Mud Fever (different kind of question)

[vicm2509]

I understood that mudfever comes from bacteria in the soil getting into chapped / softened skin and is easily treatable, and in some cases the vet is needed. My horse gets it and I usually clear it up within a few days, although he keeps getting it as soon as he goes back out, but this only happens it wet weather.

Anyway, a horse I know is kept in nearly all the time because it ALWAYS has mud fever. It has constant scabs on its lower legs and aparenly it flared up in the summer when it was stabled. So if a horse is kept away from the mud all the time then how can it constantly have mud fever? All the hair on its front and back legs has turned white from scar tissue and even when its ridden its legs are bandaged to stop them getting wet

Surely if it is mud fever the vet should be called to give it a shot of whatever they give them to clear infection and it would be ok? Can they really have mud fever all year when they dont even go near mud?

I would be inclined to think it was something else, perhaps mites or another type of skin condition.

Can anyone shed any light?

 

[AmyMay]

I think that sometimes we use the term mud fever as a euphamism......

I think that some horses are just more sensative than others - and certainly the warmer months with it's heavy dews can play havoc with a horses legs. I treat legs all year round as a matter of course.

 

[MaverickMD]

Strangely - my horse has it all year round on the back of her knees mostly - and hardly any further down her legs. This causes deep crevaces of scab within her hair. She also seems to suffer as much in the summer as winter. I dont wash her legs for fear of spreading it - chapping her legs and making worse. I think it has something to do with her getting hot and sweaty as much as anything. The bacteria is there - and therefore when she gets hot - it is much the same as wet mud. It is a constant battle for me to keep it at bay - clipping her legs out helps, as I can get the lotions and potions straight onto the problem area.

 

[Cahill]

[ QUOTE ]
Strangely - my horse has it all year round on the back of her knees mostly - and hardly any further down her legs. This causes deep crevaces of scab within her hair. She also seems to suffer as much in the summer as winter. I dont wash her legs for fear of spreading it - chapping her legs and making worse. I think it has something to do with her getting hot and sweaty as much as anything. The bacteria is there - and therefore when she gets hot - it is much the same as wet mud. It is a constant battle for me to keep it at bay - clipping her legs out helps, as I can get the lotions and potions straight onto the problem area.

[/ QUOTE ]


maverickmd
this sounds like `grease` also known as mallanders or sallanders(wether on front or back legs) solution -pig oil and sulpher

not 100% sure but worth checking out.

 

[MaverickMD]

Thanks Cahill

What is Pig Oil and Sulpher - where would I get that from? Never heard of it before ????

M

 

[carthorse]

As I said in other post neem oil

 

[peter1959]

I get pig oil from my tack shop and use it as a preventative measure. I get a large tub of it and it acts as a type of waterproofing/repellant. Massage it in and re apply often.

 

[Cahill]

find theresa-f on here,she has the address of the heavyhorsesupplies.she`s the expert.

 

[Chex]

Chex is like this, there can be no mud for weeks and he still gets it. Some of the scabs were due to mites (similar scabs), but he still gets scabs all the time. I call it mudfever because its similar and I don't actually know what it is!