My horse has painful matted skin with yellow scabs. Is it rain rot?

This could be rain rot (a Dermatophilus congolensis infection) or a fungal infection. You should call out a vet for a skin exam. Your pony will likely need to be washed with a special antifungal/antibacterial shampoo. But before one can decide which kind of shampoo will be suitable, a correct diagnosis is necessary. Your vet can take a hair sample if necessary.

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.

This may have started as rain rot but now it looks like there is a secondary infection. I recommend cleaning the area with iodine solution twice daily and keeping him out of tall wet grass or brush which can aggravate this. You can use fly leg protectors to keep flies off it and protect the areas. I do recommend a veterinary exam and treatment since he may need antibiotics or antifungal medication to get this resolved. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your horse.

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!

Rain rot is a skin disease caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. If a dog suffers from rain rot, it will have hair that sticks together like the hair of a paint brush and when you pull it it comes out and leaves a bleeding round skin lesion. These lesions often are crusty and can confluence, ie cause bigger lesions. The dog on the photo does not look like it has rain rot. Keep brushing the hair which should minimize the itch caused by the shedding of fur now in spring.

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 It looks like you horse has seborrhea. This is like dandruff and caused by overproduction of oils in the skin. I would ask your vet for a seborrhea shampoo which breaks down the oils in the skin and will clear the flakes. You may need to use this weekly for a while. Best wishes to you and Cayenne! Thanks for using Pet Coach.