My rescue horse has cracked hooves & face hair loss. How to help?

There is no way to know what is going on here just by looking at some photos. Many skin diseases look similar so some testing will likely need to be done to figure out what is going on here. Some possibilities: 1. rain rot 2. staph bacterial infection 3. ringworm 4. autoimmune disease 5. injury/trauma I suggest you get your vet out to examine her. You need to get a diagnosis before you will know how to treat this. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. Your horse is severely underweight. It is important to go slow trying to put weight back on her. She should have access to pasture & a good prairie grass hay all day. If you did not worm her using ivermectin, that is what I would recommend ( Ivermectin Gold so you also get tapeworms ). I would normally recommend the Panacur Power Pack, but she may be too debilitated to use this now. Maybe in a couple of months come back with this. There is no one way to prevent colic or laminitis. Access to hay, controlling parasites, controlled access to concentrates ( grain, especially the sweet feeds ), and limited access to high energy feeds like corn & alfalfa should keep her healthy, but horses are horses & you cannot control everything. And do have a veterinarian come out & check her vitals, teeth, pull blood for a Coggins & update all necessary vaccinations. Thanks for rescuing her & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bubba! How old is Bubba? A lot of skin conditions can look the same. But from your photos I think either a skin infection from yeast or bacteria, ring worm or demodex (non-contagious mite). If he is older I recommend having blood work done, some systemic illnesses can manifest in the skin. If he has a skin infection then medicated shampoo and antibiotics or antifungals are needed. If demedex is suspected, especially if he is young, than your Vet will perform a skin scrape to look for the mite under the microscope. Thankfully demodex is very easy to treat these days with the new oral flea and tick medications (Nexgard and Bravecto). Ring worm is diagnosed with a cultured and is treated with either lyme sulfur dips or oral antifungals. I think it is best to make an appointment with your Vet when they open on Monday and start medications based on your Vet's diagnosis. I hope this helps and I wish you and Bubba the best!

It's great to see that you are rescuing this poor dog! He actually looks like he is a young dog - just has been neglected. I'm sure the vet will help you to make this dog look young again. He does look rather thin and the maggots you see in the poop are actually little worms. The vet will advise good medication to clear the worms and this will help him gain weight. His skin also looks unhealthy, so the vet should advise on a shampoo and possible treatment for mange. You are right to note that the paw pads are abnormal. They have been somewhat worn down. We often see this with dogs who run on the road for a long time or may have struggled to climb up something. This does not need urgent attention and should heal well within a week or two. I hope this helps.

This looks like a pretty serious case of rain rot. ( https://thehorse.com/122494/rain-rot-in-horses-diagnosis-treatment-and-prevention/ ) I suggest using this medicated shampoo. Lather, let sit on his skin for 15 minutes and then rinse well. Bathe him every 2-3 days. If after a week to 10 days you really do not see that much improvement he may need oral antibiotics that you would have to get from your vet. ( https://www.jefferspet.com/products/davis-ketohexidine-shampoo ) Wash all your saddle pads, brushes, blankets, etc to remove the bacteria. Do not ride him if the lesions are in the saddle/girth area until they are gone.

Hi and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach this morning! Although it is hard to say exactly what the issue is with Cadbury without examining him first, I can offer a possibility for the skin issue. The picture of the hindquarters appears like a fungal infection called Dermatophilus congolensis.or better known as 'rain rot' which is typically seen over the hindquarters, back, and back of pasterns. It does worsen over time and the areas effected have dry crusts that are very easily removed while grooming. You may try brushing and removing the crusts then shampooing with iodine or chlorhexidine scrub. Even a shampoo with antibacterial and anti fungal properties may work. Let sit for 10 mins on him then rinse and do this every day for 7 days then every 3 days until healed. If it is still no better in a couple weeks, you may need to call you veterinarian for an antibiotic Rx. Washing the other wound with chlorhexidine solution each day until healed may work as well unless you are not noticing any improvement in a week or so, then I would call you veterinarian. I hope this helps and I hope Cadbury feels better soon!

This looks like the result of a chronic trauma or infection creating a proliferative skin inflammation (that is why it looks like a lump). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths.