each by end.

Brought Miss Annie in a week ago to ride, and she had a little oozy patch on her left flank. It was itchy and hair came off easily. I put an aloe cream on it. Two days later (monday), brought her in and it was bigger, and more spots had erupted. I already had the vet booked for Thursday to do teeth - he suggested it was fungal, so while she was still drugged I bathed her in Hibitaine and put her in a brand NEW blanket. Saturday it was still getting bigger and more and more spots of the same thing appeared. Covered them in antifunal cream. Today (Sunday) I let her roam blanketless in the arena while I rode her sister, and she itched away even more spots (which helped me find all the spots at least) and so I covered them all in more anti-fungal.

First picture is today. She has it on both sides, but worse on the left. Nothing on her neck, legs, chest, or head. Some spots on her belly, but mostly where the blanket sits. She has only worn new blankets. The spots seem to correspond with where the ticks were.

I would love to leave her naked for a bit, but it is too cold/windy. Ideas? Help? I plan to send the vet an updated picture.

[CHT]

Picture are: first picture = Today (Sunday), Second picture = a week ago (Sunday), third picture = 5 days ago (Tuesday), 4th picture = yesterday after I took off the soft scabby bits (Satuday)

[lenapesadie]

I’d want blood work done pronto. Maybe it’s something skin related, but the only thing I’ve seen personally that resembled your pictures was a mare that went septic (?) post unnoticed miscarriage of an unplanned/unknown pregnancy.

[wsmoak]

That does not look like ringworm to me. It’s usually dry and scaly.

(My yearling had a ringworm spot on his ear, so I have a passing familiarity with it in horses, albeit with a sample size of 1.)

[sascha]

I used to work with cattle and we had one infected area of the old barn where youngsters were housed. Before the youngsters were housed there, the dry cows hung out in that area. I have treated a LOT of ringworm on animals from a couple of months old to fully mature. What your horse has does not look like ringworm or any other fungal infection that I’ve seen.

I’d want a scraping done immediately, and/or blood pulled before it gets worse or turns out to be something devastating.

Good luck. Keep us updated!

[eightpondfarm]

You need to have a vet out. And if it’s that same vet you had before, get another one. This looks serious. Not superficial looking to me at all…

[secuono]

100% not ringworm. You need a vet, that’s a lot more serious.

[ZELLA]

What breeding is this horse? HERDA lines?

[adultponyhunter]

My pony has what looks to be the exact same thing going on.

All of his wounds, which looked very much like that, were self inflicted from rubbing and itching, biting at himself to scratch, etc.

He is out of control itchy.

I body clipped him, he’s on SMZ, Benadryl, Dex, many topical treatments. My vet has seen him and has involved Cornell dermatology. I treated him for body mites and it doesn’t seem to have been the answer. He is a gypsy pony - so tons of hair everywhere.

I do not have an answer yet. His wounds are healing well with no new ones emerging. He is still very itchy, especially as we’ve weaned down the dex. They are suggesting intradermal allergy testing, but he needs to be off all meds for that. We are in NY - so it is very much winter here.

Keep us updated - if anything evolves on my end I will update also.

[punchy]

Agree with others: vet, ASAP. It does not look fungal. It looks similar to a staph infection I saw once.

[CHT]

Yes! Very similar looking. I am quite convinced that the sores are in the spots that the ticks were previously, so I assume tick related.

Possibly an allergy to something ticks excrete?

The weather was very strange the weekend the first sore appeared: From above freezing (+6 C) to -20 C over night, so likely slightly over blanketed to under blanketed, although she was never sweaty. Possible that this is what Ringworm under a blanket looks like? But no idea how she would be exposed to ring worm.

Today only one new spot, and the existing spots aren’t getting bigger. Body clipping would probably be wise, or it could spread it so not sure…was this something you worried about @adultponyhunter ? I picked up two more tubes of antifungal cream as I vastly underestimated how much I would go through. I am concerned I am the one spreading it when I brush her.

The head vet is supposed to be hauling a horse here soon, so perhaps I can convince her to take a look while out. (her tech is going to be boarding here). We are very short of vets here, and I don’t want to stress her by hauling.

@ZELLA she is AQHA, but not Herda lines.

[4horses]

In this area there is a state park infested with ticks. The ticks you can find and pick off. The chiggers or mites are another story. You can’t see them and they cause swollen legs and oozing sores. It appears to be a hypersensitivity. Some horses react really badly. Others not at all. I can ride there but only if I soak the horse’s legs with permethrin before and after riding.

My vet had no clue and told me to treat with chlorhexidine because she thought it was bacterial.

The permethrin works as a preventative. Nothing helps once the legs are swollen and oozing- just time to allow healing.

My friend bought (and quickly sold) a horse with a much more severe reaction- apparently he broke out all over his body.

Another option might be lyme sulfur dip- it treats ringworm and mites.

[adultponyhunter]

I was not nervous to body clip him, other than we are still having nights in the single digits and this poor pony is an Amish rescue and I’m certain has never not had a coat in winter! As soon as I got his coat off his sores started to dry up. He’s blanketed nose to tail 24/7 (obviously) so that is helping him not be able to physically tear himself apart.

