Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your horse, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your horse, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The tack room
Help! Will you look at pony's face and diagnose?
Hakluyt · 07/06/2014 19:50
Last week she had some tiny scabs on her face- today there are two bare patches and
and more of the little scabs. They are just on her face and it's just her, even though she spends a lot of time cuddling her field mate. They are itchy- she rubs her face-but it's not driving you crazy itching and hibiscrub and dermoline have soothed it. She is very thin skinned and rubs incredibly easily. She has never suffered from
Sweet itch in the 6 years we've had her, there are no visible parasites and she has been wormed recently. Any ideas?
fortyplus · 07/06/2014 21:23
Looks like some form of contact dermatitis - could she have come into contact with anything to set up an irritation? Could even be shampoo, fly spray or a plant
Whitegrenache · 07/06/2014 21:25
My horse had sores on his face and had scrubbed his tail. He lost loads of weight and was very lethargic, after a few weeks if deliberating, I called the vet who diagnosed mites and he had 3 shots of dectomax. A few weeks later and he is much better.
Hakluyt · 07/06/2014 21:44
Fourtyplus- I did wonder about buttercups- it's the only new thing I could think of. We always use the same fly spray and shampoo.....
Whitegrenache- I thought mites were visible to the naked eye- aren't they? That's a thought.
Hakluyt · 07/06/2014 21:45
If it was mites, would her field mate have them too?
Lanabelle · 08/06/2014 15:22
It looks like bites and looks like she has rubbed the scabs off, cant really tell properly from the photo though. You would see mites close up and if one horse has mites, the others would usually have too. Could be buttercups but whatever it is - its irritating the skin and if it continues may need treatment anyway. don't think its sweet itch because that's normally flakey before scabby.
Whitegrenache · 10/06/2014 21:18
No mites can't be seen. The vet confirmed that, and my other ponies did not get them despite being in very close contact with each other.
Hakluyt · 10/06/2014 21:24
Thank you- the vet says that they are fly bites- ironically we've never put a fly mask on her because she gets rubbed so easily and she's never had a problem. But the vet says the flies are vicious this year- be warned everyone!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.