Mud-fever advice?

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flutterby321

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Sorry, but I've never had a horse prone to mud-fever before. But my new horse is a skewbald with white socks, so every time he's been coming in from the field i've been hosing his legs off then towel-drying them. He does get grease on the backs of his front legs, so I should've guessed what would happen. His field is like a bog at the minute, so he's not turned out much, maybe for a few nights a week. So I thought he'd be fine.
But this morning I brought him in and he has one scab on front lower leg, about the size of a penny. It had some yellowy discharge coming from it, so I though it might be mud fever.
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Any advice on treatment or prevention for the future?
 
Bring him in, wash his legs with hibiscrub and rinse well. Dry them with a paper towel or a hairdrier. They must be perfectly dry which can't be acheived with a towel so he may be going in still damp. then if you can clip the hair away from the scab. cover it with sudocrem and place a layer of cling film over it. then put stable bandages over the top and keep in overnight. in the morning the scab should come off when you wash the sudocrem off with hibiscrub though it may need a few goes to soften. after washing his legs then dry again and cover with a barrier cream like udder cream, muddy marvel barrier cream - anything like that. or you can use field boots but they are preventative and will rub any scabs already there.
 
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Bring him in, wash his legs with hibiscrub and rinse well. Dry them with a paper towel or a hairdrier. They must be perfectly dry which can't be acheived with a towel so he may be going in still damp. then if you can clip the hair away from the scab. cover it with sudocrem and place a layer of cling film over it. then put stable bandages over the top and keep in overnight. in the morning the scab should come off when you wash the sudocrem off with hibiscrub though it may need a few goes to soften. after washing his legs then dry again and cover with a barrier cream like udder cream, muddy marvel barrier cream - anything like that. or you can use field boots but they are preventative and will rub any scabs already there.

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Thanks
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I checked his legs this afternoon and the scab has come off by itself, so I washed it out with hibiscrub, put some sudocrem on it, and he's in tonight with his boots on. So all fingers crossed it clears up soon..
 
i find the best thing to stop mud fever (probally a bit late) is by putting liquid parafin on their legs i have two coloured mares both with white legs and pink skin and by doing this been mud fever free for two winters!
 
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i find the best thing to stop mud fever (probally a bit late) is by putting liquid parafin on their legs i have two coloured mares both with white legs and pink skin and by doing this been mud fever free for two winters!

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ooh, I might try that.
At the minute my horse's legs are clipped out, because of his grease so its easier to treat. But my friend said he'd have more protection from mud fever if he still had his feathers. So which is better?
 
I alwayys wonder thhis too, hhalf thhinks, less hair=easier dryying and thherefore less likelyy to get it? But also, les protection = more likelyy?

Apologies for copious hh's and yy's...
 
According to the leading expert on equine skin diseases today - all cobs should have their lower limbs clipped out in winter.
Water still gets in with feathers plus youcan get the added problems of mites etc. Better to clip feathers (IF your horse gets mudfever and certainly one he gets it as in that case they clearly arent providing adequate protection so using an artificial barrier is preferable)
 
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According to the leading expert on equine skin diseases today - all cobs should have their lower limbs clipped out in winter.
Water still gets in with feathers plus youcan get the added problems of mites etc. Better to clip feathers (IF your horse gets mudfever and certainly one he gets it as in that case they clearly arent providing adequate protection so using an artificial barrier is preferable)

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I have a Clydesdale with masses of feather and don't clip hers off. She receives a supplement with Copper and Zinc in it which helps strengthen skin tissue. I've owned her since she was 5mths old and she has never had Mudfever or Greasy heel. Her son got some mud fever recently - It had one wash with Nizeral and went within days. He is currently on a different paddock and not getting hard fed so not getting his supplements.
 
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