Mud fever experts please help!!!

Hels_Bells

Hels_Bells

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I have a very old guy who is 33 and full of beans for his age, however he has a bit of a horsey incontinence problem which means his back legs are constantly wet. Over winter I wrapped his legs up warm over night and put either baby oil or udder cream on during the day and he did great.

I then switched to using equichaps during the day about 2 weeks ago as I thought it would be easier and kept up with his padded leggings overnight but he has flared up with a terrible case of mud fever all over his back white socks. He used to get MF in the past and I treated it with udder cream and sulphur powder which worked brilliantly but that doesn't seem to be working this time. He has about 6 clumps of it on each leg and all the pink skin looks really very pink, so I'm a bit reticent to use the sulphur cure again incase the skin is so sensitive it makes it more uncomfy for him. Do you think the leggings and chaps could be spreading it? Also as it's been warm I think he's been a bit hot under the equichaps which hasn't helped. I stopped using them a few days ago because of this and everything has just flared up!

This evening I gave him a good wash with tea tree oil shampoo, put some dettol on and then slathered him with loads of udder cream before putting him to bed.

Please please let me know any cures or remedies you would suggest in this case - am just really worried about him and how I'm going to get this under control. It's been a few years since I had to deal with MF and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed! :(:(:(
 
I wonder if he generally has damp legs, esp with this warmer weather, if the chaps aren't helping. I would get things super clean and then get a barrier on the skin. I would give everything a good wash - I must admit that for super delicate skin I prefer salt water than hibiscrub as it can be so drying. I'd then slather on sudocreme, it will act as a v good barrier (try getting it off again!) and will also help soften the scabs and have an antibac action on the wee on that goes on the skin. As much as possible I would try not to wash too regularly. Perhaps a wash once a week, then sudocreme on straight away then topped up when needed. Should knock the mud fever on the head and help prevent problems with the wee on his skin too.
 
hi
i'm not that much help but i find you have to try and keep them as dry as poss so would prob be a good idea to use a hair dryer after washing legs as above before putting the cream on ,if he'll let you
hope you get them sorted out for him ,it is worrying when there old

if all else fails and your not getting rid of it ,it might be worth getting the vet if your worried as they may clear up quicker with antibiotics and some flamiseen (sp :o ) cream available from your vet

ps if they do give you flamizene ,get them to give you it in tube form as it is £50 :eek: for a big tub that once you have opened and stuck your hand in is no good :( it is good stuff though
 
pig oil and sulphur - swear by the stuff !! Excellent barrier, and clears up mud fever really quickly - and much easier to use than sudocreme, on a large area :)
 
Don't mean to be a prophet of doom, but I think you should seek veterinary advice. My mare had what at first seemed like a rather strange outburst of MF (something she'd never had before) this February. Tthinking I could deal with it in the usual udder cream/sulphur etc. ways we all know I didn't call the vet for about a week. How I wish I had. It isn't MF but a nasty concoction, according to the lab results, of 3 types of staffi and streptos. Eight weeks on she's still on drugs, very lame, and with nasty exuding sores which are only just starting to respond to treatment.

DV you horse has JUST got MF or a reaction to the urine,but I think it's worth checking it out now in case anything worse develope.
 
Thanks so much for sharing that RF - I think you and angelish might be right that it is a good idea to check it out with the vet. It has spread much quicker than ever before and is even invading some of the black parts above his white socks which hasn't happened before.

We have had the vet out to him for MF before a few years ago which ended in the MF injections which did nothing and are very expensive, but I think it is probably worth getting them in this time.

Thanks also shysmum, I have heard of pig oil and sulphur befoe but have only tried udder cream and sulphur, I will try again.

BTW those who do use sulphur - what quantities do you use? I never know how much is too much, so usually test it on my hand first, but then worry that I'm not usuing enough to be effective...
 
I'd be checking with the vet too - it may be that as he is getting older his immune system is not as good as it was.

I used live manuka honey on my youngster's mud fever this winter and I was amazed at the results - it cleared up almost overnight. Pig oil and sulpher is more for prevention, if the mud fever strikes cure it with the honey.

Hope you find something that works.
 
Hi
I used to have problems with mud fever over the winter on my grey mare. I discovered Muddy Marvel products last winter and we have not had it since. Brilliant stuff and not too expensive as the cream lasts on their legs for a few days before you need to reapply.

I know this is an old thread but I thought I would mention this to anyone who is reading
 
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