Dermatology Review

Skin ailments were broken down into classifications of pruritic (itching), nodular, or crusting lesions. The variety of problems discussed included common equine skin diseases like sarcoids, insect hypersensitivity, hives, allergies, photosensitivit
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Stephen White, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Anthony Yu, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, presented a whirlwind tour of just about every skin disease known in the horse. They described systematic diagnostic testing and treatment along each stop to attendees of the 52nd annual American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 2-6, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas. Skin ailments were broken down into classifications of pruritic (itching), nodular, or crusting lesions. The variety of problems discussed included common equine skin diseases like sarcoids, insect hypersensitivity, hives, allergies, photosensitivity, skin cancer, and a variety of fungal and bacterial infections.

Pertaining to the topic of the pruritic horse, one bacterial infection they discussed is currently of great concern due to emerging implications in public human health–Staphylococcus species. A greater prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) poses a potential threat to humans that have close contact with infected horses. MRSA has been identified as colonizing "normal" horses and humans, yet can be devastating if clinical infection occurs.

When skin appears to have a variable scaling and non-scaling pattern, it was suggested that a fair presumptive diagnosis could be a bacterial infection. Rain scald (caused by Dermatophilus bacteria), with its typical paintbrush-appearing lesions, is a common bacterial skin infection in humid climates. In the presence of environmental moisture, areas of skin trauma are susceptible to infection from bacteria-contaminated crusts dropped from an infected carrier horse.

Other equine skin diseases that might initially create itching include fungal infections (dermatophytosis) such as those organisms that cause ringworm. Previous treatment strategies have used tamed iodine shampoos, but the experts suggested that chlorhexidine (disinfectant and topical anti-infective agent) shampoo products are more effective. One type of yeast, Malassezia spp., is known to cause rubbing of the tail and abdomen in mares infected between the mammary glands

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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