Mud Fever and Honey

[kellybrown11]

Hello,

Just wanted to share a bit of my experiance, i have had very bad mud fever all winter, my boy literrally hasnt had turnout.

I read on here about Manuka honey and i tried it over the weekend on a small patch about 50p in size and the scabs have just come off.

The really good thing is that it appears to have left the hair behind, whereas if you let it dry out with antibiotics and being stabled i found the hair comes off with the scab and then i wonder what protection his leg will get.

Anyway just wanted to share it with you. It was expensive from tesco.....£10 a jar but well worth it. Going to try a larger area today.

 

[FairyLights]

Yes its a great product. I've had success with cheap runny honey too,but with mildish cases. Another cure is to apply human urine,the old grooms used to pee on mild mud fever and white socks. its the urea in the urine that does the trick. any skin cream with urea as an ingredient tends to give nice soft skin,its one of the few over the counter creams which stops my husbands excema.

 

[Faithkat]

Having gone through the entire repertoire of Hibiscrub and Sudacrem (useless - all that did was spread the problem)anti-biotics, Flamazine and steroid cream, as a last-ditch attempt I used Manuka honey (£10 in Tesco is cheap - I bought the 18+ strength from Julian Graves and it was £16-something on offer!!). I used it for nearly 3 weeks and - touch wood- it has done the trick. I started off changing the dressings every 2 days for 10 days, then I left it 4 days and the last lot was on for a week. I could not believe how well it has worked. I wish I'd gone down the honey route at the beginning, I could have saved myself £200 in vet's bills!

 

[kellybrown11]

I am on anti-biotics as well and think the infection is almost gone but it still seems to be a good way to remove the scabs!

I may look to buy a stronger version than the one i got from tesco.

 

[2Conker]

I am on anti-biotics as well and think the infection is almost gone but it still seems to be a good way to remove the scabs!

I may look to buy a stronger version than the one i got from tesco.

Brilliant, good to hear of new converts! Do try the stronger one - it is very expensive but if you can find friends who'd like it too you might think about ordering a dozen and splitting the costs. it doesnt go off and is a such an unsung hero of the medicine cabinet. I'd go for anything over 15+. I order mine over the internet when I've a few people wanting it, or get it from my sister in law who does the same thing. It helps too with sore teeth, any infected cuts - even cleans up those rotten wounds cats get when they've been fighting - once it's cleaned up with salt and water etc-you probably didnt need to know that bit!!

 

[NOISYGIRL]

So do you have to dress it ? or can you just rub it on and leave it to work ? can the horse still be turned out or is it best to treat with the honey until the scabs have come off, then do you use it as a preventative rubbed on for turnout or do you use something else ?

My horse doesn't get it thank god, just asking as alot of horses on my yard get it

Thanks

 

[Faithkat]

I slapped it on (use plastic gloves that you can throw away or you'll get in a real mess!), then wrapped gamgee round and then vetwrapped. Horse was on normal routine of in at night and out during the day. See earlier post for how long I left it between dressings

 

[kellybrown11]

i was a bit nervous about but it on and bandaging so i literrally have put it on with a glove, gamjee and then bandage, then exercise and remove the bandage and gamjee. you will see the scabs. i then leave the leg alone but my boy is in 24 x 7 at the moment until i have got rid of all the scabs.

 

[curran]

Yes its a great product. I've had success with cheap runny honey too,but with mildish cases. Another cure is to apply human urine,the old grooms used to pee on mild mud fever and white socks. its the urea in the urine that does the trick. any skin cream with urea as an ingredient tends to give nice soft skin,its one of the few over the counter creams which stops my husbands excema.

The effective ingredient in urine is a protein called allantoin which features in quite a few human skin products - especially anti-ageing creams. it encourages the sloughing off of old skin so the new stuff can grow in. Some of the better animal creams have it too - I think Mud Warrior and Mudbar feature it. So need need to pee on your horse!

 

[2Conker]

Yes its a great product. I've had success with cheap runny honey too,but with mildish cases. Another cure is to apply human urine,the old grooms used to pee on mild mud fever and white socks. its the urea in the urine that does the trick. any skin cream with urea as an ingredient tends to give nice soft skin,its one of the few over the counter creams which stops my husbands excema.

Oh that's a good one: I'd heard urine was used to clean hunting coats - red ones - but this has a wider use! Another substance for mud fever, though I've not tried it, is pure sulphur powder mixed with vaseline-it's the same ingredient, the sulphur, as in the old remedy brimstone and treacle.