Rainrot questions

Horses with rain rot should be kept dry and away from biting insects. Begin a seven- to 10-day cleansing program with a medicated shampoo. The bacteria live under the scabs, which should be detached during the bath when they are soft to spare your horse further discomfort. Proper disposal of infected scabs is important to reduce environmental contamination. Penicillin injections administered by your veterinarian can expedite the healing process, especially if rain rot is detected early. Rain rot is also thought to be transmitted through shared tack, blankets, and grooming equipment, so anything that has come into contact with the affected horse needs to be disinfected. A self-limiting condition, rain rot can resolve itself spontaneously once the immune system gets going or when the weather becomes drier; however, the disease can become quite acute before it improves. To prevent further occurrences, avoid having your horse outside during inclement weather without shelter, protect him against fly bites, keep him from being malnourished or immunocompromised, and maintain good grooming habits.

Treatment. Most acute cases of rain rot can heal on their own; however, Swinker recommends treating even minor cases because the lesions can spread and worsen. The lesions also interfere with use (especially if they are located along the horse's back or withers) and they can be painful for the horse. She says, "In early or less severe cases, simply removing the scabs (by bathing the horse) with antimicrobial shampoos and currying will take care of the problem." However, more severe cases in which the infection has affected deeper skin layers might require your veterinarian to give antibiotic injections (such as procaine penicillin and streptomycin). Unlike most skin conditions, rain rot is not itchy, but it can be painful to the touch. Be cautious when bathing or removing the scabs. Prevention. Practicing good hygiene, such as daily grooming with clean brushes, along with reducing environmental risk factors (constant wet and/or humid environments and biting insects), are the best ways to prevent your horse from getting rain rot. Because this infection can spread to other horses, it's important to isolate the infected horse to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to pasturemates. Also, be sure to use a separate set of grooming tools and tack (if the infection is light enough to continue working the horse without causing harm), and disinfect these items between each use.