This afternoon you could say I took care of business:)
My Little Princess (Little P or LP... who I still occasionally call Luna for some odd reason) was given the royal princess treatment today. I bought her a new blanket that I am very happy with... it has a full attached neck cover, gussets for ease of movement and it is the perfect weight considering that she already has a pretty good start to a winter coat. The past few winter blankets I've owned have all been Mastas and while I've loved them this time I went with a Cavalier Stormbreaker Combo (combo refers to the attached neck). Anyways, I measured LP before I went out to buy the blanket (she measured as a 78 and is currently wearing a 76 rain sheet that is a little too small.) and so I was a bit surprised that when I got the blanket on her it was HUGE... The blanket was big enough that I didnt think a single size down would get the job done so I actually brought out a 74" which, while a little on the snug side, does fit. LP is long bodied and fairly broad and I feel she is a true 78" so....for anyone buying the Stormbreaker, be careful about sizing. Did I mention that it is black with white stripes and she looks cute as a button in it? Well, she does.
(same model as below only black with white plaid)
So... then I started treatment (again) on her mud fever. I clipped down the effected areas, removed the scabbies after soaking them in mineral oil (which allowed me to pull off the excess without creating raw skin) and then dried it very well. Rather than try something new I decided to go with the ointment I last used (effectively) to treat mud fever- Hibitane cream. I figured because she was going back outside in the rain I would top it with a layer of Pentex cream (zinc baby rash cream) which will keep the moisture out (hopefully). So... now I just need to repeat that process a few dozen times. *deep breath*
Addressing the dry spot on her cheek.... It was suggested that perhaps it could be ringworm.
I'm not sold because of the look of the spot the first day I found it. It actually wasnt "bald" when I first found it, it was a crusty spot and when I scratched at it the hair fell out. I took a picture that first day... take a look. Hmm.... at first I was thinking scarzoid (sp?) but now I'm not sure. I put some anitfungal on it. I'm thinking of trying MTG on it but will wait and see how the cream does first.
I'm not sold because of the look of the spot the first day I found it. It actually wasnt "bald" when I first found it, it was a crusty spot and when I scratched at it the hair fell out. I took a picture that first day... take a look. Hmm.... at first I was thinking scarzoid (sp?) but now I'm not sure. I put some anitfungal on it. I'm thinking of trying MTG on it but will wait and see how the cream does first.
Now, the cough. I talked to the vet assistant this morning and they were as helpful as a vet clinic ever is over the phone... I asked if they had any product they could sell me to help treat a cough and they suggested that I have the vet out (big surprise) and said that they could not recommend any kind of treatment until they had seen her. Hmm... I spent a half hour at the barn this afternoon and didnt hear her cough even once. Then this evening I was there again and when I turned her in and gave her hay she coughed a half dozen times in about five minutes and then nothing... Over the next hour she didnt cough. At all. So... needless to say I wont be calling the vet! I know a lot of people give their horses ZEV for a cough but from my understanding ZEV acts much like a cough syrup and doesnt actually treat a cough so much as suppress it which can be counter productive.
So I'd love to hear any home remedies for my Little P's cough?
(and btw, thank you so much for all the supportive comments on my post yesterday, I really appreciate it:)
Well you should have expected maintence with a name like Princess!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what the bald spot could be, but I suspect shes coughing from dust in the hay. I wouldnt worry about it unless it gets worse
That is definitely a sarcoid not ringworm. They just had a big article in Equus about a new treatment...they are taking cells, freezing it with nitrogen and then re-injecting it, they body now recognizes it as foreign and kills it off. I will see if I still have the article and I will send it up to you.
ReplyDeleteI have had really good luck with Vetricyn on the mud fever. Wipes it out completely. It is weird because it looks and feels like water...don't know how it works, but it does.
If there isn't something that needs treating, I usually just get them on Cough Free supps if they are coughing. I have just recently become a HUGE fan of MTG. It smells kinda funky, but is AWESOME! It can be used for fungus and bacteria, but is kind of oily so it is GREAT for treating dry, scaly skin. Not sure about sarcoids though, I really don't have much experience with those. And aren't those combo blankets fan-freaking-tastic? They are my very favorite. I've never liked hoods, but love that those are almost as good!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the mud fever. The spot on her cheek looks like a sarcoid to me too.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cough. No nasal drainage? Still on feed good? Only coughing when you give her hay... sounds like dust / mold reaction to me. What would happen if you dampen her hay?
Oh - how interesting! I was just sitting down to write a post on old school treatments to see what's out there. A friend of mine told me that Vaseline works on Scratches (sounds like your mud fever). Just smear it on and off you go.
ReplyDeleteMy old Arab had Sarcoids and they weren't weepy. Could be an allergic reaction?? Have you tried Dex? (Feed it.)
Good luck! And I'll be reading to hear of any oldies but goodies.
Ringworm looks a little different, but the treatment of ringworm is so easy why not try it? Tinactin athletes foot spray. Easy.
ReplyDeleteGlacier had all of the hair roll off her back on both sides right after I got her. The edges were crusty, the hair fell out in sheets- it was ringworm. After I bathed her in mild shampoo, dried her off applied MTG on parts and Tanactin on parts- the Tinactin worked! All of her grew back just fine.
The cough I usually treat with Cough Free. It is orangy and the horses like it- just mix it in the feed.
Soaking hay might work too- but it is messy and some horses don't like wet hay.
Awesome, thanks a lot for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with hay dust. Or dust in general. Molly had a bit of a cough a couple weeks ago. It was probably the hay, and since hay is mostly sold in round bales here, there wasn't a whole lot I could do but soak what I was feeding her and Casey first. (Square bales are cost prohibitive and I lack storage). She's fine now and has been since that round was gone. I'm very picky about my rounds. I pay nearly triple what other rounds cost locally because I can be sure of the quality the horses are getting.
ReplyDeleteSo, if Princess is only coughing around hay, take a deep whiff of the hay yourself then pick it up and see how dusty it is as well. Soaking it may be the solution.