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Post by donnalex on Dec 8, 2010 8:45:38 GMT 1
Alex has really really itchy back legs. So much so that he is trashing them.
They are raw and bald but he is chewing them to bits. What can it be?
He has been overdosed with Dectomax, it is not mites or lice. It is definitely not mud rash, it started out as oozing. It is not the heels or around the coronet, it is from the fetlock up and only his back legs are affected, right up inside his thighs too. He is full of gouges from scraping himself, started three weeks ago and getting worse. They are not hot, swoollen or infected. He is moving freely and is not ill at all. His temp and heart rate are normal. He does not do it when you are there. I only know he is biting them as the ointment I tried ended up stuck to his mouth and chin overnight.
Have clipped them fully out, no help at all. Have moved him onto plain rubber bed for now and onto just hay and a bit of sugar beet to get the bute down him. He has been on this for four days now with no let up. Tonight Im going to tie him in a stall so he cant turn round and bite them, only rub them with his other leg.
Any ideas?
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Post by jill on Dec 8, 2010 9:11:40 GMT 1
HAve you had the vet take a skin scraping to look for any nasties just under the skin?
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Post by donnalex on Dec 8, 2010 9:17:18 GMT 1
That is the next step but they did say it often is inconclusive. In any case there is no skin left on a lot of it  |
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Post by anastasia55555 on Dec 8, 2010 10:30:18 GMT 1
Poor thing. Was going to say mites but normally would have thought would subside with dectomax but maybe not entirely go away. I suppose he could have been allergic so its made it worse? good plan with the bedding being changed to mats as they can live in the bedding. Maybe the vet might be able to prescribe some anti histamines or something?
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Post by donnalex on Dec 8, 2010 10:50:05 GMT 1
He has had two steroid injections and it does help a lot but they are a laminitis risk so cant have any more. And antibacterial and steroid cream as well. He is on antibiotics to stop them getting infected.
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Suz
Grand Prix Poster
ET & VHT practitioner Cranio-sacral Therapist
Posts: 1,994
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Post by Suz on Dec 8, 2010 11:05:47 GMT 1
My mum's cob gets a horrid super itchy condition on his back and shoulders in the winter. Steroids helped but he did get lami so we can't use them any more. We have found a combination of aloe, manuka honey and emu oil works really really well and keeps him sane.
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Post by jen1 on Dec 8, 2010 11:31:42 GMT 1
jiggy gets this in winter and we just do the sulphur and cream thing, which does seem to help but we never really get to the bottom of it,
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Post by gwenoakes on Dec 8, 2010 11:47:15 GMT 1
Just a thought and maybe very stoooopid one at that, but can horses get demodectic mange?
Our Staffie had this and nothing worked apart from a special bath in at the vets week after week where they had to gown and mask up and she had to be left to dry naturally. She rubbed hereself red raw.
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Post by donnalex on Dec 8, 2010 11:47:51 GMT 1
Anything I put on is rived off in no time.
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Post by olliebear on Dec 8, 2010 11:48:08 GMT 1
My horse has a similar complaint and my only consolation is that he had it about 5 years ago and after trying everything under the sun, it just went . Took 12 months, an enormous vet's bill and never really resolved to my satisfaction.
My new vet is very supportive and will prescibe sedatives when the itching gets too intense. Can't use steroids as he is laminitic and they didn't work last time we tried them.
It is very distressing to witness and last time I did consider whether it wouldn't be kinder to pts. E45 Itch cream helps to relieve the symptoms.
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Post by jill on Dec 8, 2010 11:51:10 GMT 1
That is the next step but they did say it often is inconclusive. Are you sure they were talking about a scraping rather than an allergy patch test? A scraping is for looking under a microscope for signs of mange, parasites etc - if they find none then it is a negative. |
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Post by mandal on Dec 8, 2010 12:10:30 GMT 1
A bit off the wall but have you tried anti histamines? When I had major problems with urticaria in the past it was in the strangest places and tended to be symmetrical. So if my shin was itchy and red it was both legs in the same place...  |
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Suz
Grand Prix Poster
ET & VHT practitioner Cranio-sacral Therapist
Posts: 1,994
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Post by Suz on Dec 8, 2010 12:26:25 GMT 1
The honey and emu oil makes it v hard to get off it is still there under the mud after he has spent 10 mins rolling to relieve the itching.
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Post by bertie666 on Dec 8, 2010 12:43:16 GMT 1
can you bandage over the top of creams? Or field boot?
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Post by donnalex on Dec 8, 2010 20:00:22 GMT 1
Vet been again. Told me not to bandage but have put Lanacane powder on them and stalled him tonight so at least he cant bite them. He was obliging enough to give the vet a demo of how he rubs them today. She has taken blood and the results will hopefully be back tomorrow. She is getting him some anti histamines for tomorrow as well.
She says it is not feed or protein or bedding or environment as everything has been gone through.
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