# best treatment for scratches



## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

One of my horses has a bad case of "scratches" 
what have oithers found to be the best treatment?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

You'll hear many things but here in the land of 6 months of rain each year, I've found that washing with a weak betadyne solution to clean, then thoroughly drying, then using a topical ointment works well. Depends on the cause- if it's due to bacteria growing in the wet, then something like nitrofurizone ointment works well.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Irish Pixie had the same issue not too long ago. MTG finally worked for her. I remember using it back in my more horsie days for scratches all the time.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

The term "scratches" is loosely applied to many skin afflictions in the pastern area. The actual cause of the condition will dictate which remedies will be most effective. This could be bacterial, fungal or parasitic in nature.... OR a combination of more than one! A bacterial infection can follow an infestation of chorioptic mites, for example.

A skin scraping taken by your vet is the most efficient way to figure out what is causing the skin problem, so you can tailor treatment. 

If you want to start taking shots in the dark, MTG (Mane-Tail-Groom) - a sulphur-based topical skin remedy - is inexpensive, readily available, and isn't going to worsen anything. If you use MTG for a week and don't see any improvement, consider having a vet take a skin scraping rather than continue to fumble around trying this remedy or that. Chorioptic mites can be a booger to get rid of when they get deeply imbedded.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

After cleaning, drying & clipping hair (if necessary) a diaper rash ointment (zinc oxide, I believe) has always worked well for me.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Chorioptic mites/mange is seen mostly in draft or breeds with heavy leg feathering isn't it, Jennigrey? 

I'm _still_ using the MTG weekly on the bay mare with no white on her legs, but the chestnut sabino (3 white stockings) cleared up completely within two weeks. Clean the area well with diluted iodine, scrub lightly to remove the "gunk" and put a heavy dose of MTG all over the area. I did this every day for a week, then every other day until you see healthy skin. If it was a dark skinned horse, or a particularly bad patch on a pink skinned horse, keep doing it every other or every third day for a month.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Yes, much more common in the draft breeds for whatever reason. You'd think that it was the feather'd breeds but then Belgians and Percherons get it pretty often as well, and they don't have much in the way of feather.

MTG can increase the risk of sunburn, but that's about the only side effect / risk I can remember about that product. That and the risk of spilling it in the car on the way home from the shop. Phew!


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## SueInMichigan (Sep 27, 2007)

My Arab gets it annually on his one white leg. Diaper ointment (zinc oxide) seems to do the trick. Dries up and falls off until next year!


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

jennigrey said:


> Yes, much more common in the draft breeds for whatever reason. You'd think that it was the feather'd breeds but then Belgians and Percherons get it pretty often as well, and they don't have much in the way of feather.
> 
> MTG can increase the risk of sunburn, but that's about the only side effect / risk I can remember about that product. That and the risk of spilling it in the car on the way home from the shop. Phew!


The stuff does stink. :yuck: I use rubber gloves to apply it because the oil makes it adhere well to skin as well as hair.


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## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

I've heard of people using saurkraut - bandaging the leg with it and it clears it up. I use the MTG myself - in the Spring as soon as a thaw begins, I reach for the horse clippers and get rid of any extra hair around the hoof line and pastern/fetlock area. I also pre-treat by scrubbing with iodine shampoo, rinse and dry and apply one time MTG. That seems to stop it before it starts.
I had a mare that had Cushings once, she got a terrible case of it on her hindquarters. I used MTG on her and in a few weeks time, the skin healed over and she regrew the hair.
THAT was nasty to deal with!
MTG smells like burnt leaves to me. 
If you use Nitrofurasin, be sure to wear gloves. Its been clinically proven to increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Limit your exposure to it.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

I would start with zinc oxide (diaper rash ointment)... it's cheap and easy to find. It has worked well for me when the "scratches" appear to be fungal. If that doesn't work, MTG is a good all-around product to try....

I can't imagine what saurkraut does...unless it's a fermented type and the bacteria somehow help? I'd probably go for the diaper rash ointment first.


