Equine Skin Problems Recognizing and treating skin disorders on
your horse. Marcia King | The signs are obvious: A couple of
scaly, crusty areas on your horse where the hair has fallen out.
Your horse has some sort of skin disease, but what? And, more
importantly, what should you do? Attempt to treat your horse
yourself but risk a delay in getting the right kind of treatment
for your horse? Summon the veterinarian to your farm, only to be
told to administer a common, over-the-counter medicated shampoo?
Knowledge is Half the Battle Effective treatment begins with
appropriate treatment, and the foundation for appropriate
treatment is recognizing the skin condition. Explains Sandy
Sargent, DVM, resident in veterinary dermatology at the
University of Tennessee, “Skin diseases are caused by infectious
agents (bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses), allergies (to
insect bites, dietary factors, drugs, environment), abnormal
reactions to sunlight, physical and chemical agents, hereditary
factors, or they can be neoplas