# Horrible Scabs/ Sore Behind Cob's Knee- how to treat?!



## thehorsediva (15 December 2010)

Sunday morning I found my fully feathered cob with blood dribbling down his leg from behind his front knee.  Having cut the hair back I found a sore area around the size of a 50pence piece where it looks like a large scab had come off.  Around the area moving slightly down the leg the skin is thick, crusty and flaking off - it's difficult to describe.  I treat his legs with pig oil and sulphur regularly which has kept them healthy for the last few years.  In addition he is treated for mites through the summer months with frontline which solves all problems there.  I am really careful with keeping his legs in good condition and hadn't noticed any problems prior to the weekend but I think I must have missed this.  I have thoroughly checked all other legs and there is no sign of this problem at all elsewhere.  Do you think this sounds like mallenders?  And how should I be treating it?  Two days later and the area was bleeding again.  I have to turn him out daytime otherwise he'll go mad.  I'm certain its not mud fever or mites (not right time of year and only occuring in this one area).  Any suggestions or help would be gratefully received!   
PS- Bit of a long shot but may be worth mentioning, I have changed his diet slightly with the addition of a magnesium based calmer to his feed- not sure it this could have any significance what so ever!!!


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## Django Pony (15 December 2010)

I share your pain!! Jasper gets these on his hind legs. I've had some success with MSM Ointment. http://www.naf-uk.com/products/detail.php?id=81. Worth a go!


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## ofcourseyoucan (15 December 2010)

sorry but it sounds like mites! they are persistant little blighters! i would ask your vet to jab him with dextomax. it will take 2 injections 2 weeks apart. but that treatment should last for 3 to 4 months and as a bonus he wont need worming for that period. i would keep the "wound" clean as possible in the interim. good luck.


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## Harriettie (15 December 2010)

I also feel your pain, my lad has had this the whole time I have owned him -  11 years - and it has been the bane of our lives! I think it is mallenders (or sallenders!) and aggravated by some kind of mite. 

The answer seems to be: clip the legs and keep them clipped so you know what's going on; treat the scabs with something to soften them (I now use muddy marvel scab remover) and then pick them off; keep the skin on the legs soft with some kind of moisturiser like E45 and then spray regularly with with frontline spray to keep the mites at bay!  Not very complicated or time consuming at all  

I have only discovered the frontline spray aspect of the solution this year and is a real help.  I think what makes it worse is that cobs have thick skin and it splits easily and then gets sweaty, especially behind the knees.

Good luck!


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## Guinness (16 December 2010)

thehorsediva said:



			Sunday morning I found my fully feathered cob with blood dribbling down his leg from behind his front knee.  Having cut the hair back I found a sore area around the size of a 50pence piece where it looks like a large scab had come off.  Around the area moving slightly down the leg the skin is thick, crusty and flaking off - it's difficult to describe.  I treat his legs with pig oil and sulphur regularly which has kept them healthy for the last few years.  In addition he is treated for mites through the summer months with frontline which solves all problems there.  I am really careful with keeping his legs in good condition and hadn't noticed any problems prior to the weekend but I think I must have missed this.  I have thoroughly checked all other legs and there is no sign of this problem at all elsewhere.  Do you think this sounds like mallenders?  And how should I be treating it?  Two days later and the area was bleeding again.  I have to turn him out daytime otherwise he'll go mad.  I'm certain its not mud fever or mites (not right time of year and only occuring in this one area).  Any suggestions or help would be gratefully received!   
PS- Bit of a long shot but may be worth mentioning, I have changed his diet slightly with the addition of a magnesium based calmer to his feed- not sure it this could have any significance what so ever!!!
		
Click to expand...

Personally I wouldnt use pig oil and sulphur (I did think about it until I got a packet of sulphur and noticed it was an irritant!).Sounds like it could be mallenders to me (if hes not itching/stamping his feet) but to be honest if its that bad its bleeding I would get the vet out.  They might give you some kind of hydrocortisone cream (although I am not sure it can go on open wounds). Its really good at clearing the scabs away, but they will probably come back as soon as you stop using it. I had a course of it for my cob and within a few days his legs were 100% better, but I couldn't afford to keep using it so my vet reccommended E45 cream. You can get 1% from the chemist, but I use the normal one on my horse and it seems to work ok.


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## misterjinglejay (16 December 2010)

My welshie has this; it's called mallenders or sallenders (one is the hind legs, one is the fore, but I can't remember which is which!)

I hibiscrub every 3 or 4 days, taking off as many scabs as I can, and smear on E45. This seems to keep it well under control.


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## Theresa_F (17 December 2010)

If you send me a PM with an email address, I will send you a very long note telling you how to keep your boy with full hair and in good health.

Basically, frontline, then P&S.  On the sore areas, I mix sulphur with sudocream and tea tree oil - amounts are in my note and this soothes and heals the area up very fast.  Flower of Sulphur will not irritate the sores and is great for skin conditions in preventing and healing them, hence my mix for any cuts, grazes, mud fever scabs etc.

Welcome to a life of treatment every couple of weeks, but once you have the knack it only takes 5 minutes to do.


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## Ella19 (18 December 2010)

hibi scrub strips the skin of everything so I wouldn't advise using it. Picking off the scabs although an established method by many also opens the wounds to infection. Try just using something to soften them and keep the cracks clean - sudocreme would be what i could advise, however a vet could help diagnose and treat if you have one coming to the yard for any routein calls.


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## ofcourseyoucan (18 December 2010)

i am very lazy! and find the dextomax jab does the job, no need to pick,wash,spray etc every couple of weeks! just jab 2 weeks apart then rejab every couple of months and the bonus of saving on wormers and having legs that are not itchy/scabby/bleeding and can be kept as full feathers with the odd wash and spray to keep lovely!


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## Ashgrove (18 December 2010)

My horse also has this, so your ideas have been interesting.

But like ofcourseyoucan I'm lazy , so I'm going to try the injection.


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## Ditchjumper2 (19 December 2010)

Very common in cobs and heavies.....don't worry.  I just clip hair off wash/scrub until all scabs off,  dry area and put on pig oil and sulphur.  Then just keep taking off scabs and reapplying PO & S.  If he has clipped legs and you keepn them regularly clipped you should not have a problem.  It is usually when you leaqve the hair too long that you get the problem.


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## K27 (20 December 2010)

Sounds like Feather Mites/Lice?- have you tried Deosect, it's very good for treating that sort of thing, and then for the crusty bits you could try sudocrem and the like, but you may need something stronger if it's that bad from the vets, with steroids/anti inflammatories, to get the skin to heal properly.  Good luck.


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## vicksey (20 December 2010)

My cob has this and has done for the past 5 years I have had him, I wasnt aware it could be mites I was always told it was mallenders and something cobs and heavies get. Like many on here I clip the legs all year round and use E45. Aloe vera worked wonders but was working out very time consuming and expensive. Keeping the skin clean and hydrated seems to keep it under control.


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