best winter rain rot treatment?

[Lynn_70]

Anyone have suggestions? I took my mare into the vet and she has a moderate case of rainrot. Best treatment recommended was to bathe her with betadine scrub- which I did get from the vet. He also prescribed 30cc of penicillin twice a day (HUGE dose). I am a bit concerned about both these treatments since penicillin of that high dose could cause some issues and it's currently 10 degrees here- so real bathing isn't an option.
I plan to spot bathe her and dry her off the best I can but I don't know that that will be good enough since it seems to keep spreading around her whole torso.

HELP!!!
LC

[HeartofSteel]

Shaving the spots where the rain rot is will help alot, they can get air to heal easier. It looks kinda funny but it works. Also, no blanketing :)
You can get M-T-G, it helps but it smells like bacon. You can just treat the spots with it but some horse are allergic to it, none of mine have been but I have heard of some that are.

[luv4chance]

MTG - Used it on my mare a couple of years ago... stinks to high heaven but the stuff really works.

[Apaches Mom]

It seems like Vance always gets rain rot while it's cold. Bathing just isn't an option so I've used the MTG each time. It does stink to high heaven but I've had great success with it. My brother rescued a mare (owner was inmate in jail, and my brother is a deputy. Inmate asked my brother to save her since he had no one to care for her). And this mare was COVERED in rain rot, and quite a bit underweight. Obviously as a druggie, this guy wasn't taking care of her anyway. I was worried about using the MTG on her since her health was "compromised" but after a test area seemed okay, we covered her in it practically. And it cleared it up quickly.

I've never had to use antibiotics on any of them though. Is there secondary infection going on or something?

[Ryle]

That is actually a NORMAL dose for penicillin. Most people way under-dose it and that is why there has been so much resistance developed by bacteria. Antibiotics are often recommended in cases where the infection is pretty extensive and/or conditions aren't good for daily bathing.

As for what to use other than betadine scrub, you can simply apply betadine solution watered down to a weak tea color and let it dry on the spots.

[Lynn_70]

I was concerned about the penicillin because the bottle says don't give more than 10cc in a single dose.. I did call the vets office back and talked to the other horse vet. He recommended 15cc twice daily to total 30 daily vs. 30cc twice a day. I am starting at that dose for now and will see if it is effective.
I had already tried betadine solution and MTG without success. However, I think perhaps I may not have been consistent enough in my application. It was super cold here in Dec and Jan, like -10 to -30 below on a daily basis so I didn't spend as much time checking her over and doctoring as I should have. Then 2 weeks ago we got temps in the 30's and about 4-5 days of rain- that's when it got really bad!!! She has several thin hair spots and bald areas on her sides and flanks-- poor baby!
I think I will get some more MTG and try that again until it's warm enough to bathe her fully.
Thanks everyone so far!
LC

[Ryle]

15 cc's twice daily is an underdose unless you are talking about a welsh or smaller pony. The label means not to give more than 10cc's in one area as this can lead to excessive soreness and swelling in that area. When you give penicillin (or any other large dose of medication) you should give no more than 10cc's in one area, then redirect the needle to a different area of the muscle.

[luvs2ride1979]

Ryle is right on there. When my mare had an illness requiring penicillin, I gave her 30 cc's twice a day. The vet showed me how to reposition the needle to help spread out the injections. Poor girl. She was a pin cushion for a week, but it worked to clear it up well!

For topical, I like yellow Listerine. Use it half strength. Squirt some on and let it sit. Then pick off the scab and squirt some more on there. No rinsing, just let it dry.

Groom her daily and spray the grooming tools down with a 10% bleach solution after every use. Really saturate your curries and brushes with the bleach. Let them dry in the house if it's below freezing.

NO blanketing while it heals. If it's too cold, then keep her up in the barn at night and when it's cloudy/rainy. Turn her out when it's sunny.

[Suzi]

When I got Jack he had a nasty case of rain rot, and it was in cold weahter. We put on the betadine and let it dry on. When the scabs started to pull away we put desitin on it to protect the raw patches. It was after we began this treatment that someone told us abt MTG. I used it on the smaller patches and it worked very well. He had a few spots start 2 months ago and i doused him with the MTG and it cleared up fast. Love the stuff.

[Ryle]

Suzi, just FYI part of your problem for getting it cleared up was putting desitin on the spots. The bacteria that causes rain rot likes an atmosphere without oxygen, that is why removing the scabs is important--they limit the oxygen around the bacteria. By putting desitin on the areas, you were effectively giving it a new "scab" or protection from the oxygen rich environment.

[Suzi]

I hadn't thought abt that. I put the destin on only after the scab came off and the skin and it looked so raw. I did not put it on any scabs. It was abt a 12 inch diameter area on his hind end.

[Lynn_70]

So can you explain to me how to move the needle around to disperse the medication? Do you leave it in and just angle it over or do you have to stick them again?
LC

[sarhound]

I second the use of Listerine--absolutely love it. I keep it in a spray bottle so I can spritz any patches I find. The guys hate it; they say it makes them smell funny, but it sure clears them up fast.

[luvs2ride1979]

So can you explain to me how to move the needle around to disperse the medication? Do you leave it in and just angle it over or do you have to stick them again?
LC

My vet had me pull it more than halfway out, then push it back in at a different angle.

[Ryle]

Yep, as luvs said you pull the needle about 1/2 way out and change the angle that you insert it at. You can also completely remove the needle, replace it and inject into a different area.

[mtnmollie]

meleuca ( tea tree oil) cured our rain rot.

mel- lee -luka?

[APPYT]

Interesting. I use Desitin(store brand) exclusively for rain rot and it works great..

[Lynn_70]

I would use tea tree oil- as I have used it with success for other skin issues. However, with the large area I have to cover, it would just be too costly since it is sold in such small quantities and is on the spendy side. I do really like using it for other things though- I feel like it's one of the safest products. I just wish it was cheaper!
LC
Thanks ladies for the explanation on dispersing the medication around. I hate to have to stick her more than once each dosing unless I must. Poor girl, her neck was pretty swollen this am on one side. But it hasn't stopped her from eating her hay!

[Equine_Woman]

They have a tea tree topical made for horses in a big squirt bottle. But Listerine and diluted betadine works too. Or it has in my experience. We have had a horse that got rain rot every year and it only cleared up with penicillin treatment, however he had a BAD reaction to penicillin once so now his owner won't give it to him.

[Lynn_70]

Equine,
Where do you find the large bottle of TTO?
LC

[elleng]

I'm another one for listerine. Cheap, easy, and works VERY well

[Fork]

Old thread I know, but my vet told me to apply the Betadine straight to the wound. It's worked for me in the past. Does it change the effectiveness?

Tiara's got a nasty bout of rain rot right behind her elbow. I'm going to try Listerine next time. :)

[Remali]

I've always heard that Betadine is good. And to remove scabs and keep the area dry (not moist). And no blankets. My Roanie has a bit of a case of rain rot right now too, unfortunately she got it from two new horses that came in and had it.... grrrrrr.....

[Fork]

I borrowed my B/O's old rain sheet because she was shivering today, and my rain sheet was still at home. How do you disenfect a blanket after it's been used by a horse with rain rot?