Friday, October 9, 2015

Six days of Buddy

He's been mine for six days now. Six days of bonding and ringworm treatment. The first part I've enjoyed--he's a bright, obedient young horse with just a couple of quirks but plenty of potential. I've been dusting his body with No Thrush and it's working. The bumps and "scrapes" signs of coat fungus are disappearing.

However, the ringworm on his face, which I was told had been "starved" has worsened. No Thrush didn't help that as it started spreading, so I had to get more aggressive with treatment on his face. The vet suggested miconazole. Every woman should have that in her bathroom. It's commonly known as Monistat, and if it's gentle enough for the tender areas of our bodies, it's tender enough for equine faces. I started that yesterday, after forgetting the day before, when I bought his first vaccine.

Today, I'm going to start with Betadine, let it dry, and then smear on the miconazole. And just in case, I ordered the new Absorbine Medicated Shampoo & Spray combo pack. I also have iodine shampoo. You can bet that my old brushes will get tossed after this.

I found the No Thrush effective when Beau had coat fungus also, which is why it's my first go-to with any signs of coat fungus. I've also grown up on a ranch, and cattle herds always have some individuals with ringworm (fungal infection) on their faces and none of the horses or people got it. It will run it's course, but I'd rather eliminate it from this poor boy sooner than later. I also believe the immune system, once strengthened, learns to recognize it and attack it in the early stages in future exposures.

Removing the stress of riding, adding to Buddy's relaxation through body work, and feeding only roughage will help to heal ulcers--already seeing proof in his droppings--which will help boost his immune system and heal his whole body to fight this fungus. He's perked up as he's shown signs of improvement, so I'm hopeful that this is a good sign.

In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to keep my barn clothes out of the house. I think the kitties already had their bouts of ringworm at one time or another (after researching the symptoms in cats), most recently, the new kitty when he came in (from barn life) with terrible dandruff and a hairless spot on his chin/throat area that the vet didn't seem concerned about and was itching his head. That's all healed and no more dandruff. None of the other cats developed symptoms, nor did their human servants.

Thank goodness for the owner of this barn being so laid back. She's seen it all and doesn't get frazzled. Where I boarded before, someone (especially the owner) would be freaking out. Strangles, ringworm, thrush...it all comes and goes. It's just another aspect of owning large animals. A healthy horse on the inside, however, is the best defense against the plethora of pathogens that live in the outdoors. That I learned in my journey to better health.

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