Mud Fever.. Damage Limitation?!

[lillie07]

My mare has mud fever in both hinds from her pastern to just below her hock; both pasterns are quite hot and swollen. Now I realize in an ideal world she would stay in, and we would treat it normally but that’s not possible as she HAS to go out during the day or she will do herself more harm than good. So here’s my idea....
Wash her legs A.M in Hibiscrub and dry.
Cover her legs in Keterex Mud Shield powder and turnout in Equilibrium Close Contact chaps.
Bring in and re-wash with Hibiscrub and put on aromaheel.
Leave her in Thermatex Leg wraps over night.
Depending how it goes I can give her Bute too.

Will this be OK or am I likely to make it a million times worse?

Any help would be fab

 

[AmyMay]

Don't wash and get some antibiotics from your vet who may well prescribe protocon cream as well. Sounds like your little horse is well beyond slapping a bit of 'something' to clear it up.

Once she's on the mend be sure to use a very good barrier lotion (not powder), such as Pig Oil, patrolium oil, or the like.

Sounds awful.

 

[lillie07]

What barrier cream do you use? Her legs have been plastered in Sudocream everyday but she has still managed to get it. I think in my OP I made it sound worse than it actually is- I just really dont want it to get any worse!! Going to call the Vet now just to check but I have some protocon cream.

Would you clip legs out?

Thanks

 

[AmyMay]

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What barrier cream do you use? Her legs have been plastered in Sudocream everyday but she has still managed to get it.

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Sudocream is not a barrier cream, and will come off very easily. I only use baby oil on Amy - if I bother. Her legs are hairy, and the fields are pretty good, and she has no need of anything more tbh.

However, you describe your mares legs as being hot and puffy which is indicative of infection, and so would need a course of antibiotics to help clear it up.

I most definately wouldn't clip her legs out.

 

[Beanyowner]

I would possible get some antibiotics from your vet if there is swelling as it sounds as if she may have an infection...

 

[joanne1920]

my cob has to go out and he's got mud fever/cracked heels, he had feathers and i clipped them in september so they're about 2 " long now, i find this helps to protect the sores, the best stuff ive found for use as a barrier and as a healing cream is heel to hoof, its natural. i slap that on every morning on his sores/scabs and cracks and then when he comes in i dont wash, once a week i wash his legs with hibiscub and towel dry them and thats because the mud sticks to the cream thats on his legs. the mud drys over night in his stable and i can just but more cream on the top. i did keep him in for 3 days as his legs started to swell, i used tree tree mist by equimins mixed with fungatrol spray and used cotton wool to dab on all affected areas the red skin calmed within 48 hours and now fingers crossed im on the winning side, i was using a barrier now i dont as i think the legs have to be totally dry to put that on or end up locking the damp in. also im feeding echinecea in the form of pro pell and i think thats helped him fight infection, if your mares legs are really noticably puffy and swollen and she finds it really uncormfortable for you to put cream on her legs i would call the vet who can adminster antibiotiocs and give you some antibiotic cream, mickey was prescribed fuciderm, so i use that for 3 days then tea tree mist for 3 days which seems to help a great deal, hope some of this helps...

 

[AmyMay]

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the best stuff ive found for use as a barrier and as a healing cream is heel to hoof, its natural

[/ QUOTE ]
Heal to hoof is lovely stuff - but again not a barrier really. It's great to use on them legs that are dry and for overnight soothing. However, once you've reached the swollen leg stage, and not healing stage you need to take more drastic action I'm afraid.

 

[ThomasTank]

sudocrem is a barrier on humans but imo quite expensive as you need lots of any cream for it to be effective

 

[Benjamin]

Please don't cover them up with either the chaps or leg wraps.....ideal conditions for this to get alot worse.

P x

 

[GreedyGuts]

Putting thick creams on over the scabs will just make it worse because it seals in the badness and macerates the skin and things get stuck in it. It can end up causing more infection.

You can remove all the scabs by gently washing the legs or using a cream like dermisol put on thickly then covered with clingfilm, then stable bandages and left on for about 12 hours, that should loosen the scabs, then you need to wash the legs with weak hibiscrub solution and dry them. After the scabs are off you can apply an antiseptic cream, flamazine is good, until they heal. If her legs are deeply infected your vet might prescribe a course of antibiotics, but they're not always necessary and wont make much difference if the lesions aren't dealt with.

When they are healed using a barrier cream like lanolin when she's turned out/ridden is the key to keeping them healthy, but it should be rubbed in untill you can't see it anymore or it will just make stuff stick to the legs. Rinsing and drying the legs when she's brought in is a good idea, but using too much detergenty stuff like hibiscrub can have a negative effect on the skin barrier.

With mud fever it's worth trying to get them right even if resting/keeping them in is difficult because once it becomes chronic it can be incredibly hard to get rid of.

 

[AmyMay]

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Rinsing and drying the legs when she's brought in is a good idea,

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But surely if you're applying a good barrier cream 1. it won't get washed off anyway and 2. you are negating the overall affect?

 

[mistymoo]

Don't put close contact chaps on legs that show any sign of mud fever, they can only be used to prevent the condition on clean legs, and also don't use any product with the chaps, they work on their own. My mare has MF on hind legs which i'm struggling to get rid of, she wears close contact chaps on front and they're fine no sign of MF. I am going to try seal to heal for the next couple of days see if that can put an end to it!!! once all sign of MF is gone she will wear CCC on all 4 legs and i will gently wash the bits round the coronet that still get a small amount on.

 

[vicm2509]

If they are swollen and hot I would call the vet as I guess they are infected.

But the cling film trick I have found is fab. Baron had mud fever for a few weeks, I was keeping him in but it failed to get any better although his were not swollen and hot, just very very scabby. Emollient cream from the chemist is fantastic (its a human cream for dermatitis and other skin problems). Plaster the stuff onto bone dry legs, cling film over the top but be careful not to wrap it tight, then bandage over the top. Leave this on for 24hrs (although 12 hrs worked for me), scabs should slide off. I then put loads and loads of iodene spray, anyother disinfectant spray should work. Then kept him in for a further 2 days treating with iodene and emollient cream. He is now out with the cream and loads and loads of robinsons leg guard. He is however in at night and will only be going out a few days a week to give me chance to keep his legs dry and creamed up for longer periods.

I am going to try the patrolium oil once I can get my hands on some as Amymay suggested it to me in one of my posts.

I also agree that putting chaps or any other waterproof cream/oil over already infected mud fever is going to make matters worse, a waterproof layer is not allowing the leg to breathe and you are sealing the infection in. Waterproofing them will only prevent it, not cure it.