Mud fever and/or mite infection

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MochaDun

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First time my pony has suffered from this - never had mud fever proper until last winter in 8 years of owning him, then had odd mild times of scabs over this wet muddy summer but as of Friday a filled lower leg and hock. He'd had what I thought was mud fever in that heel for a couple of weeks, only a few scabs, which I was treating but some flaky skin stuff too I'd noticed which vet wonders now might be mud fever followed by mites got in via broken skin causing a problem. No swelling at all until it slowly built up from Friday PM to Saturday morning. I just thought it odd only to be in one leg though which I suppose could mean mites rather than mud as has been standing in mud over recent weeks with all 4 feet! He's not hugely feathered but just wondering in the way that mud fever has been rampant this warm very wet autumn whether mites are on the rampage too?
 
Poor you! Im 3 weeks into a horrible mite infestation on a TB.
Ive cleared the mites with Ivermectin and Pig OIl & sulphur. Cleared the infection with Antibi's. Now Im battling big thick horrible scabs. Vet has prescribed Dermisol and cling film so giving that a go this week. Fingers crossed.
 
Took me about a month to get rid of mites and scabs that looked like mud fever, my horse ended up with cellulitis and on danilon/antibiotics and 2 lots of Dectomax, he has no feather to speak of and is a tb cross.
And ended up ringing RCVS and changing vets and complaining to old vets, a right nuisance.
i wanted to use pig oil and sulphur to try and keep him free from both. But i am unsure if its causing his legs to fill, assuming he is having a reaction to it. Not right away but have stopped to see what happens.
I think mites seemed quite prevelant this autumn. Its not something I have ever struggled with before and horse has never had mud fever.
 
imonone, i ended up using rosemary and suplhur cream, just kept slapping it on and leaving it.
Its dead cheap and worked a treat.
 
Shave the feathers and soak for 10 minutes in a solution of soda crystals (NOT Caustic soda!) to soften scabs and clean whole area. Keep out of wet/muddy paddock of course. Wash off with warm water concentrating on scabbed areas. For the first few days treat with a strong disinfectant to allow the body a chance to start fighting on its own. The strong disinfectant kills any bacteria in the wounds. Dry the leg off with a clean towel each day after washing but before applying disinfectant. Slowly taper off. Any or all of the above can be used in the following days and weeks depending on the reaction. Oh and make sure your horse is getting plenty of food with a top quality supplement. We had a horse come to us who had been treated with antibi's etc etc for over a year and a half such that the infection had spread into his hoof. A year later the hoof has grown out and it is all gone. Clearly the earlier you start the better. Mud fever is not caused by mud as such but by breaks in the skin made by caked mud drying and causing cracks in the skin through which bacteria or mites can enter causing irritation and infection.
 
I had the vet last Friday as it started with him being really out of sorts, not happy on the leg at all and quite distressed (pawing and rapid breathing). Once we'd ruled out spasmodic colic it seemed all to be down to the leg as by the next morning it was very filled - up to and including his hock. Vet has him on Danilon and antibiotics. No noticeable heat in leg at all. The swelling is coming down and going to see what he's like with a bit of limited turnout tomorrow as vet said might help in the process just to get things moving, aid that process.
 
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