What's this on Rusty's legs? Came up overnight.

[ernkinz]

This is my mare’s pasture mate, so of course I have a vested interest in controlling it if it’s communicable but also I love this horse and hate when bad stuff happens to him…Gelding has this gooey, shallow, crusty, gross stuff happening on his rear cannon bones and on the middle of his head. Started on his head yesterday and we assumed he rubbed on a tree until it popped up on his legs. There was nothing the day before either the head or legs started. Can’t figure out anything he could have injured his legs like this with and none of the other horses have anything weird going on.

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/GS4qf

The vet DID come out, but it wasn’t MY vet (not my horse) and I’m kind of not settled/ still curious with the diagnosis of “probably bacterial maybe fungal?” And prescription of antibiotics and an antifungal etc shampoo. Maybe that’s totally right and good, but I just like to KNOW what’s up, whenever possible, though I know that’s not always what happens in vet med! Parasites were not ruled out.

Any thoughts appreciated. Maybe this is something that totally happens all the time, but since this is my first pasture-boarded horse, I’m seeing some new stuff and am enjoying learning about all the crazy stuff that horses can manage to have happen to them!

[Highflyer]

It’s nasty looking, and definitely not normal. My first guess would be an allergic reaction of some kind, but either bacterial or fungal is possible.

[jeano]

My gelding gets this every summer when its hot and humid. His pasture mate, my mare, CAN get it but hers is always lighter and easier to treat. If the gelding isn’t treated aggressively and promptly he will be a gooey oozing mess for weeks and come to hate the sight of me when I catch him to treat it.

My assumption has been that it’s good old “scratches”. He gets it on his head because that’s what he uses to rub the itchy places on his legs. There are a gazillion pet remedies. Most involve getting the discharge cleaned off, scabs removed or not, various unguents like desitin mixed with athlete’s foot remedy and triple antibiotic ointment. keeping the affected areas dry is always stressed, and its freaking impossible to do with a pasture living equine.

What has worked for me is constant vigilance in hot, rainy weather. As soon as I notice a scabby place or a hint of goopy discharge on the legs I saturate the area with half strength Dakin’s solution then apply desitin with the antifungal and antibiotic mix mentioned above. I do this daily until its gone. Just this past week I started treatment on Tuesday, I think it was, and it was all cleared up by Sunday evening. It can come back with a vengeance. Last summer I didn’t spot it until all four legs and his face were totally involved and it took forever to get it gone. That was when I discovered the joys of Dakin’s (essentially, homemade vetericyn. AKA diluted bleach. Costs about a cent to make up a quart of it, so if spending 30 bucks or so for the same effect is your thing, feel free to cough up the dough for the brand name tiny bottle of Vetericyn.) It can be sprayed on or dabbed on the bad places. It doesn’t burn the horse if you make it up correctly but it will turn dark hair reddish.

I believe the responsible bacteria lives in the soil and that the resulting open sores can then get a fungal infection, which is the rational for using the bleach water to kill the bugs, then the unguents to soothe and heal and provide further antibiotic/antifungal action.

[JLR1]

Looks like good old fashioned cannon crud or cannon kerotosis to me. A good scrubbing/curry with chlorhexadine soap (Hibiclens is the human equivalent found in drug stores) or other antibacterial agent will loosen the crud and promote healing. Hair will grow back, but loosening the crud will also take hair with it. Other options are to use a dilution of brown Listerine (not generic), MTG, Equiderma, or Vetericyn.

[Laurierace]

Another vote for cannon keratosis. The middle of the head is likely due to sweat, treat the same way as the cannons.

[ernkinz]

[QUOTE=JLR1;8753562]
Looks like good old fashioned cannon crud or cannon kerotosis to me. A good scrubbing/curry with chlorhexadine soap (Hibiclens is the human equivalent found in drug stores) or other antibacterial agent will loosen the crud and promote healing. Hair will grow back, but loosening the crud will also take hair with it. Other options are to use a dilution of brown Listerine (not generic), MTG, Equiderma, or Vetericyn.[/QUOTE]

I hope you’re right for sure. I had just never seen it go from 0 to 100 overnight (or ever this bad, it’s always just been at the crud stage when I’ve dealt with it) like this, so that’s why I was alarmed… He has the chlorohexadine and I will pass along your helpful list of remedies to his mom.

[JB]

Ditto the “cannon crud” aka cannon keratosis. Oil glands can get blocked with dirt and sweat. I have 1, and had another who was prone to this (both TBs, maybe relevant, maybe not, maybe has more to do with thinness of skin than breed) and light currying with a face curry, along with a glug of bleach in a gallon bucket washed over the legs seems to keep it at bay. The light bleach is enough to help kill bacteria, and the light currying helps get dead skin and dirt off the leg.

[mswillie]

Same idea on the cannon keratosis here. I personally like gentle (soft curry) washing with dilute Betadine solution 1-2 oz. in a gallon of warm water. I’ve always had it clear up in a couple days with this method.

[betsyk]

Be sure any splint boots or wraps are clean and dry every time you use them. Also be a little careful of scrubbing too hard and creating little abrasions that set them up for more crud.

[ernkinz]

Thanks everyone for the input! I am hoping the open stuff will heal so we can move to maintaining and dealing with the not so oozy yucky stuff. I appreciate hearing all your favorite solutions!

[OTTBs]

The last photo looks like what my horse had on her flank! It’s pretty dried up and white looking now, but was scabby and kind of oozy and swollen. I figured she rolled on a rough spot or something…

[baileygreyhorse]

Did the crud show up anywhere else? One of my boys has a similar looking outbreak on his belly. It’s very swollen and gross. The vet (without doing any testing) said pemphagus, but I’m wondering if that’s correct.

[CFFarm]

Scurf. This may help.

http://equusmagazine.com/content/content/8304/eq358chart.pdf