I've posted about this a lot since getting Sid but can I just test my understanding of what is going on and all the different issues? I've been reading the Mallenders support group on Facebook and have got really quite confused.
As a reminder, Sid has mallenders on the backs of his knees (fronts only) and scabs in his feathers. The scabs come and go, he only has about 3 in total at present. The mallenders gets less or more but is always there. At present it's not very sore.
It's so complicated. Thank you!
As a reminder, Sid has mallenders on the backs of his knees (fronts only) and scabs in his feathers. The scabs come and go, he only has about 3 in total at present. The mallenders gets less or more but is always there. At present it's not very sore.
- Is this a chronic or an acute condition? As far as I have learned, mallenders is a form of keratosis, where the horse's body produces an excess of skin molecules, and it is chronic. It won't ever go away, though it can be managed. The feather scabs are more likely to be acute, caused by things like mites, mud fever or photosensitivity.
- Is this condition food related? I've seen a lot of people saying that mallenders is worsened by sugar in the grass or in forage. Does this match your experience?
- Is this related to sunlight? Are these horses photosensitive?
- Do supplements help? Many people give supplements. I have a supplement for Sid from Forage Plus, the Summer Skin Balancer. Do you have a view on whether a supplement helps?
- What about topical treatments? If your horse has these conditions, what treatment do you use? Do you worry about photosensitivity when using oils and greases?
- Brush or leave alone? Some swear by brushing the feathers out and lifting the scabs, others feel they're better left alone. What's your view?
- Feathers on or off? I thought to begin with I would have to clip Sid's legs to cope, and did, but as his feather grow back it feels more manageable to let them grow. Any thoughts?
It's so complicated. Thank you!