Mud fever - HELP!

[{108361}]

Ive just got a new horse who is living out 24/7 in thick mud. He is clipped (including legs). yesterday he was extremely tetchy about me picking up his feet and today wouldn't let me near them. I have only had him a week but he has been fine up until now. As he is fully clipped and the fields are EXTREMELY muddy I have been using a specific mud fever barrier cream when his legs are dry to hopefully prevent it. Now he has got sore patches of no hair on the heels and won't let me near them.

Can anyone recommend a good early stage treatment for this (ideally spray or powder that I don't have to rub in)????

Im actually worried for my safety trying to get near his feet! Ooh and I can't stable him 24/7, only have use of a stable in the daytime. I did wonder if its worth putting him in during the day.

 

[be positive]

Living out 24/7 in deep mud is not really going to work for a horse with clipped legs, bad enough for one with some protection that has been able to adjust, you really need to get him out of the mud and start treatment, if he is that sensitive you need a vet to look as they may be infected, if you cannot touch them you need help so you can handle him, if the yard doesn't offer emergency stabling you may need to move him to a more suitable place before he gets worse, the mud could last for another couple of months it can be very difficult to get mud fever under control without access to dry standing or a stable.

 

[{108361}]

Thank you for your reply. I bought him fully clipped so Im stuck in this situation. I did wonder if I could have him in during the day it would help? The field is such a mud pit - they are up to their knees in it. I could try and pen him off on a drier part and then have him in during the day. Do you think that might help?

 

[be positive]

Thank you for your reply. I bought him fully clipped so Im stuck in this situation. I did wonder if I could have him in during the day it would help? The field is such a mud pit - they are up to their knees in it. I could try and pen him off on a drier part and then have him in during the day. Do you think that might help?

Up to their knees is not my idea of suitable for any horse let alone a grass livery, mine have mud to contend with but not that deep and they are out of it once they get away from the gateways, do they not have anywhere else to go because the fact he has got so bad so quickly means it will be really hard to deal with, I would certainly bring him in during the day but trying to fence off a dry part of the field will probably mean that becomes as bad as the rest.
You are not stuck with the situation it was your choice to move to the yard/ mud pit as it must have been bad when you moved in it has not just gone to mud in a week, look elsewhere as it is likely to be just as bad next winter and they will still get it even if they have the hair left on if conditions are bad, not having a spare stable is unacceptable to my mind, I never have more horses than boxes in winter just in case something goes wrong, they sound as if they are overstocked if there is no stable or dry field to go onto.

 

[{108361}]

Yes I am kicking myself now as I made the decision rather naively. He is my first horse and hadn't really considered mud fever, which I see is pretty stupid. When I went to see the yard in October it wasn't muddy and the yard owner told me that she would have new stables so I had hoped they would be there before we arrived. I feel terrible as I had hoped he wouldn't be susceptible to it.

 

[Fiona]

I think definitely being in during the day on dry bedding will help massively, but your horse may need a quick vet visit, as my experience is that mud fever normally needs an antibiotic cream to start the healing.

I had a mud fever prone Welsh cob who reacted very badly to the preventative type creams so the cream you used may have exacerbated the problem though you obviously weren't to know that as horse is new to you.

Hypocare spray from horseware is the only over the counter thing I've seen on my horses actually clear up a pussy yellow scabby bit.

Good luck.

Fiona

 

[{108361}]

Thank you. Im busy messaging everyone I know now to see if I can move him asap. He is obviously predisposed to it. Im going to get the vet out tomorrow and move him as soon as possible. I am basing this on the idea that he will most likely get it back as soon as he is turned out again?

The yard owner is saying 'oh a few of the others have it, he will be alright'. The way he is reacting to me just touching his legs, let alone below the knee, tells me he is really sore/in pain.

 

[be positive]

Thank you. Im busy messaging everyone I know now to see if I can move him asap. He is obviously predisposed to it. Im going to get the vet out tomorrow and move him as soon as possible. I am basing this on the idea that he will most likely get it back as soon as he is turned out again?

The yard owner is saying 'oh a few of the others have it, he will be alright'. The way he is reacting to me just touching his legs, let alone below the knee, tells me he is really sore/in pain.

That sounds like the best thing for you both, having dealt with it myself I know how hard it is to get rid of especially when you are so limited with where you can put them, he probably will be alright but he is your horse and does not deserve to be left to get on with it, worst case scenario is serious you really are doing the right thing by getting the vet and moving ASAP even if it costs more you will save on the vets bills and are treating your horse with respect.

