Ringworm in Horses
Ringworm is a skin disease affecting horses. The disease is caused by the skin loving dermatophyte fungus. The species of fungi causing ringworm in horses include Microsporum and Trichophyton, which also affect human beings. The wounds are usually small at the beginning then they gradually grow. Sometimes the wounds are itchy. In a few cases there may be only a few wounds. But if they are left untreated, the condition might worsen.
Horses less than three years of age are the worst affected. The ringworms initially appear as small patches of hair loss with flaky skin beneath. If not treated in time they can lead to serious infections such as blisters with scabs. These areas infected are susceptible to secondary skin infections.
The body parts affected are the girth, saddle areas, face, areas around the eyes and the legs. The lesions, usually very itchy, can be highly contagious spreading from horse to horse and sometimes to humans as well.
Ringworm is passed on from one horse to another by direct contact between horses, grooming equipment, clothing, and contact with infested stables or trailers. The fungus is highly resistant to the environment and remains on timber structures and other such things for longer periods. The most common way by which they spread is through boot and grooming equipments. The fungi can remain on the skin for more than two weeks before any signs develop. Sometimes a new horse in the stable can be responsible for spreading the condition in the yard and young ones are more prone to be infected. Immunity is developed through this infection.
There are a few steps that are involved in the treatment of ringworms in horses. They are as follows
· Once you see occurrence of hair loss in patches, consider it to be ringworm and keep in mind that it is contagious not only to horses but humans as well. A UV or woods lamp can help in detecting the disease.
· Mix barbicide in warm water and apply on the affected area.
· Preferably wear a rubber or latex gloves while applying the barbicide mixture.
· Wipe off the barbicide minutes after applying. The fungus is killed almost immediately after the application of the solution.
It is advised that you keep infected animals isolated from other horses so as to control the further spread of the disease. Anti-fungal shampoos can be used to treat ringworm problems. It is almost next to impossible to avoid diseases, but they can definitely be prevented.