🧴 Vet-Backed 2025 Guide to Treating Scratches (Equine Pastern Dermatitis) in Horses 🐴🩹

Author: Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

Scratches—also known as equine pastern dermatitis—is a frustrating skin condition affecting the lower limbs of horses. While not a specific disease, it’s a reaction pattern to irritation, infection, or immune dysfunction. Scratches are painful, progressive, and challenging to treat if not properly diagnosed. In this 2025 vet guide, Dr Duncan Houston breaks down the latest approach to identifying and treating scratches for long-term relief. 🐎🧪

🔍 What Are Scratches?

Scratches refers to a group of skin reactions on the lower legs—most often in the pastern area, but it can extend up toward the hock. It typically causes:

• 🩹 Painful, thick scabs stuck to the skin
• 🔴 Redness, swelling, and crusting
• 🧬 Chronic inflammation and scaling

The condition is especially difficult in draft horses with heavy feathers, where mites often contribute to the inflammation. 🎯

🌿 What Causes Scratches?

Scratches is usually caused by skin irritation followed by infection. Triggers include:

• 🦟 Allergies to mosquitoes and flies
• 🌾 Pasture weeds that cause contact dermatitis
• 💦 Standing in wet, muddy environments
• 🧴 Irritating chemicals or topical medications
• 🪳 Mites (especially in feathered breeds)

As skin becomes inflamed, it thickens, cracks, and becomes infected. In severe or chronic cases, a vet may perform a biopsy to rule out immune-mediated diseases. 🔬

🧪 How Is It Diagnosed?

Diagnosis involves:

• 🔬 Visual inspection of the scabs and crusts
• 🧫 Culturing bacteria or fungi from the skin
• 🧪 Skin scraping or biopsy in recurring or severe cases

Correct diagnosis is essential. Treating for fungus when the infection is bacterial—or vice versa—can delay healing. 🕵️

🛠️ 2025 Vet-Recommended Treatment Steps

Here's how to treat scratches effectively, according to current veterinary standards:

1️⃣ Sedation and Hair Removal

• 🐴 Sedate the horse—removing scabs is painful
• ✂️ Clip all hair from the affected leg to expose lesions

2️⃣ Clean and Soak

• 🧼 Wash with a chlorhexidine-based shampoo or another vet-approved anti-infective cleanser
• 🕒 Let soak for 10–15 minutes to soften scabs

3️⃣ Gentle Scab Removal

• 🩹 Carefully peel softened scabs—do not force
• 🧽 Rinse thoroughly and pat dry

4️⃣ Apply Medicated Ointment

• 🧴 Use a topical cream with antibacterial, antifungal, and corticosteroid components
• 🦟 Add a fly repellent ointment if insects are a factor

5️⃣ Wrap if Needed

• 🩹 Apply a light, breathable wrap for the first few days
• 🚫 Avoid tight or long-term wrapping—it traps moisture

6️⃣ Systemic Antibiotics (If Severe)

• 💊 Prescribe oral antibiotics if the leg is swollen or infection has spread deeper

❌ Common Treatment Mistakes

• ❌ Using harsh topical chemicals that further irritate skin
• ❌ Leaving scabs untreated—they trap infection
• ❌ Ignoring recurring lesions without identifying the underlying trigger

🧠 Vet Insight from Dr Duncan Houston

"Treating scratches is more than removing scabs—it's about stopping the cycle of irritation and infection. Always work with your vet to get to the root cause." 🐴💡

🛡️ Prevention Tips

• 🧽 Rinse and dry legs after turnout in wet or muddy fields
• 🦟 Use fly boots and repellents in insect-heavy seasons
• ✂️ Keep leg hair trimmed—especially in feathered breeds
• 🧼 Use mild, vet-approved shampoos only

🔚 Final Word: Scratches Need Smart, Sensitive Care

Scratches can range from annoying to debilitating. By identifying the cause, using gentle but targeted treatment, and staying ahead of infections, you can help your horse heal faster—and stay sound. 🐎❤️

Unsure about your horse’s skin condition? Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app for expert, real-time veterinary help. 📱🩹