Mud Fever - how on earth to get rid?!

[MagicMelon]

I posted a few weeks ago about this issue as my mare (coloured, well basically white so pink skin) developed mud fever on one pastern. She was bothered a little bit with small scabs on all 4 heels last winter but nothing too bad. However, she only has it on one leg right now and its a large scabby patch (on the side of her pastern, nowhere near heels). I'm worried she may actually go lame on it if I don't sort it soon! I have tried purple spray, antibac powder (to try and dry it up), turmeric mixed in with sudocrem and currently udder cream which someone suggested - all these I put on after washing the area thoroughly and afterwards I put on a turnout boot to try and keep it dry - she lives out 24/7 but stands about for most of the day on a hardcore area where the hay is and also in the stables which are open all the time so she is certainly not standing about in mud all day. The boot I only put on for 12 hours at a time as I dont like the thought of permanently having it on (especially warming up tendons). She is also having turmeric (and the usual pepper & oil) added to her feed. There are black scabs on it which I don't like to pick as she doesn't like it understandably but some do come off with washing revealing nice pink skin underneath (not raw and horrid as I'd expect).

What else can I do? I really don't want to have to start bringing her in as she loves living out. I'm not sure if I should start spending a fortune on the numerous mud-fever specific creams out there or try the mud-fever specific supplements (I know Global Herbs do one). I don't mind buying things if they'll work but don't want to waste money on just going through them all.

I have always loved Cut Heal as its so good at healing, would it be worth trying this on the area? The only problem is that it always takes the hair off which might mean its not protected at all.

In all my years of horse owning I am lucky enough to have never had a horse with mud fever so this is really quite new to me

 

[be positive]

I saw this product recommended yesterday and thought it sounded interesting, Red Horse seem a good company so it might be worth trying.

https://redhorseproducts.com/shop-2/healing-products/honeyheal/

 

[hihosilver]

Get some aromoheel it is amazing stuff-will clear it up in 2-4 days. It is the very best for mud fever and you don't need to pick the scabs. I recommend it to everyone! it is a miracle! and scotlands secret! x

 

[PonyclubmumZ]

Olds fashioned zinc and caster oil cream has always worked for me, apply it liberally (its looks horrible) and then the scabs come off.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Just been in same position with my old boy. He lives out with access to a big strawed barn.

Both hinds across back of pastern. He had 5 days Norodyne 2 packets a day. I used Hoof to Heel cream which is messy but loosened the scabs in 4 days, once off I used Double base cream with a steroid mixed in for another 4 days. It is all clear, clean and healthy now and I am maintaining it with Lanacane medicated powder (the human brand in a yellow tub).

 

[bakewell]

I now use the red horse stuff for convenience (which is brilliant and very effective), but I have had immediate soothing and improvement with nizoral human shampoo whilst awaiting delivery. And you can get it from the supermarket!

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Hoof to Heel is brilliant.

 

[chazza44]

Metanium nappy ointment. Clean and dry leg and then slather it on before turnout. Keep legs clean and keep putting it on everyday. It suffocates the bugs that cause the dermatitis and on about day 3 or 4 the scabs should lift off and then just keep covering the pink skin left behind until healed. It's water proof and cheap. Better than anything else I've ever tried. It's a pale yellow colour and £2-3 per tube from any supermarket or chemist with a baby aisle x

 

[JustKickOn]

Horseware Hypocare for Mud Fever and keratex mud shield powder.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have used Hypocare and not seen any evidence it does anything to mud rash, minor scrapes or sores. It didn't even calm down nettle stings on me.

 

[Illusion100]

Cover affected area with a good layer of Sudocream, wrap a couple of layers of cling film round leg, bandage legs using gamgee and stable horse overnight. Wash legs with baby shampoo and warm water in morning and scabs should just slide right off pain free. For a barrier cream I use udder cream with flowers of sulphur mixed in.

 

[Auslander]

I have used Hypocare and not seen any evidence it does anything to mud rash, minor scrapes or sores. It didn't even calm down nettle stings on me.

Hypocare drives me mad with fury! It is a very basic wound wash, and the wild claims the company makes about it make me spit! It is effective in that keeping a wound clean helps it to heal, but it does NOTHING that cheap and cheerful saline doesn't do. Their recent marketing baloney - packaging the produce up with different labels for different conditions makes me EVEN crosser!!

 

[JustKickOn]

I have used Hypocare and not seen any evidence it does anything to mud rash, minor scrapes or sores. It didn't even calm down nettle stings on me.

That's odd. A friend used on her horse and it cleared up within days. We've also used the wound one on a horse who had an infected cut that antibiotics weren't touching, and it cleared that up too.

Eta- Auslander, read above. Horse had been battling an infection in a wound on his leg for a while. Various courses of wound flushes and antibiotics from the vets hadn't helped. We tried various things, all with little to no effect. Then tried the Hypocare using it to wash it out as required. The only constant throughout the whole thing was using silver spray as a spray on plaster. It may just be co incidence, but we doubt it, but the wound started to heal over after using the Hypocare.

Used the MF one last winter on one of ours in combination with the keratex powder and it kept his MF at bay.

