Recent News for Skin Problems
Article
Skin Deep
January 01, 2009
Your horse's skin is a huge and complex organ that serves as a barometer for his inner health. We tend to think of a horse's skin as just the envelope that contains all the important stuff. But the skin is an organ--the... Read More
Article
Radiation for Equine Cancer Offered by Washington State
November 06, 2008
During the past few years, the oncology team at Washington State University (WSU) has successfully treated several horses with cancer using radiation therapy. Previously, this type of treatment was considered an unrealistic option for horses wit... Read More
Article
Don't Ignore Melanomas
October 01, 2008
The latest research indicates that equine practitioners and the general public need to understand that a melanoma is not just a benign bump. The statistics are a little daunting: Up to 80% of gray horses older... Read More
Article
Mare With Melanoma: A Teacher to the End
October 01, 2008
Years ago my family became the owners of a beautiful, older Arab mare named Danza Mia. She�s been mentioned in this column several times, including a couple of years ago when we had to make the decision for euthanasia. Based on her necropsy, it... Read More
Article
Equine Laser Surgery Now Available through Wisconsin Vet School
September 19, 2008
Lasers are changing the options available to horse owners whose animals need surgical procedures. "Laser surgery can not only save horse owners money for certain procedures, it can also be more effective than traditional surgery, with fewer... Read More
Article
HIVES
August 15, 2008
Horse owners often refer to these bumps as feed bumps, protein bumps, or heat bumps, since these terms describe some causes of hives. Usually, an allergic reaction remains localized to the skin, but if clinical signs persist or are not arrested early... Read More
Article
Focus on Equine Genetics: the Ol' Gray Mare
August 08, 2008
For more than 100 years, equine researchers have been examining why gray horses that are losing hair pigmentation are often concurrently affected by melanomas—tumors characterized by a massive production of the pigment melanin. According... Read More
Article
Hives: Identifying the Source
July 31, 2008
For the one-time occurrence of hives, you might never discover the incriminating source. However, if hives recur, you might be motivated to track the allergen. Start by mentally reconstructing any changes in diet, environment, medications,... Read More
Article
Sarcoid-Causing Virus Harbored by Circulating Blood Cells
July 26, 2008
Aggressive research efforts to discover how the sarcoid-causing bovine papillomaviruses (BPV) are spread either within or between horses have resulted in the identification of BPV genetic material (DNA) in circulating blood cells. ... Read More
Article
Sarcoids Beware: Electrochemotherapy in Horses 'Highly Effective'
July 17, 2008
In an effort to find a cure for sarcoids, common skin tumors in horses, a group of researchers have spent the past 15 years developing electrochemotherapy (ECT)--a treatment modality that uses a combination of chemotherapeutic drug administratio... Read More
Article
Radiation Therapy for Equine Cancer Patients
July 08, 2008
While radiation therapy might seem like an unrealistic option for managing horses with cancer, Janean Fidel, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVR, Dipl. ACVIM, from Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine suggests the opposite. She attests... Read More
Article
Rain Rot
May 01, 2008
If you live in an area with wet or very humid conditions, your horse might be at risk of contracting a bacterial skin disease commonly known as "rain rot." Rain rot or rain scald (also known as dermatophilosis) is caused by bacterial infection, ... Read More
Article
Bioabsorbable Cisplatin Beads for Skin Cancers
April 24, 2008
Skin cancers are seen in horses, and many methods and technologies have been used to treat them. One of the more recent strategies is intralesional chemotherapy, or placing a chemotherapeutic agent directly in the tumor to kill the abnormal cells.... Read More
Article
Fire Ants and Horses
April 08, 2008
Fire ants deliver a simultaneous bite and sting that are very painful and give them their infamous name. The threat of fire ants to healthy, ambulatory adult animals is fairly minimal. However, fire ants can be a significant threat to recumbent... Read More
Article
Scratches
April 01, 2008
April showers might bring May flowers, but they can also lead to skin problems such as scratches. Also called pastern dermatitis, dew poisoning, greasy heel, or mud fever, scratches is not a condition itself; it's a description of a problem... Read More
Article
Reviewing Limb Cellulitis: Management Key to Good Outcome
March 13, 2008
According to a new Canadian study, cellulitis--a diffuse bacterial infection of the skin and associated tissues--is common in horses, particularly Thoroughbreds, but is rarely life threatening if managed appropriately. "Despite being a... Read More
Article
Readers Respond: Battling Rain Rot
March 13, 2008
Nearly 1,600 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, "Has your horse had rain rot?" <P... Read More
Article
Sarcoid Sleuths: Investigating Unsightly Tumors
February 20, 2008
Getting rid of sarcoids is challenging since tumors often come back after treatment. Even worse, conducting biopsies or surgically removing some types of tumors can trigger more rapid growth.... Read More
Article
Hitting the Road for Education
February 01, 2008
Take more than 1,000 veterinarians and veterinary students from around the globe, some armed with presentations representing thousands of hours worth of equine research, and add to it some tartan, bagpipes, and Scottish fare. Drop it all into a... Read More
Article
Vaccine-Based Treatment for Equine Sarcoids
January 20, 2008
Horses with sarcoids could soon benefit from a new vaccine-based treatment that is currently being developed by a group of German researchers. Equine sarcoids, semi-malignant skin tumors caused by bovine papillomaviruses (BPV)-1 and -2, are common in... Read More
Article
Face Flies Linked to Sarcoid Spread?
January 10, 2008
A U.K. veterinarian has possibly linked common face flies to the spread of sarcoids, one of the most commonly encountered equine neoplasias (tumors), and it is conceivable that the risk of spreading sarcoids could be minimized through horse... Read More
Article
New Targets for Sarcoid Therapy
January 10, 2008
Ask a roomful of horse people if they've ever seen a sarcoid, and you'll probably see a bunch of hands rise, and many knowing nods or eyerolls of owners who have dealt with these frustrating, usually benign tumors. Sarcoids are the most common... Read More
Article
Hair Club for Horses?
January 01, 2008
Q: I have a 9-year-old bay Quarter Horse gelding. He is losing his hair, and it's not just typical shedding--he's getting bare spots of skin. Any hints as to what it could be? Rebecca,... Read More
Article
Topical Gel for Bacterial Skin Infections Could Be 'Spot On'
December 18, 2007
Florida researchers reported that equine bacterial skin infections could be effectively treated with a topical "spot-on" gel instead of the traditional labor-intensive shampoos and long-term oral antibiotics. Bacterial skin infections are... Read More
Article
LSU Hosts Veterinary Dermatology Seminar
November 10, 2007
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a veterinary dermatology seminar entitled "A Potpourri of Veterinary Dermatologic Diseases and Therapy" on Sunday, Dec. 2. This seminar is generously sponsored by Vetoquinol USA Inc., Virbac... Read More
