[CloudsMystique]

A few months ago, my mare got these sores on her anus and labia. The sores were pink and yellow (her skin is black) and they looked rotten. The ones on her anus were much nastier than the ones on her labia.

I got my vet to look at them and he said he didn't know where they came from, but that they were going to be hard to get rid of because of how difficult it will be to keep the area clean. He gave me some chlorhexiderm shampoo and an ointment he made by mixing a few things together. He told me to shampoo the area and apply the ointment twice a day, then once a day, until the sores are gone. He told me they were probably going to come back, and they did, but only the ones on her anus.

Is there any way I can keep the area extra clean so that they stop coming back? I can hardly wash it every time she goes to the bathroom...

Would a tail wrap help air the area out and keep it from getting warm and sweaty? Is it safe to keep tails wrapped?

Any ideas?

 

[Lunachick]

A tail wrap may help (although I'm not sure either if they are safe). But if so, I think it would proably stop the hairs from irritating it a bit.
Otherwise I guess just washing it whenever you can, but you don't wanna irritate it by cleaning too much either

 

[churumbeque]

Can your vet check to see if she has a venerial disease? I would think you could culture it to get more answers.

 

[CloudsMystique]

Can your vet check to see if she has a venerial disease? I would think you could culture it to get more answers.

He didn't seem to think that was the cause... I guess by the way the sores looked?

 

[Vidaloco]

Ask another vet? I just think thats odd he didn't know what it was.
Is she rubbing herself on something that may be causing wounds that are then getting infected?
If thats the case I wonder if something like Vagisil would help

 

[CloudsMystique]

Ask another vet? I just think thats odd he didn't know what it was.
Is she rubbing herself on something that may be causing wounds that are then getting infected?
If thats the case I wonder if something like Vagisil would help

She's not rubbing on anything, and they aren't in random places - they only occur inside of wrinkles and skin folds. So I don't think it's from a wound...

Should I ask him to biopsy it?

 

[wild_spot]

Is she rugged? If so you can put a tail bag on 24/7 - it isn't tight so won't cause any problems associated with wrapping...

 

[CloudsMystique]

Is she rugged? If so you can put a tail bag on 24/7 - it isn't tight so won't cause any problems associated with wrapping...

What kind of a tail bag? It's only the feathers and dock that need to be wrapped...

 

[wild_spot]

I personally wouldn't leave the dock wrapped all the time - Don't think it would be very healthy.

This is the type I am talking about - it covers the whole tail but that would have the nice side effect of a clean, full tail :] This company sells different dock sizes so you can have it tighter or looser. You can also get much cheaper ones that aren't as nice.

I just ordered one of these for my boy.

The material might stay cleaner than a bandage/wrap as well... Don't know.

 

[CloudsMystique]

I personally wouldn't leave the dock wrapped all the time - Don't think it would be very healthy.

This is the type I am talking about - it covers the whole tail but that would have the nice side effect of a clean, full tail :] This company sells different dock sizes so you can have it tighter or looser. You can also get much cheaper ones that aren't as nice.

I just ordered one of these for my boy.

The material might stay cleaner than a bandage/wrap as well... Don't know.

Ohhh, I see. Do they attach to the blanket?

 

[Vidaloco]

If its only in the folds I wonder if its some sort of fungus thats gotten started. Hmmmm... Its probably best to just try the ointment and shampoo he gave you and see if it helps.

 

[wild_spot]

Yep, they velcro in. That company sells the Attaching bit as well, so you can attach it to any rug. Other cheaper ones you have to have a rug with the part already there, or make it yourself.

 

[CloudsMystique]

If its only in the folds I wonder if its some sort of fungus thats gotten started. Hmmmm... Its probably best to just try the ointment and shampoo he gave you and see if it helps.

Yeah, it definitely helps. They're completely gone within a few weeks. But then they come right back several weeks later...

Yep, they velcro in. That company sells the Attaching bit as well, so you can attach it to any rug. Other cheaper ones you have to have a rug with the part already there, or make it yourself.

That sounds cool! She either has a blanket or a fly sheet on year-round, so that might be something I should do. It would also help keep her tail out of the way while I shampoo and medicate her.

 

[Indyhorse]

If its only in the folds I wonder if its some sort of fungus thats gotten started. Hmmmm... Its probably best to just try the ointment and shampoo he gave you and see if it helps.

That's my knee jerk reaction too, if it keeps coming back like that and likes those little crevices it might be some kind of yeasty beast or something. It just seems like there should be some kind of proactive treatment you could do, like on a daily basis, to stop the cycle rather than just having to retreat her every time they come back.

 

[Honeysuga]

I vote get another opinion, no offense to your veterinarian, but it would probably be better to see it from another pair of eyes... Especially if it keeps coming back after the treatment he gave you, it might honestly just be something he doesn't know about/ was not taught about, vets are not all horsey versions of House after all lol. Maybe another opinion could bring to light some other cause...

Could it be from a bug or something like a blister beetle? Are there a lot of bugs in your area?

 

[RhondaLynn]

It sounds like a yeast problem. You know like we women get sometimes. I would try giving her probotics. and I would also get another opionion and I think I would insist on a culture. Just in MHO.

Rhonda

 

[speedy da fish]

poor baby girl , ^^i think the tail protecter thingy is a good idea^^ and wrapping would be ok as long as you re-wrap to check and to apply the ointment, i think this would be enough to let it recover.

 

[RoxanneElizabeth]

I was going to say change her body chemistry/PH...probiotics would help.

 

[Honeysuga]

Try a little yogurt in her feed, either plain or a flavr she might like like vanilla or honey or something, it has good bacteria in it and could be beneficial if it is a bacterial infection.

PS! PROGRESS??? NAYHTING NEW?? you cant just leave us hanging girly!

 

[CloudsMystique]

Haha, sorry! They're slowly getting better with the shampoo and medicine. Thank you all for the ideas!