I’m not really sure what is going on with Brá. I have noticed, recently, that she has lost her fur and there maybe some insect bites. She is not looking her best really.
Treatment: A topical ectoparasiticide containing deltamethrin 1% w/v plus a daily anti-itch supplement, TurmerAid (turmeric) and equine minerals and vitamin powder. She had sweetitch this autumn but didn’t suffer like Hetja did and maybe this is the result. I don’t know. She has no other symptoms.
This side is the worst.
And this side is not nearly as bad.
I do know Brá, and her friends, regularly hang over the fence so it might just be hair-loss from stretching over wire.
She is absolutely fine in herself, if anything nicer and easier to work with. She has a fine figure now and I wouldn’t want her to be any thinner.
Her field-mates show absolutely no sign of anything similar.
I am trying my best to not ignore the situation. If Brá was itching and miserable, obviously I would move her, but apart from looking revolting, she is absolutely fine. Possibly looking the best she has in ages.
Anyway, she is enjoying her daily mini-bucket feed of fibre, herbs, powder. She appreciates this individual attention and care. I hope it all clears up.
I’m SO glad to hear that Bra isn’t itchy (says the person who has had eczema)
Here’s hoping the medicine works; it’s probably a little “drafty” on those spots without fur…
Poor Bra! And poor you, not having a Universal Translator working so Bra can tell you exactly what is going on with the hair loss. But her Minions look good in a windswept style.
Poor Brá. Our Fell pony came out in some odd skin issues and it was the result of him starting with Cushings.
Oh god, I hope we are not going down that route. Will bear it in mind xx
For what its worth it may be rain scald – our ponies used to get it here in Orkney in Jan/Feb as winter went on and on and on…
They look awful but are actually fine in themselves. Sudocrem may work.
“Rain scald is a condition generally found during autumn and winter months and affects the skin of the horse, usually on the back and flanks. It is caused by a bacteria called Dermatophilus congolensis”.
Hope you are all surviving!
Jean
I did wonder about rainscald but I have never seen it on the neck. Always the back. Also I can see little bites.
Many years ago, while I was getting a haircut, my barber asked if I was under some kind of stress. At the time, I was indeed undergoing some emotional distress. When I asked why he suspected such, he said he had observed some “alopecia aerata” on the back of my neck. He explained that the term means “patchy bald spots,” and that it is sometimes brought on by stress. After I changed jobs, those spots filled in and the condition has not recurred. I wish the best for your lovely mare. FWIW.
I too wondered about the stress of losing her foal – hence the vitamins and minerals, etc – to rebalance her from inside.