 

[paddyrose]

The only things I found that worked were Bepanthan nappy cream or Red Biddy udder salve, better than the udder cream. Cover scabby bits with cream and cover with a disposable nappy and bandage overnight . The scabs lift off easily. When all the scabs have gone I kept dry nappy on for a while .

 

[Kikke]

I saw this product recommended yesterday and thought it sounded interesting, Red Horse seem a good company so it might be worth trying.

https://redhorseproducts.com/shop-2/healing-products/honeyheal/

Yes get yourself some honey heal, works a treat!!!

 

[JillA]

Think of it as dermatitis, instead of mud rash and it becomes a whole different ball game. My vet reckons you shouldn't use anti bacterial creams etc, since they destroy skin cells, he always advises bathing with salt water and then keeping dry. If that doesn't do it you may need some prescription ointment which is pricey but clears it up in days.
Then once it is fully healed use a barrier grease or oil to keep the wet out

 

[Meredith]

My ground is very wet heavy clay and one winter the horses legs were completely raw. Do the best you can to keep the legs dry, bandage, leg wraps, whatever, all the time carefully removing the 'paintbrushes'. When you've got it healed use baby oil as a preventive ( do allergy test first ) Now I use the oil as soon as wet weather comes and very rarely have problems. The real problems occur when it becomes infected, so I hope you can get it healed soon. Good luck.

 

[Meredith]

oops --- typo -- preventative !!

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks guys - lots to try here but great to hear what works! I have two of the nappy creams suggested so I'll try those first since the tubes are just sitting around and need to be used up (son now toilet trained ). Also have baby oil so will use that to prevent hopefully. If these don't work, will look at the other ones! Thanks very much everyone. Hopefully get rid of this for her! Be handy not to use turmeric cream again since it dyes her hair yellow... wasn't great for a SJ comp the other day!

 

[flirtygerty]

Cover affected area with a good layer of Sudocream, wrap a couple of layers of cling film round leg, bandage legs using gamgee and stable horse overnight. Wash legs with baby shampoo and warm water in morning and scabs should just slide right off pain free. For a barrier cream I use udder cream with flowers of sulphur mixed in.

This, my lad had severe MF the first winter we had him, did the Sudocreme and cling film and (touches wood) it has never come back

 

[Billabongchick]

Sounds like it could be LV (photosensitivity) if it's so high up leg and on white area. It's a lesion not a mud fever scab and requires very specific treatment to get rid

 

[Tnavas]

The very best, easy to use treatment is to wash the affected area and surrounding area with Nizoral shampoo. You can buy it from the chemist.

Dilute with hand hot water and lather up well, I use a face cloth to do this as it's slightly rough surface removes the scabs that want to come off.

If there is no improvement then check everything you feed for Lucerne (Alfalfa) products, if you find it included stop feeding it and ensure that you avoid feeding it. Legumes, which also include clover can cause photosensitisation which produces symptoms similar to Mud Fever.

Nizoral is so cheap, easy to use and effective.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have used Hypocare and not seen any evidence it does anything to mud rash, minor scrapes or sores. It didn't even calm down nettle stings on me.

It would not settle nettle stings , it's posh weak bleach.

 

[Goldenstar]

Have tried treating it as if it's a fungal infection?

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Nizoral isn't cheap!! Its about £7 for a weeny bottle. Boots do a cheaper version which smells identical.

 

[Tnavas]

Nizoral isn't cheap!! Its about £7 for a weeny bottle. Boots do a cheaper version which smells identical.

It's very cheap when you consider the amount you use at a time and how fast it works.

Consider other treatments, not just the amount of time you spend but all the different lotions and potions you use for weeks at a time.

I've tried other brands but they didn't work so well.

That £7 is well spent and will last you ages

 

[Goldenstar]

Head and shoulders is the answer for Fatty he's very prone to fungal issues it's an anti fungal we use the anti itch one .
I watch out for it on bogof and stock pile over the summer .
You need to mix up well in the bucket because it so thick it sinks and gets wasted .

 

[Auslander]

I use pig oil as a preventative, and so far, no mud fever this time round. When he had really really awful mudfever two years ago - I used steroid cream and flamazine, with oral antibiotics, which sorted him out in no time.

On an aside, as I realise not everyone has access to one. I was using my Arc Equine on Alf for ligament issues, but noticed that a stubborn patch of mudfever, which had been grumbling away for months and resisted everything I tried, cleared up within 3 days of starting to use the Arc - very weird!

 

[onemoretime]

That's interesting Auslander as I read I think its as on here that someone used their Arc Equine for a leg problem and the horses sarcoids all fell off.!!!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Stop using turnout boots. They are for prevention not cure. Putting a boot on top of the mud fever will be creating a warm airless environment for fungi and bacteria to thrive. Unless you're washing the boots daily you'll also be reinfecting the area every time you put them back on.

My mud fever cure is head and shoulders shampoo (there are only two kinds, zinc or selenium, check the ingredients and if one doesn't work try the other) used neat on the affected area daily, followed by gently towel drying the leg before applying Heel to Hoof cream to the affected area even though it will still be damp. A chippings bed is more effective for drying the legs overnight than straw.

Once healed I like to use either Gold Label's Leg Guard or Keratex's Mud Shield Powder (both prevent mud sticking and are anti bacterial) as a barrier on all legs, brushing dry mud off and reapplying the barrier before turnout in the morning.