How to manage mud fever?

Ellietotz

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My mare's heel has cracked and is looking really quite sore and I'm not sure how to manage it!
There isn't a huge amount of mud in the field except for the gateway and she spends a lot of the time eating hay in a shelter with rubber matting that is always cleaned out so I have no idea how it has happened or why it's only on one leg.
It's in an awkward place because anything I put on it will get dirty again too. I know you can get turnout boots but I can only imagine them rubbing her raw so I don't want to risk that!
Bringing her in isn't an option either but to be honest, she spends as much time in the shelter anyway which has a hard standing in front too.
She doesn't really get feathers, only very wispy but I leave them in winter for protection and I've not had this problem before, not sure if leaving them makes it worse or not?

Any tips please? Thank you!
 

Pearlsasinger

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Leaving the feather in place won't encourage m/f to develop but it might make it more difficult to get to treat it, so it might be best to clip it off. I would ring the vet asd ask for their suggestions to deal with it, you might need anti-biotic cream
 

Ellietotz

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Leaving the feather in place won't encourage m/f to develop but it might make it more difficult to get to treat it, so it might be best to clip it off. I would ring the vet asd ask for their suggestions to deal with it, you might need anti-biotic cream

I have some Flamazine left from the vet but it all just comes off the moment she goes back out, it's a nightmare.
 

Flicker

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I had a big horse on loan a few years ago who got terrible mud fever. My vet made up an antibacterial sudocreme barrier cream and advised to clip the feather, wash the affected area daily, picking off the scabs that came away easily and then really thoroughly drying the area (I used paper towel). Once all dry and clean, I then applied the barrier cream. He did have to come in for a few days at a time. It was more a case of managing rather than curing, through the winter, then cleared up in the warmer, drier weather.
 

HappyHollyDays

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Muddy Buddy cream by Lincoln is the only thing that clears up DP’s mud fever, it’s lovely and gooey and sticks well. Wash with Malaseb or similar, dry thoroughly and do not pick the scabs off. The skin underneath is new and sensitive and very susceptible to being reinfected with the bacteria once the scabs come off so resist from removing them. The reason your mare only has it in one place might be because the bacteria needs a break in the skin to get in and the smallest cut on her heel is probably the culprit. DP has only ever had it in the summer as it has nothing to do with wet muddy conditions but a bacteria that lives in the soil.
 

ester

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feathers off means you can actually treat the skin much more easily and it limits the growth of any infecting anaerobes.

My choice is sudocreme + sulphur powder for treatment if the flamazine is coming off.
 

paddy555

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I know the vet advice is clip/cut hair off, wash it, get the scabs off, dry it etc but I have found treatment works far better if you don't plus you are doing less to a sore leg and upsetting the horse less. If you have to get the dirt off to start with do it with a dry towel or cotton wool. I have found flamazine works well unless it has really taken hold in which case the vet's antibiotic cream may be needed. Flamazine stays on well if you really rub it in. Don't just put if on the surface but massage it around the crack and into the crack. You have having to massage it in well enough to get it through the hair to the skin. Leaving them out is not an option, the leg has to be kept dry and the flamazine massaged in a least twice a day. If the area gets wet and muddy you are back to square one. Can you either gate her into the shelter or fence around the hard standing to keep her off the mud?
 

Ellietotz

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Did a forum search and there seems to be a lot of recommendations for Sudocreme so may try it as I've already got some. I've got muddy buddy shampoo too and I always wait for scabs to come off naturally as I thought they were natural protection to heal.
The pig oil I have this year is the one in the spray, does that one contain sulphur?
 

indie1282

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Second this - cleared up some dubious scabby bits on my boys heels in a couple of days.

Third this. My gelding sometimes get it on his white socks even in the summer if the grass is wet. I brushed the dry mud off then put a good load on the scabs and massaged it in. Then after a couple of days I gently rubbed it off with a towel and reapplied until it went. It took maybe 2 or 3 applications.
 

indie1282

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Did a forum search and there seems to be a lot of recommendations for Sudocreme so may try it as I've already got some. I've got muddy buddy shampoo too and I always wait for scabs to come off naturally as I thought they were natural protection to heal.
The pig oil I have this year is the one in the spray, does that one contain sulphur?

I love Sudocrem and always have a tub in my grooming box but I find it's not man enough in thick mud and wet.

I really recommend Heel to Hoof. It's got great staying power and it smells lovely too!
 

HashRouge

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I love Sudocrem and always have a tub in my grooming box but I find it's not man enough in thick mud and wet.

I really recommend Heel to Hoof. It's got great staying power and it smells lovely too!
Doesn't sound like the OP has that much mud so sudocreme might work.

I have also got one that has mud rash despite not having a significant amount of mud, OP. For mine, I think it was caused by constant rain causing the skin to crack. I've been using sudocreme and she is almost healed up - she never got any swelling and it didn't look like there was any infection, so the sudocreme seems to have done a good job of keeping it clean. That said I just googled Heel to Hoof and it looks really good so may give that a try next time.
 

Mariposa

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My youngster has the most stubborn mud fever! It was a small circle, took the scabs off with Aromaheel but it just won't go! Everytime we think it's clear it scabs up again and gets sore.

Vet has been and he's had antibiotics - we've also tried flamazine, Aromaheel, that silver spray and now I'm waiting on an order of MeddiMud and some 'Silver Whinnys' horse socks! Someone recommended metanium which might be worth a punt. None of the others have had mud fever in as long as I can remember, just Cardinal.

He's living in to keep it dry, but hopefully when his snazzy socks arrive he can actually go out for more of a leg stretch in the field.
 

ester

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Sorry to be thick, what's the sulphur for and where do I get it? Do I just apply it with the Sudocrem?

It's antibacterial/anti fungal
you can buy it lots of places, mine usually comes of ebay (flowers of sulphur)
you add it to the sudocream and mix vigorously! (easier if it isn't too cold).
 

J&S

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Zinc ointment which you can get from the chemist is remarkably good. They actually used it (when they could) on horses in the mud of WW1, Also good for anti sunburn if you have any left over.
 
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