Mud Fever Prevention - What do you do?

Kate_13

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 November 2006
Messages
721
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I am getting slightly paranoid now the rain is nonstop.

What do you guys use as mud fever prevention?? I was thinking of either the sportbac boots or using udder cream.

Any ideas welcome x
 
We don't put anything on, but we have stopped alfalfa and the big mare (ShirexClydesdale) seems to have cleared up. This is a huge improvement as last year she got abscesses in both back feet from stamping, and that was with any number of creams and potions being used on her legs.
 
I am the same as when my lad got mud fever years ago he got it real bad,was in summer too!!He couldnt weight bare at all,antibiotics etc!!!Last place i was at that was real bad mud,i washed off with cold water on coming in(with nothing more than the hosepipe,didnt touch his legs with a sponge or brush)
ooo.gif
some of you may say,lol!I was always told not to but tryed it and it does work!!(maybe not for all but worth a shot)Their legs are cold and wet anyway,if you wash the crap off as they come in,legs dry overnight and allow you to put a barrier on!!(i never did,i just washed off every night,however not practical if you not there every night!)I use either protocon or sudocrem which is really good stuff!!
smile.gif
 
I use Leg Guard which seems to stop the mud from sticking to the legs. They get their legs hosed off when they come in, and I put Thermatex leg wraps on overnight in the stable. Seems to have worked so far!
 
My boy only had it once years ago at a diff yard, but used to look after 5 warmbloods and used to wash their legs (as above) every night when i got them in, just hosed and worked fine, never had a prob!
 
Protocon Ointment - i clean his legs only once a week with Hibiscrub. Checky had mud fever to the stage of being lame last winter, and the less i do with it the better it is. All i do is check for heat and open sores all down his legs every night. Hes only got a few little dry scabs which i dont mind.
 
We never hose legs off and - touch wood - ours have never had mud fever even when most of the others on the yard had got it.
 
Coat the legs in pig oil and sulphur - oil makes a barrier and mud slips off and sulphur is excellent for prevention of skin problems.

If you have a horse that is really prone to it, I also cover the heels in sudocream mixed with sulphur and some tea tree oil as an extra barrier.

Avoid washing as this increases the problem. Leave heels to grow as much feather as possible as these are natures drains to keep the heels dry.
 
I like the sudocream but make sure it is mud fever and not mites! Chorioptic mite infection presents the same clinical signs as mud fever so loads of people treat the condition as mud fever with no success - and mites can be really hard to diagnose from skin scrapings because they go deep down to the healthy skin.
 
Top