My horse has skin growths after grooming. What is it and how to treat?

Rainrot, ie a dermatophilus congolensis infection usually happens when outside temperatures are warm and humidity is high. You will need to take your horse into a dry place so she can dry out properly. She will need to be bathed in an iodine shampoo, and depending on the severity of the infection, may need to be treated with penicillin injections. Please call your equine veterinarian out.

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.

I can’t be sure from the photo but this looks like a fungal or bacterial infection. Horses often get this from irritation and moisture. I recommend scrubbing the affected areas twice daily with iodine based shampoo, or another anti bacterial and fungal shampoo. Scrubbing the skin to remove the scales and debris will make it look more inflammed but will let the air get to the skin and speed healing. If this hasn’t cleared up in a week or two then please get a veterinary exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Diamond.

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.

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.