skin problem?

Question
QUESTION: I have a problem with my young mares back of hoof. It seems that the hair right above the actual hoof has fallen off or something and bits of crusty mud (which is hard to clean off) is stuck on there. I remember reading about something on Mud rot or something like that and I'm worried that she's got it? what should I do??

ANSWER: Hi Ally!  You are on the right track with diagnosing your horses skin issue.  This condition is often called several different names and mud rot is one of them along with greasy heel, mudheel, pastern dermatitis, dew rot and is probably best known as equine scratches.  It is a pretty common condition on horses who spend a majority of their time in a wet and or muddy environment and is most often seen on the back feet but can occur on all four feet.  Some horses have scratches so badly that they become lame.  If the case is severe enough, it may be necessary contact your veterinarian for oral antibiotic treatment.

In less severe and mild cases, to help any treatment program work successfully, the horse needs to be kept away from a damp living arrangement as much as possible.  Next, I recommend carefully - VERY carefully - clipping the fetlock and pastern area of all four feet.  Next, the area should be cleaned to remove dirt, debris and loose scabs but be careful not to be aggressive in this cleaning process as the area will likely be pretty sensitive.  

I like using a surgical Betadine scrub on a variety of skin irritations because it not only helps thoroughly clean the site but it also helps it dry out.  Skin bacteria is happiest in dark, wet conditions so the clipping allows light into the area and the Betadine dries it out so the bacteria has a less successful chance of survival.

Betadine scrub is most often sold in a concentrated form so be careful how you make your solution.  Put about a gallon of clean water in a small clean bucket then add about a tablespoon of Betadine at a time until your solution resembles ice tea ... you should be able to see through it or your solution becomes too strong.  When you have the right combination, then apply to the infected area using sterile gauze pads also known as 4 x 4's or a similar sterile cleaning material.  Then wait about 10 minutes before thoroughly rinsing the area followed by a good towel dry.

I have tried a lot of topical antibiotic creams specifically for horses but have found the best success using Calamine lotion!  A large cotton ball will make the upside-down application much easier and I dab it on pretty liberally.  Give it time to dry and then put your horse in a dry clean space to hang out for a few weeks until her scratches have cleared out.  I would repeat this cleaning and Calamine treatment every other day and you will notice that more and more of the scabs loosen and fall off as the bacteria realizes that life on your mare's heels isn't such a great idea after all :)

Please let me know if you have any other questions okay?
Thank you!

Judi

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QUESTION: Hi again Thanks! I will see if i can try that. I was also wondering if I could also use tee trea oil or just a normal botle of skin cleaning detal. U see I am only a teen and my folks won't really buy things like that cause horses isn't there thing, plus I have no money lol but I will try if can't use my asking options

Answer
Hey Ally - I'm not familiar with using tea tree oil but since it has the word "oil" in it, I would avoid it only because it would moisturize the area and we want to dry it out.  Instead, you should be able to use a mild soap found in your home like ivory soap or liquid dish detergent with warm water.  Hopefully you also have the Calamine lotion on hand as well but if not, I know it's really inexpensive and hopefully you can find it in your local drug store.

Good Luck Ally!!