Oh dear - Ringworm

[cheekychops]

It looks like we have ringworm
Two of our herd have symptoms, Cheeko mildly. Vet has taken hair samples and bloods to confirm diagnosis. Likely to have come from cattle as we're on a working farm.
We can't use standard topical treatment as its around their eyes, and the proposed treatment (if it does prove to be ringworm) sounds nasty - a rather expensive oral medicine which shouldn't be used near pregnant women, women of child-bearing age (me..yikes) or mares. We also need to isolate ourselves from the rest of the yard as a precaution.

Anyone have any experience of ringworm and it's treatment??

[Caroline]

TigerLily and Zee have had it for the last couple of weeks. They caught it from the farmers cows I think, who are in the next field and occasionally break into their field.

I initally treated with Caneston cream (don't get it too near the eyes). Zee had a patch on his side which I initially treated with Caneston and then gave a single treatment of iodine and water. (I couldn't treat TigerLily with iodine at all for fear of getting any in her eyes.)

When the vet came, she said Caneston is not very helpful for Ringworm and outlined the options to me:

1) A wash - which I couldn't get too close to the eyes either, so no good for TigerLily's patch near her eyes

2) Something that goes in the food but is apparently pretty toxic

3) No treatment.

The vet recommended not treating as the preferable option and said that it would clear up in 4 weeks and would also give them the chance to build up an immunity to it which would be a good idea as they will be re-exposed due to the cattle. So I more or less went with this, but have been bathing with aloe vera and colloidal silver and putting a colloidal silver cream on every day- on the basis that it is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and the cream is very soothing and healing whilst being very gentle and low risk to the eye.

It certainly hasn't got any worse. Zee's patch has been getting better and the hair is regrowing. (I suspect the iodine was responsible for the more rapid response.) TigerLily has a patch near her eye and one at the base of her ear. They just seem stable - they are bald, but the skin is black and doesn't appear sore or infected.

[clipclop]

Malaseb wash is anti fungal.

So is tea tree oil and the new(ish) hydro care spray made by horseware

Sent from my ST18i using proboards

[cheekychops]

Thank you - that is really helpful advice. As Cheeko's only patch is around his eyes I could try silver cream. His field mates owner was treating it as rain scald with hibiscrub and he is looking better in those areas. That's a good point about building immunity, as they are likely to be re-infected being on a farm.
I am inclined to go with non-vet treatment as I'd rather not pump him full of toxic chemicals.
I am just a bit worried about becoming some sort of pariah and infecting the yard, although I guess the others are already exposed from the cattle.

[Caroline]

This is the cream I got cheekychops:

www.business-is-blooming.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=34&zenid=8835413c131ec32f46a5176bc39277c3

[cheekychops]

Thanks Caroline - that looks great. I also wondered about Fungatrol cream which has aloe vera and tea tree and I can get it from my local feed shop.

[donnalex]

Vetericyn do an eye spray as well as all the other sprays that are anti fungal, anti viral and anti bacterial. Because you have it near the eye I would use the eye one (same but twice as strong I think) as you know being made for the eyes it is completely safe.
Any immunity gained from clearing it up themselves is not permanent, I think around nine months, so they do get it again. It is highly contagious and can live on fence posts and other surfaces for a long time. Sunlight helps to clear it up which is why they often get it winter when they are more hairy, there is less sun and they often have rugs on. Because it is a fungus it loves wet weather so winter is a good time for ringworm all round.
Imaverol is better than Malaseb as it is fungus specific, Malaseb is for a few conditions including parasites. If it was me I would do an all over wash with Imaverol and then treat around the head and eyes with Vetericyn for eyes as if left the spores for ringworm could end up everywhere, all your rugs, brushes and surfaces could end up giving it to all your horses any visitors you get, yourself, your cat, your dog, the list is endless it is so highly contagious. It could pop up again in Spring and ruib your horses summer coat and if you want to show or your friends do you might not be very popular if you wnet down the conservative route of treatment and their show season was ruined.

[cheekychops]

Thank you Pony Nutt for very comprehensive reply - have taken on board. Yes I don't want to alienate the whole yard and be sent to Coventry!!