Skin Problems in Horses

There are many problems that can affect a horse’s skin–from insect allergies to fungal, viral, or bacterial infections. The skin is the body’s largest and most important organ; it protects the inner structures of the body from the outside

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There are many problems that can affect a horse’s skin–from insect allergies to fungal, viral, or bacterial infections. The skin is the body’s largest and most important organ; it protects the inner structures of the body from the outside environment. Although it consists of many layers and is tough and resilient (and generally heals quickly when injured), if the skin is compromised too much, the horse’s health is at risk. Skin problems can be minor or serious, but even minor ones should be properly diagnosed and monitored to make sure they don’t become major.


There are some general terms to describe a variety of skin conditions that can be caused by several different things. If your veterinarian says your horse has dermatitis, or dandruff, or scratches, this is not a diagnosis; he/she will check further to determine what is actually causing the signs you’re seeing.


Dermatitis


Christine Rees, DVM, veterinary dermatologist at Texas A&M University, explains that dermatitis simply means inflammation of the skin. “It could be inflammation due to allergy, or infection, or be secondary to trauma and injury,” she says. The horse also might be rubbing and itching for some other reason and resultant trauma to the skin could lead to dermatitis

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Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband near Salmon, Idaho, raising cattle and a few horses. She has a B.A. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). She has raised and trained horses for 50 years, and has been writing freelance articles and books nearly that long, publishing 20 books and more than 9,000 articles for horse and livestock publications. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey’s Guide to Raising Horses and Storey’s Guide to Training Horses. Besides having her own blog, www.heathersmiththomas.blogspot.com, she writes a biweekly blog at https://insidestorey.blogspot.com that comes out on Tuesdays.

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