Epidemiological observations on pastern dermatitis in young horses and evaluation of essential fatty acid spot-on applications with or without phytosphingosine as prophylactic treatment

Abstract

Background - Equine pastern dermatitis (EPD) is a common multifactorial clinical syndrome in horses. Treatment can be difficult;pathogenesis and triggering factors cannot always be determined. Objectives - To assess risk factors for developing EPD in a large group of horses kept under the same conditions and to analyse whether or not a spot-on containing essential fatty acids and antimicrobial agents is able to prevent the development of EPD or accelerate the healing process. Animals - Each year 50 young, privately owned, warmblood horses were prospectively included. Methods - All horses were examined weekly between August and October for the presence of typical EPD skin lesions. Additionally, in the first year, horses were randomly divided into three subgroups of intervention. The pastern areas were treated once weekly either with 0.6 mL of a spot-on containing essential fatty acids and aromatic oils, or a preparation containing additional antibacterial phytosphingosine, or not at all. Results - Nonpigmented pastern areas were affected significantly more often than pigmented pastern areas (P < 0.0001). The interaction between moisture and opportunistic pathogens seemed to be a major triggering factor for EPD. There was no difference in the occurrence of EPD in the three subgroups. The lesion scores of affected limbs in both spot-on groups were significantly lower compared to the control group. Conclusion and clinical importance - Moisture and lack of pigmentation predisposed to EPD. Topical application of the tested spot-on once weekly did not prevent the disease. A positive effect of both spot-on products on the severity of EPD lesions was detected