Posted 2015-06-28 1:11 AM Subject: RE: Pythium insidiosum
Veteran
Posts: 207
It is a fungal infection aka swamp cancer that hoses get from a moist environment. They can get it anywhere on the body and it is difficult to treat. There is a vaccine available to boost an immune response to help the horse fight it. It is not a vaccine that is given prophylactically like other vaccines.
Posted 2015-06-28 3:32 AM Subject: RE: Pythium insidiosum
Expert
Posts: 1718 Location: Southeast Louisiana
I had never heard of it, but I was reading up on it after reading your post and seeing it is in Louisiana. Looks like treatment is pretty successful when it's caught early.
Good luck with the treatment and please post an update.
There is a vaccine available that helps reduce the horse's allergic response to the Pythium. Fungus Free Plus has a product that can be used topically and orally. Since this is a systemic infection I do not want to take any chances.
casualdust07 - 2015-07-14 1:03 PM I've seen them at the vet school. It's nasty and they cut it out. Big pain in the butt to treat.
I have only seen it in person once while mucking stalls for a local vet when I was younger. The local vet also cut it out. That poor horse was there for months.
It is definately not a summer sore. Kunkers are coming out of it. We did a blood test and verified that it is Pythium. I gave her the vaccine and I am using a product called Fungus Free Plus. It has been debrided twice and I keep it wrapped.
Pythium insidiosum Graphic pics added
