If your horse is scratching more frequently, you should take a closer look, as itching can be the primary symptom of many skin diseases or allergies in horses. Some metabolic disorders can also cause itching in horses. This condition is very distressing for your horse and should therefore be examined and treated by your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Affected horses will try everything they can to find relief. They rub against objects and scratch or bite themselves, sometimes to the point of self-mutilation. Open skin wounds, scabs, or areas of hair loss around the tail and mane can be signs of severe itching. Stalls and paddocks should therefore be checked for sharp-edged or pointed objects and damaged materials. Affected horses often become irritable and restless during daily handling and riding and may sometimes exhibit unexpected behavior such as kicking out or biting.
In horses, itchy skin conditions are most commonly caused by parasites (fleas, mites, gnats, deer flies), fungi, or bacteria (dermatophytosis; see the relevant article).
Just as with humans, allergies and intolerances are becoming increasingly common in horses. It is therefore important to check whether your horse might be reacting to its feed or certain supplements. Apart from that, detergent residues—for example, on the saddle pad—or grooming products for the horse and equipment can also cause itching. If chemical substances (pesticides, stall paint, cleaning agents) have been used in the stable area, this should also be considered as a possible trigger. It is therefore essential to check these environmental conditions as well.
The triggers for summer eczema (see related article), which is accompanied by severe itching, are various blood-sucking insects such as black flies or midges. Affected horses should be protected by wearing an eczema blanket at all times.
Severe itching around the tail root may be a possible indication of a worm infestation (see related article).
Furthermore, poor stable hygiene can also have a negative impact on your horse’s skin health. This includes, for example, stalls that are poorly mucked out or not mucked out at all, and mold growth in the stable. All of these factors can also lead to various skin irritations in horses.
Of course, we want to relieve our horse of that agonizing itch. However, as previously described, the itch is merely a symptom of an underlying condition. The products available on the market do not address the cause, but only alleviate the itch. To avoid unnecessarily delaying the desired recovery, please always contact your veterinarian to begin treating the underlying cause as soon as possible. Until your vet appointment, you can regularly cool the itchy areas of skin.
As a general rule, prevention is always better than cure: Proper deworming is essential to protect your horse from worm infestations, and good pasture and stable hygiene creates the ideal conditions to prevent skin diseases from developing in the first place.
Skin fungus, also known as dermatomycosis, is one of the most common infectious skin diseases in cats. It resembles many other skin diseases in appearance and is therefore not always easy to diagnose. Many types of fungus are also transmissible to humans, meaning that it is a zoonosis.
Is your dog moving more stiffly, reluctant to go down stairs or jump into the car? Is he limping or does he have a swollen joint? Around 20% of all dogs develop joint diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis during their lifetime. But what is the difference between them?
Ear infections in dogs are one of the most common reasons for visits to the veterinarian. However, the condition is often detected too late and not treated consistently. The anatomical structure of the ear canal in dogs and its length make it prone to inflammation. Due to various factors, some dog breeds are even more susceptible to inflammation in the ear area. Outer ear infections, also known as otitis externa, are the most common type. Middle and inner ear infections are less common. However, if not detected early, these can develop into chronic conditions that require intensive treatment.
It happens in the paddock or even in the stall: your horse injures itself and may be bleeding. What should you do? Is it just a small scratch, a bump, or even a huge, gaping wound? Do I need to call the vet, or can I treat it myself, and if so, how? How can I minimize the risk of injury in the future? Kicks, bites, falls, or foreign objects can cause cuts, puncture wounds, abrasions, bruises, contusions, or burns in horses, which may require veterinary treatment depending on their severity. The severity of an injury always depends on its location and the involvement of surrounding structures, such as muscles, tendons, or joints. As with humans, a distinction is made between covered and open injuries in horses. In covered injuries, the horse's skin is undamaged, which is why this type of injury is not always easy to detect. For example, a kick may have caused a bruise that we as owners may only notice when grooming or when the horse is lame. Damage to the skin is referred to as an open injury or wound. This results in bleeding of varying severity, but even here, smaller wounds can be overlooked due to the coat.
Periodic eye inflammation has been known for over 2000 years and is the most common eye disease in horses. It describes a recurring inflammation of the middle layer of the eye (uvea) in horses. In veterinary medicine, the term "equine recurrent uveitis" (ERU) is now used. The disease occurs repeatedly, initially at longer intervals and later at shorter intervals, and can lead to significant visual impairment. Since the affected horses often went blind from this disease and it was suspected that it was related to the phases of the moon, it was also commonly referred to as moon blindness.
Skin diseases are one of the most common reasons for visits to the vet, alongside gastrointestinal disorders. Pyoderma refers to purulent infections of the skin caused by various bacteria. In healthy animals, the skin provides good protection against infections through various defense mechanisms. There is a balance between the normal microflora of bacteria, yeasts, and parasites on the one hand, and the formation and breakdown of skin cells and their waste products on the other. The microflora feeds on the waste products of the skin and at the same time prevents the colonization of infectious germs.
Rotz, often referred to as skin rot or skin worm, is one of the longest known diseases affecting horses. It is a bacterial, epidemic infectious disease characterized by purulent skin and mucous membrane ulcers and a mostly chronic course. While the disease is still widespread in Asia, Africa, and South America, it has been considered eradicated in Germany since 1956, although it was detected in a horse for the first time again in 2015. Due to the danger it poses to humans, the disease is still notifiable.
You probably often see your velvet-pawed friend licking themselves thoroughly, vigorously working on one spot or another of their fur. Cats groom themselves. Nevertheless, it is useful to help them with their fur care, not least to find and remove any parasites. The coat change will also be more pleasant for your cat if loose hairs are brushed out regularly. Especially with certain breeds such as Angora or Persian cats, you should stick to a daily routine to keep your pet well-groomed and healthy.
Are outdoor cats or indoor cats healthier and happier? What are the respective advantages and disadvantages, and what suits my cat and my lifestyle best? Here you will find useful information to help you make your decision.
Horses are flight animals. If something frightens them, they will run away faster than some owners can even blink. There are many possible triggers: a large green tractor while out riding, posters in an indoor riding arena, or children playing in the yard. However, with the right exercises, you can help your horse become more calm over time.
Just like humans and dogs, more and more cats are developing the metabolic disease diabetes. However, diabetes in cats differs from that in dogs and humans in a number of key ways. Middle-aged neutered male cats are particularly affected. Maine Coon and Siamese cats are more susceptible to diabetes.
As in many other sports, doping plays an important role in equestrian sports when it comes to competitions and performance comparisons. Unlike in athletics, however, it is not the human being who tries to enhance their own performance by taking certain substances, but the animal whose performance is to be enhanced by administering these substances. Since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the issue of doping in equestrian sports has also come into the public spotlight due to numerous proven cases of doping, which has resulted in considerable damage to the image of equestrian sports.
