Silver Whinnys Can Aid in Photosensitivity and Dermatitis in Horses

While not a cure for all cases of equine pasture dermatitis, the pull-on equine socks protect the skin and allow secondary infection healing.

Before using Sox for Horses Courtesy Sox for Horses
After using Sox for Horses Courtesy Sox for Horses

Photosensitivity is the skin’s reaction to UV rays in sunlight. It can be a cause of—and contribute to—vasculitis, making it a major contributing factor to equine pastern dermatitis (EPD). Horses with white legs and pink skin suffer more commonly from UV sensitivities. Whether photosensitivity is the direct cause of dermatitis or worsening already existing dermatitis, this contributing factor of EPD might be the easiest to win.

You can’t change the weather, and you can’t always change where you keep your horse. That’s where Silver Whinnys® made by Sox For Horses, Inc., can help owners control some of those otherwise “uncontrollable” factors.

“As we have increased our understanding of the pathogenesis of this complex disease (EPD) in the last decade, we have become very aware of the importance of skin barrier dysfunction, whether primary or secondary to inflammation,” wrote Rosanna Marsella, DVM, DACVD, in the 2016 Eighth World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology proceedings, where Marsella presented her paper “Atopic Dermatitis: What is the Latest in Therapy.” Marsella is a veterinary dermatologist, researcher, author and full professor at the University of Florida (Gainesville) College of Veterinary Medicine. “Skin impairment can play an important role in facilitating allergen penetration and increasing the risk for allergic sensitization.

“Since the list (of potential causes) is extensive, it is important to address secondary infections first and treat the treatable, and reassess (the causes) once the infections are resolved,” Marsella added. 

“In most cases, secondary infections are present and complicate the evaluations, thus successful identification of the underlying disease will also depend on complete resolution of the secondary infection,” added Marsella in her article “Approach to Equine Pastern Dermatitis” (published Issue 1, 2014 FAEP The Practitioner).

You can win this battle by protecting sensitive skin from harmful direct sunlight with Silver Whinnys made specifically for equine legs. Features of these protective coverings include:

  1. Double-layered in construction; they stop the majority of UV from reaching the skin. As dirt and insects are also two major enemies of healing, this double layer stops biting insects and keeps dirt away from the skin.
  2. They help resolve the secondary infection by providing a clean environment that promotes healing. Silver Whinnys offer the most advanced silver yarn technology in the world that inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi in the socks while the wicking/moisture-managing qualities of the yarn pull moisture away from the skin. Bacteria and fungi cannot penetrate the double layered protection of the socks when protocols* are followed.
  3. Silver Whinnys provide more protection than you knew you needed to ask for. They allow valuable air to reach the skin’s surface. Wicking/moisture-managing qualities of their remarkable silver yarn pull moisture away from the skin, completing two vital functions, keeping the legs cool and the skin surface dry. Even in mud and wet weather, Silver Whinnys have been proven to keep the skin surface dry and clean.

Marsella said, “While not a cure for all cases of EPD, the pull-on equine socks protect the skin and allow secondary infection healing. Silver, which has antimicrobial properties and inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, is embedded in the yarn used to make this product.”

* Sox For Horses, Inc. recommends that the sox are changed every 24 hours until the dermatitis is resolved to be sure that the silver in the sox is always at optimum microbe reduction. If being used to prevent UV exposure and dermatitis is not present, the Silver Whinnys can be changed every other day. 

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