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## dkrabec (Apr 5, 2012)

One of my mares gets the scratches every year caused by an allergy to the gnats is what the vet said, I have experimented with many things and the best mix I have come up with is this. I use a 32 oz spray bottle with a mixture of 16 oz apple cider vinegar, 3 capfuls of skin so soft, 2 oz of straight pyrethrin, and fill the rest with water. Plus the acv is a natural antibacterial so if it helps if there is some bacterial infection. I use it on all of my horses as fly spray but the one that with scratches I soak her in it and have had good luck so far. I did notice that if the skin is really scabbed that after a couple of days a lot of dead skin comes off like dandruff then the new skin is fine. My friend said that it was because it burned her, I think it just got the dead/itchy skin to loosen I curried her good got the dead skin off and kept putting it on her and have not had any more dandruff episodes. If they have itchy ears I have put the mixture on a sponge and sponged it on with success, I would not use around the eyes as the acv would sting.


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## greg_n_ga (May 4, 2012)

Cliff said:


> Irish Pixie had the same issue not too long ago. MTG finally worked for her. I remember using it back in my more horsie days for scratches all the time.


What I use. I hadn't had any issues with it. I have also used a vinegar/water solution, like dkrabec, when I run out, till I can get more MTG. It appears the thread is leaning toward what we call rain rot ??


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

My farrier was here on Monday and said that MTG cleaned up a horrendous case of rainrot that one of his horses had. I had always used Fungasol spray on rainrot.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks for all the advise. I ended up soakiong the thick layer of scabbing,,then picking it off as gentle as I could. Furozone cream for several days. and t hen a betadine wash follwed by more furozone cream seems to be getting it in check/. what is MTG?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

MTG is a sulfur based liquid from Shapley's. Here's a link: Product Details


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## greg_n_ga (May 4, 2012)

lamoncha lover said:


> Thanks for all the advise. I ended up soakiong the thick layer of scabbing,,then picking it off as gentle as I could. Furozone cream for several days. and t hen a betadine wash follwed by more furozone cream seems to be getting it in check/. what is MTG?


TSC carries it if your feed store don't.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

offthegrid said:


> I would start with zinc oxide (diaper rash ointment)... it's cheap and easy to find. It has worked well for me when the "scratches" appear to be fungal. If that doesn't work, MTG is a good all-around product to try....
> 
> I can't imagine what saurkraut does...unless it's a fermented type and the bacteria somehow help? I'd probably go for the diaper rash ointment first.


I have read that saurkraut contains probiotics if it is naturally fermented without pasturization. Pasturized saurkraut doesn't contain probiotics as they are killed off during the processing. Perhaps that is it? There are a lot of "old time" remedies that work and most of us don't have a clue why that is, at least I don't. But if it works, well go with it. As long as it doesn't harm the horse that is. Some remedies work because of the harm it does to an animal, like my grandpa used to pour kerosene on a dog with mange. It worked, but man did the dog yelp, took the hide right off the dog in some cases, but no more mange, so in his view - the treatment worked. Dogs never died, but they sure did stink for awhile. He raised **** hounds and beagles and back then, there were no "fancy" treatments available for animals. Tobacco used for worms, kerosene and castor oil were the "go to" meds for most things, I remember they used to say if you rubbed kerosene on a cow's navel, she'd get over the bloat..uhm maybe it resolved on it's own? .

So if the kraut don't hurt the horse, use it..but for goodness sakes, if you see the hair sloughing off with skin attached..call the vet (this is said tongue in cheek)..lol..


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

sidepasser said:


> I have read that saurkraut contains probiotics if it is naturally fermented without pasturization. Pasturized saurkraut doesn't contain probiotics as they are killed off during the processing. Perhaps that is it? There are a lot of "old time" remedies that work and most of us don't have a clue why that is, at least I don't. But if it works, well go with it. As long as it doesn't harm the horse that is. Some remedies work because of the harm it does to an animal, like my grandpa used to pour kerosene on a dog with mange. It worked, but man did the dog yelp, took the hide right off the dog in some cases, but no more mange, so in his view - the treatment worked. Dogs never died, but they sure did stink for awhile. He raised **** hounds and beagles and back then, there were no "fancy" treatments available for animals. Tobacco used for worms, kerosene and castor oil were the "go to" meds for most things, I remember they used to say if you rubbed kerosene on a cow's navel, she'd get over the bloat..uhm maybe it resolved on it's own? .
> 
> So if the kraut don't hurt the horse, use it..but for goodness sakes, if you see the hair sloughing off with skin attached..call the vet (this is said tongue in cheek)..lol..


I have made fermented saurkraut before, so I guess I agree that the bacteria must do something....it just seems that there must be a less messy option!  Although I wonder if just saturating a bandage with the brine would be enough? 

Knowing my horses they would eat the saurkraut and the bandage instead! 

Kerosene for mange....probably wouldn't go that far. Poor dog!


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