 

[{108361}]

Yes you are right - Its stressful to move him but I have to do whats best for him.

 

[Gift Horse]

My horse developed a patch of mud fever after I ran out of the low iron mineral supplement that I feed. The patch caused swelling and lameness.
I treated the sore skin with flamazine cream, put him back on the supplement, stabled overnight, and walked him out to get rid of the swelling. The lameness and swelling went quickly and I got on top of it without stabling 24/7. Your vet is best placed to advice you. Hope he is on the mend soon.

 

[sunshine100*]

Yes I am kicking myself now as I made the decision rather naively. He is my first horse and hadn't really considered mud fever, which I see is pretty stupid. When I went to see the yard in October it wasn't muddy and the yard owner told me that she would have new stables so I had hoped they would be there before we arrived. I feel terrible as I had hoped he wouldn't be susceptible to it.

YO would say this as she does want to lose money!! this will not clear up stood in mud-only worse-he will be in pain for sure -hope you find somewhere quick .. and oh...do not give any notice if the yo pulls that one--tell her to sue you and you will sue her back for her crap fields giving your horse mud fever-keep is posted!

 

[Orangehorse]

I found the Equine America Mud Fever treatment worked well.

What are you feeding him? I had a very susceptible horse that I changed to a feed balancer, and she didn't get mud fever after that - but she was in at night and I put Vaseline onto dry heels every morning. It seems a lot of money to buy a bag but you don't feed much as it is a very concentrated feed. (I'm not promising it will work, but it might)

I know it is a hard situation for you, but the horse will need to get out of the mud for his legs to heal.

 

[Shay]

You need to get him out of the mud as much as you possibly can. As others have said get the vet out because you are probably going to need something on prescription - at least flamazine if not antibiotics as well. This is not likely to clear up unless you can stable 24/7 for a while.

Once you get this outbreak cleared up you can look to longer term prevention. Which will probably take you several tries to figure out what it is that suits your horse. And as you figure it out he will probably get mud fever again from time to time so you need to get good at identifying it and treating it long before he starts to get miserable touching his legs. You will also probably need to move yard. Although massively worse with wet much because it weakens the skin it is perfectly possible to still get mud fever in a rock hard dry summer because the bacteria survive in the dust too.

 

[googol]

My horse developed a patch of mud fever after I ran out of the low iron mineral supplement that I feed. The patch caused swelling and lameness.
I treated the sore skin with flamazine cream, put him back on the supplement, stabled overnight, and walked him out to get rid of the swelling. The lameness and swelling went quickly and I got on top of it without stabling 24/7. Your vet is best placed to advice you. Hope he is on the mend soon.

Can you link me the supp please?

 

[Gift Horse]

Can you link me the supp please?

pro-hoof link below. It may be coincidence but if I stop feeding it my horse gets mud fever/ pastern dermatitis symptoms.


https://progressive-earth.com/produ...-skin-and-joint-and-digestive-system-support/

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine is on Pro Hoof now, not the Balancer (different horse) and he has never had mud fever either, despite coming here with it and it being noted on his vet certificate. But he is in the dry at night.

 

[Gift Horse]

Mine is on Pro Hoof now, not the Balancer (different horse) and he has never had mud fever either, despite coming here with it and it being noted on his vet certificate. But he is in the dry at night.

Mine are also out of the mud overnight. I bought a cob cross recently and like yours he arrived with mud fever (scabs up to his knees poor mite). Fortunately he showed none of the more serious symptoms such as pain or swelling so I put him on pro hoof and slathered his legs in Battles udder cream I’ve used three tubs but it’s gone hurray!

 

[{108361}]

Thank you Im going to try this. He is getting better now that I managed to get him stabled during the day. He seems much happier to touch his legs. I actually wonder if it might have been an allergy to the muddy marvel barrier cream I had been using.

 

[Gift Horse]

Thank you Im going to try this. He is getting better now that I managed to get him stabled during the day. He seems much happier to touch his legs. I actually wonder if it might have been an allergy to the muddy marvel barrier cream I had been using.

Any signs of infection heat pain swelling etc. I would get the vet. Regarding barrier creams I think it’s always worth patch testing on a small area. I hope he continues to improve

 

[{108361}]

No scabs, infection or swelling - but the first sign and Ill get the vet. Its so much better since I stopped with the cream so I truly hope that is what is was. Ive just ordered the supplement that has been recommended and keeping him in during the day to reduce the time in the wet.

 

[{108361}]

The Equine America stuff seems very good, thank you - I have been using this for the last 4 days and he is much happier. The local feed store that I got it from said the local hunt all use it too.