There is a Fungus Among Us!!!
So far this winter has been very wet, so all the pastures are nothing but a muddy mess. With all of this rainy weather, an influx of unwanted equine skin conditions have popped up under all that winter fur. In order to get a handle on the skin problems you may need to stock up on a few items, if your horse has rain rot or some other kind of skin problem over the majority of its body you will want to disinfect your current brushes to kill any fungus or bacteria that may be living in the bristles. It never hurts to have a second set of brushes that can be disinfected on a regular basis; plastic handle brushes are good for this. At THS, we carry a wide variety of different dermatitis remedies:
- Eqyss Micro Tek shampoo and spray are fast acting and easy to use, just wash and spray!
- MTG is not only an excellent fungicide, but also a superb hair growth regenerator. It works wonders on rain rot and scratches, and works just as well on dry skin, tail rubbing and many other dermatitis problems.
- Iodine Shampoo is another grooming/first aid must. Not only is it useful to clean wounds, but will help skin irritations disappear.
Anytime you are working with effected areas, be sure to keep them as dry as possible; scrapping off excess water and then drying with a clean towel.
Follow these helpful hints to help prevent the fungus from coming back:
- Try not to use saddle pads from horse to horse especially if one of the horses has any skin problems to begin with. Keeping clean saddle pads on hand is also good.
- If possible let each horse have their own set of brushes, so not to cross contaminate.
- Even during the cold winter months try to keep your horses legs mud free when possible, this helps for you to see if there are any skin problems forming.
- On warmer days if it is possible, a bath with an anti-fungus shampoo is good to get down to the skin through all that fur just to help prevent any irritations.
**As always, if the skin dermatitis does not improve with these treatments, please consult your veterinarian with your concerns. **
