Scratching the Surface of Equine Skin Diseases

the clinical signs. In abnormal cases a sample of skin from affected areas can be sent to the lab for confirmation.
For treatment the most important thing is to attempt to keep the horse dry says Husulak. In the winter this may mean moving the horse into the barn so its blanket can be removed. 
She adds that the crusts need to be removed and the horses skin must be cleaned with antibacterial soap. If lesions are small you or your veterinarian can apply a topical antibiotic. But for more widespread disease oral or injectable antibiotics may be necessary to treat the whole horse.
Dermatophytosis
Dermatophytosis or ringworm is a highly contagious fungal disease that affects horses humans and other animals. Horses are most often infected with the fungus Trichophyton equinum which is less likely to infect people. Microsporum equinum also causes ringworm and is contagious to people.
Dermatophytosis is easily spread between horses by direct contact or contaminated objects such as tack brushes and fence posts. Thats why disinfecting your barn or arena is an important part of controlling this disease.
We usually see circular patches of hair loss with scaling or crusting within them describes Husulak. Usually these lesions start out small and the crusting will spread out. A bald patch will be present in the middle of the lesion.
The horses face neck and girth are the most common areas to be affected but lesions can cover the whole horse in severe cases. Since many diseases can imitate dermatophytosis veterinarians rely on a fungal culture to confirm the diagnosis.
For treatment we like to apply a topical antifungal cream every 12 hours to kill off the fungus says Husulak. If there are more widespread lesions she recommends using an antifungal rinse that can poured onto the horse. In chronic cases your veterinarian may decide to give oral antifungal medication to the patient.
Husulak says horses develop some immunity after a dermatophytosis infection. If a horse is reinfected it could be a different species of fungus involved or an underlying problem thats causing immunosuppression in the animals body.
Urticaria
Urticaria or hives is a skin reaction to allergies or to other stressors. The reaction causes flattopped wheals raised areas surrounded by a red base that can vary in size. In most cases these wheals are not painful or itchy
This is usually an allergic reaction to food drugs vaccines or anything that the horse is exposed to and may be allergic to says Husulak. It can also be caused by nonallergic reactions such as heat cold exercise or stress.
Finding the cause of urticaria can be difficult. We ask questions about the horses history and try to find out if they have been recently vaccinated or treated with any drugs or if there has been a recent change in their environment or feed says Husulak. But in many cases the cause of the skin reaction cant be identified.