Help! My filly is losing hair...?

Question

I recently purchased a 2-year old Dun Quarter Horse filly from Brook Park, MN. Mind you, she was not taken care of very well - at all. Her hooves were atrocious and she is still SO skinny. Within the first week after I had her home, I noticed she was starting to lose her hair in her girth and flank area - and now sems to be spreading to her barrel.

This is Melody when I first received her:

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/MaddieBear07/l_f0fb38d2e1c2096cdd66f587a50436ba.jpg?t=1214192533

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/MaddieBear07/l_f0fb38d2e1c2096cdd66f587a50436-1.jpg?t=1214192573

The following week (After an iodine bath)

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/MaddieBear07/l_f0fb38d2e1c2096cdd66f587a50436-2.jpg?t=1214192748

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/MaddieBear07/l_f0fb38d2e1c2096cdd66f587a50436-3.jpg?t=1214192763

These are the most recent. She hasn't had a bath since (I know, I know, I'm ignorant):

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/MaddieBear07/l_f0fb38d2e1c2096cdd66f587a50436-4.jpg?t=1214192913

Answer 1

so sorry hope it gets better

Answer 2

continue on with the Iodine bath on a daily basis. If you cant notice it clearing up in a about a week. Call and ask your vet, or if it seems worse, schedule an appointment for your vet to come out at look at her. Hope it clears up and she gets better.

=)

Answer 3

Looks like a type of fungus or maybe a bacterial skin infection. We recently (last fall) got in a rescue horse that looked the same way but it was much more wide spread. He healed up quickly and the hair returned within weeks. There are a couple of good products on the market to treat it that are wide range so don't have to narrow it down to one exact cause.

Our vet recomended washing all over 2-3 times per week with Mane N' Tail Antimicrobial Shampoo (made by Straight Arrow) it treats a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, mold, fungi and viruses. It actually treats most organisms that cause skin problems.

Between washings we were to use the Mane N' Tail Pro-Tect Antimicrobial Topical Treatment Spray daily on the bare areas or any actual areas that looked to be affected.

Both of these were reasonably priced and easily available at our local Tractor Supply Store and cured his problem very quickly.

M-T-G is also a good product but it has a terrible smell and many horses act like it burns when you first apply it.

Answer 4

I lean to ringworm...but the photos are too far away to see clearly.

Bathe with an iodine wash daily.  Not the whole horse, just where the hair loss is.  Unless the whole horse needs the bath.  Should only take about a week.

DO NOT cross contaminate your grooming tools.  Don't share them with other horses.  It's contagious.

Me personally...I don't mess around.  I spray any infection with straight iodine.  On flesh, I would use 4% iodine.  We humans use 1 or 2%.  The 4% won't hurt your horses skin...but it will stain temporarily.  It'll kill any kind of bacteria there.  I spray one day...only once a day.  Wait a day, and then  spray again...only one time a day.  That's all I've ever needed.  And didn't have to bathe the horse.

Try to get this stopped before it spreads all over her, or to your other horses...

I would only give it another week to try and 'cure' it myself.  If I saw NO improvement or it was still spreading...the vet needs to be called.

Answer 5

Might be some bug, check here for answers

http://www.aaep.org/ask_the_vet_question...

Answer 6

It could be rain rot, ring worm or sweet itch. It is hard to tell though, and there are loads are skin diseases. Iodine will kill off rain rot (if thats what it is) but you have to wash it everyday. Sorry I can't be much more help.

Answer 7

that kinda looks like what my horse had

however my horse is almost black all it really probably is is like a skin infection caused by her skin being dry( which the sun can play a big role in) and the fact she wasnt well taken care of

you were right in the iodine bath, but its better if you give it on a schedule and often the help treat it and prevent it from spreading even more

along with baths just give her lots of love and take good care of her