As horse owners know, equine skin conditions can escalate quickly. Scratches (Pastern dermatitis), rain rot and sweet itch cause problems and even lameness if left untreated. Silver Honey® Rapid Wound Repair and Silver Honey® Medicated Shampoo is an amazing new wound and skin care brand that has people talking about its ability to heal skin conditions fast. Silver Honey works with your animal’s natural healing process to heal faster. Long known for its unique healing properties, Manuka Honey from New Zealand prevents biofilm from forming and inhibits bacterial and fungal growth. The other star ingredient in Silver Honey is a patented form of medical grade silver called MicroSilver® BG. This is not common colloidal silver which is absorbed into the blood stream. The larger, more porous particle of silver stays put to heal rapidly.
Here’s a how-to for treating each type of skin condition.
Silver Honey, Antimicrobial Hot Spot & Wound Care Spray Gel, 8 oz
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Rain rot
This bacterial infection spreads quickly in a moist environment, causing raised bumps with scabby crusts and hair that stick up. The crusts usually peel off, leaving bare spots and sometimes pus. Rain rot is usually made worse by humidity in the spring and summer.
Treating Rain Rot
Wash the affected area with Silver Honey® Medicated Shampoo and follow up with Silver Honey® Rapid Wound Repair ointment or spray gel. Daily treatment for a week or so is usually suggested. Peeling off the loose scabs can help speed healing. If it doesn’t improve, call your vet. Keeping them dry or allowing their coats to dry completely is key to long term success. A lean-to, run-in or other covered area will allow the horse to get out of the rain. Using waterproof sheets or blankets, regular grooming and disinfection of clothing worn by affected individuals will also help prevent future infections. Make sure to clean your grooming tools, saddle pads, blankets and other communal supplies with an antibacterial soap and do not share them while dealing with the infection.
Scratches
Pastern dermatitis, AKA scratches, greasy heel, dew poisoning and other names, occurs when bacteria invade small cracks in the horse’s skin around the pastern area above the horse’s heels. Once it takes hold, small lesions begin to ooze and crust over to form hard, painful scabs. You can treat a mild case of scratches yourself, but severe cases may require veterinary attention.
Treating Scratches
The first rule of treating scratches is to leave the scabs in place. Attempts to remove them are very painful for the horse and may get you kicked. Instead, carefully trim the pastern hair and wash the area with Silver Honey® Medicated Shampoo to help quickly soothe the irritated skin and begin to treat the area. When you’re done, dry the area completely, using a hair dryer if necessary. Finally, apply Silver Honey® Scratches Spray . Repeat this as directed and, eventually, the scabs should slide off on their own. If they don’t, removing them gently while the skin is soft after washing can help speed up the healing process.
Sweet Itch
The seasonal return of midges (no-see-ums) can trigger skin allergies associated with their bites. Hypersensitivity to the saliva of the tiny biting midges (Culicoides spp.), also called sweet itch, is one of the more severe reactions. Any horse can be affected, but Icelandic Horses, Welsh Ponies and Shires are most susceptible because of a genetic predisposition to the condition. The most obvious sign of the allergy is extreme itchiness, with the horse rubbing themselves hairless and raw when seeking relief using anything the horse can find, including fencing and the ground. Areas where the insects like to feed—the chest, midline, crest and top of the tail—are often damaged by the bites.
Treating Sweet Itch
Prevention is the best cure for sweet itch. Keeping horses inside when pests are more active—primarily dawn and dusk—helps protect them. Invest in a good fly sheet with a belly band, dependable fly spray such as UltraShield EX, fly boots and a mask with ear nets. If the horse is kept in a stall, fine-net screens over windows and doors can keep pests out.
If your horse is already dealing with sweet itch and has created a sore from rubbing himself, Silver Honey® Rapid Wound Repair ointment or spray gel can help heal the sore and soothe the surrounding area.
With some close attention and good skin and wound care products available at your local Wilco, you should be able to get those pesky equine skin conditions under control.
