RE: Scratches

[Wendy Milner <wmilner@verinet.com>]

My standard post on the subject:-)

Scratches are caused by a fungus. The medicine to get rid of the
scratches will kill the fungus, but not always the complications
that go with scratches. 

Generally in a bad case of scratches, the skin will break open.
When you get rid of the fungus, the skin is open and gets a
bacterial infection. So you go to work on the bacterial infection,
get it cleared up, and the scratches are back. You must
work on both at once.

Also, you must keep everything disinfected. Take a half gallon
of water and put in a 1/4 cup of bleach. Wash everything that
touches the infected horse with the bleach water solution.
This includes your hands. Each and every time you work with
the horse.

Here's what I had to do.

1. Keep everything that you use on this horse clean and disinfected.
You'll need a bucket, brush, cloth, etc. Everytime you use your
gear, wash it out and use bleach to disinfect.

2. Clean the area with water and epsons salts. Soak the area
as much as possible to make the scabs soft. Then let the area
air dry.

3. A mixture of tea tree oil (anti fungal) and lavender oil 
(anti-biotic). You can get the oils at a health food store.
Just put a couple of drops of each (or mix them together and
use a few drops) onto the affected area. Rub in so that you
cover the entire area. You are going to do this every morning.

4. Wash your hands and the buckets and cloths in a bleach water
solution.

5. In the evening, wash the area again. Put a bit of castor oil
on the affected area. The essential oils tend to dry out the
skin. The castor oil will put moisture back in. You can mix
the essential oils (put them on first and let them soak in)
and then put the castor oil on. This is what I would do if the
scratches don't heal in a couple of days and you need to
treat twice a day rather than once a day.

6. Clean your hands and equipment with a bleach water solution.
I am not kidding. 
-- 
Wendy
Dragon Crest Ranch
Some where near Masonville, Colorado

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