Guess that ailment

[elise]

You guessed it folks, it's another installment of "guess what ailment Axel has now." Noticed these sores between Axel's "thighs" today. They were dry. They look like blisters to me. Some of them were white like the photo, some still had skin on them and were kind of tough. Around them the skin is getting speckled. I'm guessing it's just rubbed from the heat and sweat but I'm calling the vet when they open in the morning.

Anyone seen this before? And what do you do about it?

http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/2006_08/823_axels_owee.jpg

[Portia]

My first thought was sarcoid, but not sure tbh. There's over-granulation tissue ('proudflesh') on the most distal lesion.

[BeachRiding]

Some form of nasty blisters, or a reaction to a bug bite?

[Portia]

yea, i wondered that. Just odd the way the lesions are so clearly demarcated. It could well be an infected heat rash given the site, as you suggest Elise.

[Equine_student]

could it be ring worm?

[elise]

could it be ring worm?

That was suggested by some other folks online but it isn't a crusty circle. It's definitely a blister. There's one blister on the opposite "cheek" that still has the skin attached. The ones pictures are missing the skin.

I've got a phone call into the vet who's supposed to call back so I can ask him what's up and what I should do about it.

I can't imagine how I am going to treat this! It was hard enough getting him to stand still to take the photo. If it's just chaffing or something, I would suppose the treatment would be baby powder or something of the sort.

[elise]

Some form of nasty blisters, or a reaction to a bug bite?

I wonder if he had some bumps from but bites and they rubbed and turned into blisters. That sounds like a possiblity.

There wasn't any heat and really no redness so hopefully they aren't infected. Not a nice place to have an infection.

[Portia]

I personally wouldn't put any sort of powder there - those particles of powder that stick will combine with moisture from the wound and act like a form of sand paper - ouchy! Does the skin rub together where the wound is? Sorry, cant tell from pic.

He may need antibiotic cream (and something to reduce the granulation tissue as well) in any case, otherwise if he were mine I'd be smothering the area in betadine ointment twice daily. Most wounds need a moist environment to optimize healing, plus it would help to keep the flies off.

See what the vet says - he may want to do skin scrapings first anyway, so i wouldn't treat until he's seen it.

[elise]

Does the skin rub together where the wound is?

Yeah it definitely rubs right there. It's between his legs basically, right below his rear end. I'm thinking it's caused from rubbing in the first place.

Barring any infection and whatever the vet says, I wonder if a zinc oxide would be a good option to reduce rubbing. I'm hopping the vet has seen this before and can just tell me what it is over the phone.

Though I haven't found anyone online yet that's seen this. Though how many of us are snooping around back there ;)

[elise]

The vet phoned back and asked some questions about Axel's blisters. He seems to think it's probably just irritation from some bug bites and suggested a coritzone cream to see if that would reduce them at all. He didn't think it was actual blisters.

He did say he'd seen something similar in one other horse and biopsied it,it was lymphoma and it would come and go for several years but they didn't do any treatment on it. He said he actually hasn't seen it reappear now on that horse in a long time.

So it's the old "keep an eye on it and call me if it gets worse" diagnosis.

He's got a week off as I'm out of town this weekend so that should help reduce any unneccessary friction and sweat, unless he takes it upon himself to run around and sweat himself up (hah yeah right).