Hi all. About two weeks ago I posted here and elsewhere looking for help with a long standing problem with my mares irritated tail head. I thought some might like the results back. I have been very grateful to have you all on hand to offer such a wide spectrum of support. I could hardly fall down with the likes of all this good will behind me. Thank you all who lent a hand.

For the last ten days I've been massaging an Ayerst product called Hibitane into the tail head. I've seen a big improvement in all aspects of the problem. She is no longer irritated and the flaking is gone. There is no broken skin and the hair is growing back.

I'm going to follow it up with another Ayerst product called Kopertox. I have no affiliation with Ayerst or any of their products or subsiduaries. They just seemed to be the best guess to me.

The Hibitane is pastey and difficult to apply to all affected areas with complete coverage. Kopertox is a thin liquid which I'm hoping will penetrate areas that may have been neglected with the Hibitane. The Kopertox stains terribly so I guess I can't have everything I want all the time! ;^)

I could hardly have missed with all your support. Offered freely and with open hearts, I'm again amazed and warmed by the power of this technology. It is a fine time to be alive

Cheers! Ian.

The Laws of Ecology: "All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last."

by Ernest Callenbach

-- Ian Timshel (itschaotic@yahoo.ca), June 07, 2001

Answers

Response to Tail head trouble follow up

The only thing I know about Kopertox is that it was supposed to help thrush in my pony's feet a few years ago. Yes, it stains terribly, and isn't it pretty strong stuff? Might it burn skin? Though I guess if it works on thrush and you suspect the tail problem was fungus- related, maybe it IS a good idea...

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), June 07, 2001.

Response to Tail head trouble follow up

When we bring in broker stock (goats) we trim up their feet and dunk their hooves all the way up over their dew claws into Kopertox. It not only stains everything it also burns the hair off, and that is just after about a 2 minute soak. We use it to kill any residual hoof or foot rot which infects the soil out here in East Texas. I would not use this on the delicate skin of an animal I loved! Once the first med you are using does it jobs something like comfrey or aleo heal would be a much better idea. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 07, 2001.

Response to Tail head trouble follow up

I am very interested in the Hibitane. I've never heard of it.

I'm leery of the idea of using the Kopertox on a horse's skin too. The directions say to keep it off the skin. How about Betadine? You can put that on and let it sit without ill effects as far as I know, although I would dilute it some. They even make Betadine ointment that you can rub on and work in that won't just run off and waste your money. It'll stain orange, but that can't be any worse than bright green.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), June 07, 2001.

I wouldn't put Kopertox on the skin, it will probably 'burn off" the hair and that is what you are trying to grow! Betadine, surgical, is safe and will stain, but won't remove the hair (at least it hasn't on any of the horses we've had with "rain rot". I think Kopertox would be way too strong to put on a tail head though.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), June 08, 2001.

I've never heard of Hibitane either. What is it used for? For tail head problems I've always wormed well with Ivermectin paste, and used Listerine liberally twice a day.

Stacy in New York

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), June 09, 2001.

A couple of years ago, we had the same problem with our morgan mare. We had been deworming with ivermectin, thinking it would take care of about everything, when we found out from a fellow morgan owner, who works for Merck drug company, that it doesn't really do a very good job on pin worms! They lay eggs outside the horse's tail, which then hatch and cause intense itching. That we should treat with a different wormer for pin worms, I believe we may have used Safegard. Anyway, after we treated with the different wormer for 3 weeks in a row, as she directed us to, we never had any more problem with it. I would be VERY cautious about using coppertox on skin! We use it on our goats hooves after trimming to prevent hoof rot, and it ate a hole through the rag my husband used to wipe the bottle off with!! I would definitely consult a vet before using it on skin.

-- Homesteadma (idlewild@multipro.com), June 09, 2001.

Nobody liked the Kopertox application. There were no ill effects from the one application she got though which is good. The Hibitane is an anti fungal agent and seemed to be very good at clearing up the problem. I've been grateful for all your responses.

-- Ian Timshel (itschaotic@yahoo.ca), June 09, 2001.