How To Treat Horse Skin Infections with Banixx

banixx

What is a skin infection on a horse? Skin infections may be fungal or bacterial. The fungus or bacteria invade the animal’s skin through a cut, scrape or even an insect bite, if left untreated, the infection continues to grow. Some skin infections grow to be mild irritations while others grow exponentially and can even cause lameness, especially if the infection is around the horse’s ankles.  Such mild irritations may often be resolved with a tissue-friendly topical such as Banixx Horse & Pet Care while more serious ones may need antibiotics, in addition, to kick the healing into gear.  It’s always a good idea to involve your veterinarian if you are in any doubt as to the severity of the infection or if you do not see good progress after 48 hours of topical treatment.

What are the most common skin infections on a horse? Rain Rot, Ringworm, Scratches, Mud Fever, Dew poisoning, Lice, Sweet Itch, Greasy Heel and Photo-Sensitivity.

What causes a skin infection on a horse? It may begin with something as seemingly harmless as insect bites, or parasites/mites that feed on the skin (lice and mange).  Alternately, it may be due to contact with vegetation/plants that secrete irritants, a bacterial/fungal infection that has blossomed, or other sources of irritation that may begin on a small scale and then escalate into a bigger problem such as exposure to continual dampness and/or wet skin, dry skin, and sunburn. Some horses seem to be more susceptible to skin infections than others. Color often seems to play a role in this aspect.  Chestnuts and grey horses can be more susceptible than their bay or dark brown counterparts. Thus, your horse’s skin infection often develops as a result of an earlier confrontation between your horse and some contributing organism.

How to treat a skin infection on a horse? Banixx is the treatment of choice for equine skin infections that are due to dermatophilosis (rain rot, rain scald, rain sores, mud fever), dermatophytosis (ringworm), and pastern dermatitis (greasy heel, scratches, mud fever, cracked heels) and Culicoides hypersensitivity (sweet itch). Banixx is well tolerated by your horse because, unlike many other wound care products, it has no clinical odor and it does not sting, so there’s nothing to cause further angst for your equine companion. Believe me! These attributes are winners when treating your horse! A twice daily application of Banixx spray will yield results in record time - generally 3-4 days. Re-growth of hair takes a while, of course, so requires a little more patience. When treating your horse's skin condition, it's a good idea to try and discover the cause of the skin condition/infection and identify how to avoid a recurrence to assure a future healthy skin, coat, and horse.

To learn more about common skin conditions in horses (and how to avoid them), click here.

Case Study: Horse with Devastating Skin Infection

Horse Skin infection
Severe Horse Bacterial Skin infection
Horse Skin Infection after Banixx

A horse with a severe, bacterial skin infection presented with a long shaggy coat, along with highly-sensitive areas of dry, dead skin. Her coat was rank with infection, the odor was unbelievable. There were multiple areas of disheveled hair that, when removed, revealed areas of heavy, pungent-pus. Little attempt was made to remove these many infected clumps of skin/hair due to the horse’s obvious pain (see photos). It looked like Rain Rot on steroids!

Since this was an extreme case, Banixx was used as a whole body treatment for 17 consecutive days. The horse’s infected areas were soaked daily with Banixx spray. Banixx achieved success by debriding these areas, literally “lifting off” the infected skin and hair. The horse was kept in a clean stall during the day time and allowed out at night. The middle picture shows the recovery on process. She returned to the clinic a couple months later with a full healthy coat and clear skin.

NOTE: The symptoms of Cushing’s disease can often mirror certain skin conditions. If you suspect your horse has Cushing's disease, contact your veterinarian. While Cushing's disease has been recognized for more than 70 years, only recently are there improved diagnostic and treatment options. A horse with Cushing's disease can live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. Learn more about Cushing's disease.