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  Discussion on Can't get rid of scratches
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Member:
snyderpm

Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 8:11 pm:

I have done everything I know to do for the past 40 years to treat scratches, plus some of the more recent preparations. I still cannot get rid of the scratches on my horse's white hind leg. Yesterday and the day before his pastern skin was red and his leg swollen. Today it is still red, but not swollen because I gave him some Banamine, but he is not happy with the leg. Anyway, a friend was here giving a dressage clinic and I mentioned I can't get rid of the scratches. He said that his vet said it is not a virus or bacteria, but protozoa that cause scratches. He recommended they use equal parts of Ivemectrin wormer, Furizone and a few DrOps of DMSO. He told me they mix it up in a jar and apply it and have never had any trouble with scratches since, and they have a bunch of horses in Florida. I am going to try it. I ordered all fresh ingredients today. It used to be that vets said "oh scratches is a virus" and using bacterial shampoos or ointments won't help. I used to tell them that the bacterial preparations would help and eliminate them in many cases. So now we have protozoa. I will let you know what happens.
Member:
paul303

Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 10:01 pm:

Yes, PLEASE let us know! I fought my first cases of scratches starting last June, and just was able to stop treatment last month. And we were in a quasi DrOught all last summer. I was treating a total of nine legs daily....what a nightmare. One horse still has 3 tiny spots, but I'm tapped out with the holidays coming. I would SO appreciate finding out how your treatment goes. Thanks!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 12:38 am:

Hello Patricia,
Note that scratches is not a single disease but has many different causes though I must say I do not know of any protozoan organisms responsible. The diagnostic considerations and associated treatments are discussed in the article. Often management is as important as the treatment.

It sounds to me the veterinarian was treating mites (note that mites are arachnids like spiders and not ascarids like a roundworm as I posted earlier, blame it on brain flatulence) and not protozoans with his ivermectin treatment. I don't know of any protozoans sensitive to ivermectin. When mites are present pruritus (scratching and rubbing) is a predominant symptom.
DrO
New Member:
kfc330

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 1:14 am:

Hi Patricia,
I have two Friesians with lots of hair/feathers, so scratches is always part of my grooming ritual, particularly here in the Pacific Northwest. Your treatment sounds similar to one recommended by the vet school here. During the warming, but wet spring, I soak my boys feet (and pasterns) in a copper sulfate solution. It's the same stuff we use during the winter on the apple trees to protect against insects. That, careful grooming, desinex powder and keeping the areas dry, dry, dry. It's a constant process and a real pain in the neck... but prevention is the key. Your vet's recipe sounds less messy than mine (and less smelly), so do let us know how it works!
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 7:16 am:

I think I have put this in here somewhere before, but here goes again. just because it works everytime.

My horse had terrible scratches one year, to the point of becoming swollen and lame. I had the vet out many times, tried all the tried and true recipies, nothing worked.

Then I saw a post in this forum about panalog. I asked my vet for some and he said they didn't have any on hand, but gave me the generic version..derma vet, he also told me to give him some Azium I believe. In 3 days the scabs were gone...in a week he had pink skin and swelling and lameness was gone. It was so easy I applied it twice a day, brushed the scabs of with a soft brush...they just fell off. I didn't wash or scrub just kept the ointment on it.

I told the vet it worked and he said it made sense, as it has a mixture of anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and cortizone in it, plus since it's greasy stuff water proofed it. Now when he gets a scab starting I apply it right away and it disappears!

It is expensive, but I figured what I was spending on home remedies all summer added up to way more and was much more work....I swear by the stuff (works on rain rot too)
Member:
snyderpm

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 10:01 am:

Diane E.,
What really worked on those scratches and sent them on their way was that Azium powder. I am not saying that the generic Panalog isn't helping, I am sure it is. I have been using Panalog for as long as it has been around, but I do not believe it will make my horses scratches go away. I can't remember if I have ever used Panalog on scratches, but I would imagine I have. Anyway, I am using a similar product now and it almost makes the scratches go away, but then they come back with a vengeance. I also might add that there was an outbreak of scratches this year, and several horses had them for months even though they were treated aggressively by several different vets. Regardless, I am going to compare the ointment I am using directly to Panalog and see if there is any difference.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 4:35 pm:

Patricia I don't think so, I only used the azium the first time and to be honest he spit half of it out
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2008 - 8:52 am:

Panalog has triamcinolone which is the same type of medication as the dexamethasone in the Azium powder. If Azium powder works so should the Panalog. The difference is that panalog also has strong antimicrobial ingredients. Panalog is the medication that works for me when all others treatments have failed in cases where bacteria and bacterial reactions are the cause.
DrO
Member:
snyderpm

Posted on Saturday, Dec 20, 2008 - 8:24 pm:

I had hoped to get back sooner with results of my horses scratches, but things were kind of holding me back. Anyway, I have not tried the Ivermectrin/Furacin/DMSO mix, because I got cold feet, and was afraid it might make things worse. I asked my vet to bring me some tubes of Panalog on the next visit, and then I did a google search and compared the ingredients of what I had been using to Panalog. I felt silly, because they are exactly the same. I am using a steroid cream, but I didn't know that it was a generic Panalog. It is called EnteDerm. My horse has had scratches since the third week of Oct. My vet wanted me to try a tea tree and aleo vera shampoo called Earthbath. They said it worked great on their dogs. I used it and then applied the Entederm. He still has scratches, not bad, but they just don't go away. I had the same problem last year, and was using something different. They ended up going away in December. Personally, I think it is just like a cold, it has to run its course. But, I do think the Panalog ingredients do help the most, next to oral steroids.
Member:
chrism

Posted on Sunday, Dec 21, 2008 - 10:07 am:

Not to get back on topic ... this has been a bad year for scratches in our neck of the woods.

I've 3 horses to comment on.

Two (one chestnut with no stockings and one bay with 4 stockings) had the summer form on their hind legs. The vet of one dispensed something that very stinky, smelling like sulfur that was a mix of stuff. It was diluted in a sprayer with water and applied to two of the horses after cleaning them Nolvason wash and it cleared up the symptoms. We also used diluted Clorox water to clean the brushes. It did take a couple of weeks. They are fed mostly high quality hay and can elect to go out nearly 24/7. One is barefoot.

My other horse (black, no stockings), at a different farm, was treated for the summer form on her hind cannons as well as a couple of spots of the the winter form on her back per Dr. O's article (washing with Nolvason and applying Betadine), which seemed to knock it back. She is out a bit less, closer to 18/7.

However, the winter form has reappeared on the black and it is usually too cold for bathing. My vet, when visiting for fall shots, suggest equal parts of Listerine mouthwash and baby oil in a sprayer applied. This seems to work nicely for the colder weather. He also noted it seemed to be a bad year for scratches.

HTH.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 - 9:22 am:

Hello Patricia,
I agree this discussion has been somewhat hijacked but I think there was an attempt to provide helpful if somewhat off-topic. This has been started up elsewhere so I will clean this back up to the main topic and we can continue from there.
DrO
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