Rain Scald???

[HollyG]

Holly has a number of raised bumps on her skin, and areas where the hair has come away. It's just dark skin underneath. I haven't had a rug on her, she hates getting too hot, and although we've had awful rain, it's stll been warm. I wondered whether she has rain scald, but having read up about it, it says that rainscald creates discomfort when you remove the scabs - not the case, and that the skin is red and sore underneath - again not the case.

Any ideas? I'm feeling very guilty at the moment that I should have rugged her, but she really is happier 'naked'!!

Thanks for any advice........

 

[chunky monkey]

Does it look anything like these pics. I cut with a pair of scissors around the patches which means that when the area gets wet it dries out quickly. Allow the patches to breath, so I wouldn't rug. I treated with Dermoline Wound Cream once a day. Don't keep washing or getting wet as it will make it worse.

This is were I started to cut round with the scissors.

 

[Roofio]

J's developed some too - he'd been needing rugging in the rain cause he drops weight but that's allowed the rain scald to take hold cause he was too warm exactly the same as yours, he came out in bumps that looked like bites or a nettle rash, now scabs where hair comes out but not sore or bleeding.

I'm giving him a good scrub in a tea tree shampoo tomorrow then trying various different creams, lotions and powders from the first aid box so will let you know if i find anything that works well!

 

[NoviceNic]

Canneston cream is great for rain scald...

 

[Em 1]

Holly has a number of raised bumps on her skin, and areas where the hair has come away. It's just dark skin underneath. I haven't had a rug on her, she hates getting too hot, and although we've had awful rain, it's stll been warm. I wondered whether she has rain scald, but having read up about it, it says that rainscald creates discomfort when you remove the scabs - not the case, and that the skin is red and sore underneath - again not the case.

Any ideas? I'm feeling very guilty at the moment that I should have rugged her, but she really is happier 'naked'!!

This is really weird - I have an unrugged pony with exactly the same symptoms/problems. He has largish areas of scabs around the point of hip and stifle which come away cleanly, leave no soreness or redness and there is absolutely no discomfort. The scabs are completely clean too. It superficially looks like rain scald but I'm not convinced it is. I've been treating it with Hibiscrub and then supermarket nappy cream and flowers of sulphur mixed together. The hair is growing back nicely in the affected areas.

I also cannot rug - he can reduce a heavyweight turnout to shreds in minutes so a lightweight would probably be dust by the time I reached the gate! He loathes being rugged, I can't even put a Boett on him for his sweetitch.

Don't feel bad about not rugging - if it is rainscald, getting sweaty under a rug is the worst thing that can happen. If it's not then rugging will just keep the infection/irritant close to the skin which is also not good!

Sorry I can't help you but if you find an explanation/solution, please could you let me know as I am as mystified as you!

 

[HollyG]

Does it look anything like these pics. I cut with a pair of scissors around the patches which means that when the area gets wet it dries out quickly. Allow the patches to breath, so I wouldn't rug. I treated with Dermoline Wound Cream once a day. Don't keep washing or getting wet as it will make it worse.

This is were I started to cut round with the scissors.

Thanks for replies. No it doesn't look like that. The skin is dry, no weeping or wetness, and once the 'lump' of hair has come away, the skin is flat, dark and dry. She's got it on her nose as well. In patches it's as if the hair has just been worn away.

I'll take some pics later and post them, as it seems a few of us may have something similar ( well the horses anyway!!). She certainly shows no disomfort. Her coat does feel quite coarse in places. It's almost as if she needs a good moisturising cream!

I'll leave the rug off, feel better about that now, and if I find out anything else, I'll let you know.

 

[Roofio]

Took some photo's of J's bum for you;

yesterday I sponged on some selsun dandruff shampoo (stinks of sulphur!) and rinsed. Today his scabs were coming off really easily and i covered him in athletes foot powder. fingers crossed that'll see it off and the rain stays away

 

[pmcc]

Took some photo's of J's bum for you;

yesterday I sponged on some selsun dandruff shampoo (stinks of sulphur!) and rinsed. Today his scabs were coming off really easily and i covered him in athletes foot powder. fingers crossed that'll see it off and the rain stays away

my old mare gets rainscald very easily even when rugged. This actually looks like what her coat is like after the patches/clumps have fell off and healed before all the hair grows back. Think your may have had it a few days/week ago but they came off???

think this can happen with rainscald and its only wet and stinky if it actually gets infected. When it happens my mare it always gets infected and I pick them all off (yuk but I was told to by my vet) and wash the area with Hibi scrub. I keep her in now in bouts of wet weather.

 

[Roofio]

Yup, that makes sense!

The bumps came up probably about 3-4 weeks ago. He's never had rainscald before but does get some funny reactions occasionally to plants or flies and comes out in bumps so I assumed it was just that.

 

[HollyG]

Actually Holly's bumps came up a couple of weeks ago, but I blamed the flies! No worse today, she still isn't in any discomfort, and no redness or soreness. Have washed the area, and used a tea tree cream for skin conditions, that enourages hair growth, and is a water barrier. No rug.

There does appear to be two things going on though. What I also couldn't understand is there are two areas behind her saddle area, on both sides, that are just bare - no lumps, just hair missing. We now think it is the antics of a very enthusiastic gelding, who apparently keeps mounting her!!! He's taking the hair off, or it looks suspiciously like it!

 

[pmcc]

http://www.swep.org.uk/rainscald.htm

this is fairly good at explaining it. There's a summer form and a winter form, by the way I dont agree with the bit about it being in animals that dont get much attention! Hard to spot on them until the lumps have risen.

oh and forgot to say about needing to disinfect the rug, brushes etc that are used on your horse and disposing of the scabs etc.