scratches remedy

["Beth Glace" <lb@nismat.org>]

Since the topic of scratches has been raised once more I thought I'd 
share my experiences with them.  Klass was purchased last 
Thanksgiving.  During her presale vet exam a 2 cm patch of "greasy 
heel" was observed.  I thought little about it, brought her home to 
NY where she stood in December's mud and sometimes slush during the 
daylight hours.  She was brushed off in the evenings, but the lights 
in the barn are poor and I didn't immediately notice that she was 
developing a larger patch of blackened, scaby skin under her white
fetlock. By early December I began to wash and treat the area.  Over 
the next 7 months I've tried:  betadine washes, zinc shampoo washes, 
plain water washes, loosing the scabs using icthamol and wraps, 
followed by various ointments [including remedies given here on 
ridecamp, furacin, panalog, desitin, cortisone cream, triple 
anitbiotic creams], YOU NAME IT.  It improved somewhat, but migrated 
and changed shape, eventually affecting her white skin along the 
pastern.  I'd nearly resigned myself to torturing this poor horse 
daily for the rest of her life via my assorted "treatments".
Last week a new vet was in the barn for another customer.  I happened 
to have Klass right there and asked this vet about the scratches.  
She gave me a tub of Nolvasan.  Four days later the 
scratches were completely gone.  This antibiotic/antiinflammatory 
ointment truly worked wonders and I'd stronly recommend trying it if 
your horse also suffers from "scratches", "greasy heel" or "mud 
fever".
Beth Glace and [a much happier] Klass Act