We are approaching rain rot season. Rain rot seems to be more common and worse in horses with weakened immune systems. It is caused by Dermatophilus congolensis and it is a bumpy skin infection. It thrives in low oxygen, high moisture skin. It usually occurs under a horse’s winter coat.
If you do not groom your horse regularly or checking his skin condition it is easy to miss in the early stages. When the horse has a heavy coat it is also easy to miss at the early stages. At this time horses are not usually sensitive to touch. It will leave a small area of raw skin as the scab comes off and the hair will still be attached to the scab. The infection will grow if it is not caught in the early stages. The scabs become thicker and form scab crusts. It then becomes painful to the horse when it is touched.
Sunlight and air can help clear up rain rot but the crusts that develop can prevent that from happening. To treat rain rot you must remove the crusts and treat the skin. There are many effective products that can be purchased to help clear up this condition.
The horse’s skin will be sensitive but curry lightly as much as you can to remove the scabs. The infected area may need to be clipped for products to penetrate their best. Follow the directions for the product of your choice. When the infection is gone the hair will begin to grow back.
Once a case of rain rot has been cleared up you will need to keep the horse protected from snow and rain to prevent reinfection. If the horse happens to get wet dry the coat. Use towels or blow dryer if the horse is used to one. If it has not shown signs of improvement in a week of using a remedy call your vet.
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