Mud Fever Hmmmmmm???

[fredthoroughbred]

Hi everyone,

Fred has the first signs of mud fever mainly on his hinds and I wondered if anyone had any good tips on softening the scabs?? He is coming in at night now and I have just bought some sportabac socks (hopefully they will work). I have tried hibbiscrub and baby oil but it doesn't seem to soften them enough in some parts to pick off with ease.
Any ideas guys?? Thanks in advance

 

[alicedove]

I know that exercise helps. I don't know re scabs, and active mudfever, only hibiscrub which you are using. Does it hurt him to pick at them?

I would just pick and pick, if he's not flinching, then pull harder! If he's bothered, they would be okay half off until next pick. As long as they're open.

 

[MaverickMD]

I find that Sudocream from the chemist is great for softening them - put it on and leave for a few days - gooey mess - but it works - you can also wrap in cling film over night - but I havent tried this one !

There is also a cream called H10 available from horsey shops - that was good but expensive.

(The best stuff I ever found for banishing mudrash scabs was Dermobian - used very sparingly - but because of the EU - you cant get it any more I believe and the use of steroid type creams etc on competition horses is prohibited - I think)

Good luck !

 

[debradley]

My mare suffers from this. I use Boots Zinc and Caster Oil cream (cheaper than Sudocream!) and wrap overnight with clingfilm and a bandage on top to keep it there. Wash off with tepid water and hibiscrub in the morning they shed off quite easily then. If she gets it really bad it can take a week to get them all off.

Best thing I've ever found for preventing it is a barrier cream called "mudbuster" - you only need to apply it about every three days so works out really economical.

 

[ISHmad]

I am another one who would put Sudocreme or the Zinc and Castor Oil cream on, put clingfilm over the top and then pop bandages or leg wraps over the top. The next morning you will be able to wipe the scabs away, instead of picking them and possibly making them bleed.

You mustn't use the turnout socks until the mud fever has gone. Sorry if you knew that anyway, but it would create the perfect conditions for the bacteria which cause the MF to go haywire.

Hope it gets cleared up soon.

 

[fredthoroughbred]

Debradley, would my local tack shop sell mud buster or do I get it off the internet?
ISH_Mad, I will not put the socks on until the scabs are gone but how do I know when all the bacteria is gone? Should I keep applying the sudocream for a few days when I get the scabs off or as soon as I pick the scabs off can I put the socks on? Thankyou

 

[cellie]

I use sudocream to prevent and cure .So far has cleared up first batch and prevented any more from speading.We try not to wash and keep our horses on megazorb bed which absorbs moisture.

 

[nicola1972]

ave tried everything yhen sumby told me a tip and it works a treat, hose the legs dry them off and believe it or no cooking oil it works as a barrier,ano what yer thinking a was same, but try and see.

 

[Chex]

I use Mud Fever Spray:

www.mudfever.net/

Its like oil of some sort, softens the scabs so they come off themselves.

 

[icemaiden113]

washing up liquid is good for removing scabs as it gets the grease out of the hair first, a shot of pen/strep will clear it up as well much more effective! And flamazine cream is grill on cure it's expensive as it contains silver but does the trick.
Keratex powder is a good repellant however mud fever is in the ground as well so if your horse has had it chances are it will come back unless we have a good frost!

 

[cosmicblue]

barrier healths Heel to hoof is a brill softener and prevents it coming back as well

 

[carthorse]

I have had so much trouble with our sensitive skinned horse and a friend told me to try neem oil.I bought the soap and oil [which is solid and can be warmed if you want it to be oil]
He has not got rid of his mud fever all year until I tried it, I only washed it once and then dried it with cooton wool and put some of the oil on ,it softened with the warmth of my hand,I put it on each morning. It took a couple of weeks and from loads of scabs we now have nothing. I am putting it on first thing every morning now to protect the heels.
I think camarosa has this in but neem oil is not so messy

 

[ISHmad]

[ QUOTE ]
ISH_Mad, I will not put the socks on until the scabs are gone but how do I know when all the bacteria is gone? Should I keep applying the sudocream for a few days when I get the scabs off or as soon as I pick the scabs off can I put the socks on? Thankyou

[/ QUOTE ]

Once the scabs have gone and underneath is healed then definitely start using the turnout socks. It is just that if you use it before everything is healed the bacteria will just make it all flare up again. Unfortunately the bacteria which causes mud fever lives in the soil so you can never be truly rid of them. At our yard three fields are clear but the fourth one seems to be rife with it. So our YO only uses that one as a summer field now, as any and every horse which went out into the fourth one last winter had mud fever.

It is a godforsaken thing for the horse to get and for you to have to treat. But you are doing everything right and fingers crossed once the current outburst is healed you can get the turnout socks on and won't get a recurrence of it. My friend used the Equichaps on her grey horse who used to get mud fever really badly and he hasn't had it for three years now.

 

[rachier]

MY extremely sensitive TB had a terrible time last yr with MF. Had one vet out who said to wash every day with hibiscrub then smear in vaseline - however it got really bad as open wounds would appear daily and nothing was healing - he eventually went lame on both hinds as it was so hot and inflamed.

After a period of box rest with not much improvement and Very worried i got my normal vet out who had been on hol the last time she told me to put on Flamazine mixed with Dermosil (avail from vet) when scabs had almost disappeared i started turning out with Protocon Gold barrier cream. I only wash his legs once a week and very suprisingly there are only a couple of tiny scabs that are totally dry which is fine, i dont brush with body brushes etc in case it breaks his skin and he seems to be quite happy. Legs are also hardly filled in a morning.

I think with MF less is more!!

 

[AmyMay]

Less is definatly more - I agree.

We plaster the horses legs in udder salve. Works a treat.

 

[lucemoose]

The udder salve we have at the yard contains pevidine (sp) or iodine, one of the brown/orange liquids! Its great- Also Equimins udder cream is just as good.