Case history
The gelding arrived at the Equine clinic UVLF for the first time in the
summer of 2021, and presented with a keloid on the medial aspect of the
fetlock on the left forelimb requiring surgical removal. The lesion was
made worse due to repetitive trauma sustained when hitting the keloid
scar with the contralateral limb. Intensive pruritus was localised only
in this area and the compulsion to scratch the area did not subside even
after surgical removal. Consequently the horse had to wear a firm rubber
bandage to protect the limb to prevent self-mutilation, which was
considered psychogenic and remained unchanged for the rest of the
patient’s life. Almost two years later, at 7 years of age, the horse
once again developed pruritus and alopecia lesions in the head area (Fig
1 and 2). He was stabled with 30 other horses which did not suffer from
a similar problem. Two weeks before the onset of the first clinical
signs, the owner had begun adding nutritional supplements to the feed
such as vit. C, biotine, and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). After
discovering the lesions, the owner applied a topical spray with
allantoin and later treated the alopetic areas with betadine
solution.Within one week of the first appearance of the alopetic
lesions, the pruritus became more aggressive and generalised, and with
alopecic areas all over the body, including over the the mane and tail
(Fig 3; 4; 5; 6; 7). Soon after and upon deterioration of the condition
and its clinical appaerance the horse was taken to the referral Equine
clinic at UVLF.