Next up is Lime Sulfur dip, per the dermatologist at Cornell. Plan to do that tomorrow. Something needs to give really soon for this poor little guy.

[sascha]

If you are still convinced it is ringworm, grab a packet of Virkon from your TSC or tack shop, mix it until it looks like reasonably strong (pink!) tea and spray it on once or twice a day. If you see improvement in a couple of days, keep going until there are no new spots.

This is a totally off-label use of Virkon, but it works like a charm and has been endorsed by 2 vets - one equine, one bovine for me to use on equine and bones of all ages.

Also, stop grooming, but clipping is ok if you don’t mind the risk of giving yourself ringworm.

[CHT]

If I was going to get it, I would have by now. I read that horses develop immunity to ring worm if they had it before…and I got ring worm as a teenage (from a horse) so possible I am immune?

Interesting about the Virkon.

A few new spots developed over night, but the existing spots are not getting bigger. I may clip and Hibitaine bathe tomorrow (or bathe and clip?).

I don’t think it is ringworm. It seems more likely to be tick related, but holding the course for now.

@4horses it was permethrin that finally got rid of the ticks. We rarely see them here, and she won’t be turned out in a high risk tick area while she lives with me, but I will keep your advice in mind for trail riding! She did get welts all over her body from the ticks, but those welts went away about a month ago.

[sascha]

@CHT

I read that horses develop immunity to ring worm if they had it before…and I got ring worm as a teenage (from a horse) so possible I am immune?

Interesting about the Virkon.

A few new spots developed over night, but the existing spots are not getting bigger.

Well, there are ringworm vaccines available for some animals, and I’ve not seen a bovine animal get it twice, so maybe you’re immune.

Virkon is a freakin’ life saver. You haven’t lived until you’ve walked into an area housing 15 feisty calves and seen the first spot. You really haven’t lived until you’ve waded in a week or so later and caught them all and hosed them down with Virkon. It’s not an unpleasant smell, but just thinking about ringworm gives me an olfactory memory of it.

If it is ringworm (and it really doesn’t look like it to me) each spot will max out at about 2" max, BUT, spots can run into each other if it’s not stopped quickly. That will make spots look huge even when they’re actually all the same size but crashing into each other.

[StormyDay]

My first thought is allergies, but the fact that it is oozing makes me extremely worried it’s a sub-dermal infection of some sort, maybe staph but there’s a bunch of other nasties out there they can get.

I would be at the minimum asking my vet for antibiotics to start immediately until they could come out and take a look. They can also prescribe you a much stronger antibacterial/anti fungal cream. I would clip around the affected areas so you can get as much product on there as possible.

This is absolutely my last resort but if you 100% can not get the vet out most farm stores do sell antibiotics OTC. I won’t post the dosages here because I don’t want someone to read this and decide to self treat themselves or another animal without vet oversight; it’s not safe and antibiotic resistance is no joke.

[CHT]

Perhaps a subdermal infection caused by ticks? The sores are where the ticks were (to the best of my memory). Having trouble finding horse related information on this, but it seems to be a thing in people?

I don’t think we can buy antibiotics in Canada without a prescription, plus I wouldn’t know which to choose.

I am going to sent updated pictures to the vet and see if I can get a better diagnoses.

[Ryde_XC]

Just some thoughts- I’d suggest holding off putting any creams or ointments on until you know what is going on- if it’s anaerobic, you’re creating a situation where they can thrive. How long are you letting the hibitane (pink soap) sit on the area- it needs about 10min contact time to be effective. I’d be trying to clean it, dry it and not put anything on- and let it get some air and sun if you get a warm day. If you do need an anti fungal, use a spray that absorbs in dry and doesn’t coat the area. Blankets are brutal as they also create a breeding ground by trapping everything in- but it’s winter… so 2 cheap cotton sheets that you can line an outer blanket and wash and dry the other is very helpful - if you have easy access to a machine. Supplementation with vitamin E (ensure it’s not a synthetic variation that most of the stuff in the tack stores sell… you want natural vitamin E or they can’t utilize it) and omega 3 can help horse boost immune system - in the AB area were are usually quite deficient this time of year. Hopefully your vet can take a peek for a more definite answer but those are some things to have in mind.

[StormyDay]

@CHT

Perhaps a subdermal infection caused by ticks? The sores are where the ticks were (to the best of my memory). Having trouble finding horse related information on this, but it seems to be a thing in people?

I don’t think we can buy antibiotics in Canada without a prescription, plus I wouldn’t know which to choose.

I am going to sent updated pictures to the vet and see if I can get a better diagnoses.

Could very well be. It happens in dogs.

If it were one small patch, I wouldn’t be as concerned, but that’s a lot of missing hair and oozing skin. I’d be pressuring the vet to either come out or prescribe something ASAP.

One of my horses laid down in a fire ant patch once and a similar reaction occurred. He was miserable for days and had to be on banamine to give some level of comfort. The leakage in his case turned out to be serum (same stuff as the liquid in blisters). Is there anything she could have gotten into in the field or something?