John Lyons Scratches Article (long)

["April" <adlee@mailandnews.com>]

I found my May article...Here are some quotes from that article.  It's not
the whole article, but I tried to pick out the most informative parts,
considering recent discussions on ridecamp.

April
Chattanooga, TN

May 1999 Issue of Perfect Horse, Article "Rain Rot Alert"

Some Select quotes:

"Rain rot is a skin infection caused by Dermatophilus congolensis (formerly
known as Streptothricosis), an organism that has properties of a cross
between a bacteria and a fungus.
"Rain rot is most common along the horse's back, although virtually anywhere
on the horse's body may be affected, even the face.  When Dermatophilus
infection is present on the lower legs, it is sometimes called 'grease
heel,' 'scratches,' or 'dew poisoning.'  On the legs, it usually begines
either on the lower portion of the pastern, where the hair is very thin, or
underneath the long hairs on the back of the fetlock.  A horse with
Dermatophilus infection on the body will not necessarily have it on the legs
and vice versa."

"Part of the reason for a more dramatic picture on the legs is that once the
organism gets into the skin, the constant movement of the legs tends to pull
on the damaged areas and open the skin further...Also, since the legs are
closer to the ground, they are exposed to a higher level of other bacteria
and fungi, which may also easily become involved, causing what is called a
'mixed infection' or a 'superinfection.'
"The organism that causes rain rot does not live in the environment (dirt,
bedding, etc.). It is moved from horse to horse by physical contact, usually
via a brush, sponge, blanket or equipment.  Some horses have the organism on
their skin but never develop the disease.  These 'carrier' -- apparently
healthy, normal -- horses may be the source of the infection.
"Dermatophilus organisms require specific conditions to grow and thrive.
The need conditions of high moisture and warmth, with low oxygen
levels...Once they gain access to the skin itself (probably through a small
abrasion), they take a hold of the injured tissue and immediately begin to
irritate the skin.  The conditions under the scabs they form are exactly
what the organism needs to multiply."

"Horses in hot climates are plagued by this condition during rainy seasons."

"Some horses have problems with rain rot year after year.  The most
important factor in these cases is probably that there is a well-established
colony of the organisms on their skin.  They carry the infection constantly
but do not develop actual problems until the weather and coat conditions are
favorable."

"Treatment begins by eliminating the conditions that allow the organism to
thrive.  The horse must be kept out of the snow or rain, away from mud, and
not turned out in the early morning when there is a dew or after a rain.
The scabs must be removed to expose the infected skin to air...Do NOT use
oils or glycerine to soften thick and tough scabs.  This will block air from
reaching the skin even further...

"...Clipping is usually not advisable once the horse has the condition,
since it usually creates small nicks in the skin that favor the spread of
the organism...If clipping is done, make sure to adjust the cut to leave at
least a half-inch of hair."

"Once the scabs have been removed, you can kill the infection fairly easily.
Most veterinarians recommend the horse be bathed daily for three to five
days straight using an iodine-based surgical scrub...Some companies sell
shampoos that contain iodine for horses. However, the concentration of
iodine in these may not be high enough to get the job done."

"After three to five days straight of bathing, you should see obvious signs
of healing in the raw areas.  If you have any doubts as to whether healing
is progressing like it should, it is a good idea to involve the
veterinarian.  He or she may see evidence of, or suspect, another infection
as well that could need special treatment.
"When another fungus is involved, veterinarians will sometimes advise you to
use a rinse that contains a common garden fungicide (such as Captan) after
the horse is bathed and to leave that solution on the skin between baths."


----- Original Message -----
From: Maggie Mieske <mmieske@netonecom.net>

I found a really good article in John Lyons magazine (the name of which I
can't for the life of me remember this minute) about rain rot/scratches.  I
remember it was the May issue...it was very informative and educational.
From what I understood rain rot and scratches are a fungus/bacteria and
similar to each other in some aspects and can be started by even a minor
scratch from a stick or scrape where the bacteria takes hold...it can also
be spread to other horses who get a nick or cut, etc.  Don't quote me on
this but perhaps someone can actually FIND their issue and share the info
on ridecamp with us.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=