Mud fever

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howestreet

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Help my mare has the most horrendous case of mud fever - anyone any ideas ? Someone on the yard suggested stinky stuff , said they had used it in the past and it was brilliant anyone had any experience of it? My mare can be sensitive. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks
 
Never used that personally. When my mare had it she lived out and I hadnt noticed it. Ended up having antibiotics to clear it up then used Muddy Buddy powder as a preventative measure. It works fab....just like talcum powder. Standard treatment really is to clean it with a weak solution of a skin cleanser, if you use Hibiscrub use very diluted. Dry thoroughly with clean towels and keep off the mud until healed. Scabs need to dry up and come off, I have read of wrapping the legs in cling film with udder cream underneath to loosen them. Its like us having sore chapped hands and that can be painful. It usually affects pink skin, usually where the horse has white on their legs.
 
Vet job, if it's really bad. I have at least one bad session every year (although, touch wood, seem to have finally nailed it) Vet sedates, clips, cleans, stabs him with steroids, and gives me a tub of flamazine and a box of antibiotics. Nothing else works once it's got a grip.
 
My older lad gets it bad on his hind heels. I can't soak the scabs off as they get infected. I have had this horse for 12 years and the few times I have messed with the scabs he has gone lame. This year I used hoof to heal. I just smeared it on top of the scabs and within a week his heels were clear.
 
Conversely to the above, vet treatment here recommends leaving the skin alone. Do not wash or wet; bring in at least 8 hours a day and at most towel off mud and leave to dry then brush off. Dont use lotions and potions and leave the scabs alone. Bad cases will need antibiotic to get a grip on it...My vet says think of it as trench foot. Dryness is key.
 
Nudibranch said:
Conversely to the above, vet treatment here recommends leaving the skin alone. Do not wash or wet; bring in at least 8 hours a day and at most towel off mud and leave to dry then brush off. Dont use lotions and potions and leave the scabs alone. Bad cases will need antibiotic to get a grip on it...My vet says think of it as trench foot. Dryness is key.
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That's what I do for mild cases - Alf tried his best to have a flare up late last year, but I turned a blind eye (whilst regularly peeking though my fingers at it!) and he recovered without intervention. If it's really bad though (and mine can go from a few scabs to a leg explosion in less than 24h!) I prefer to go at it with all guns blazing!
 
You need to break the wet/dry cycle. Can you keep the horse in or is it not the type to be in for a while? The legs need to be totally dry then oiled. Absolute key for me and a raving success this year-finally-has been no hosing of legs and regular coating with baby oil. Mine is specific, behind knees and heels on a very hairy cob.
 
Nudibranch said:
Conversely to the above, vet treatment here recommends leaving the skin alone. Do not wash or wet; bring in at least 8 hours a day and at most towel off mud and leave to dry then brush off. Dont use lotions and potions and leave the scabs alone. Bad cases will need antibiotic to get a grip on it...My vet says think of it as trench foot. Dryness is key.
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I agree with this washing and removing scabs makes it worse it's best left alone unless it's really bad then you need a vet, I think the worse thing for causing mud fever is hosing the legs every time they come in from the field it's best left on and if the horse is standing in a nice deep bed it dries quickly.
 
Yes definitely keep dry if you can. Nutritional support is really important because strong skin will heal itself and produce it's own sebum and oils to protect itself. Try micronised linseed, vit e oil and make sure the horse isn't getting more than about 10% sugar&starch intake. Ensure plenty of calcium and copper so supplement for skin health.
 
One yard I was at had several chronic cases, including one of my lads, I think the organism was in the ground, which was allowed to be very chewed up and overgrazed. Anyway, he had to have antibiotics as it got infected. I tried absolutely everything, and he became really uncooperative, any attempt to remove scabs resulted in kicking. I tried a cream given by vet, I tried flamizine (which caused a bad reaction/inflamation), all the muddy buddy stuff, one attempt with the dilute hibi (on vet instructions although I wasn't happy about it), keeping dry..wrapping in clingfilm....and then I tried unperfumed baby oil with flowers of sulphur powder, which I just applied to dry legs and re applied every couple of days. It was literally a miracle cure. The old scabs came off as I put the new oil on, and healthy skin was underneath. He stopped kicking. Within about a week all the scabs were gone. I kept applying the oil - and others on the yard had the same brilliant results with their chronic cases too.

All that is a distant memory - same horse (who used to get it every year) has had no trace whatsoever for the last few winters, but I have a bag of flowers of sulphur in the cupboard just in case!
 
My gelding has had dreadful mud fever every winter for he last 3 years. I tried absolutely everything including Antonio but couldn't shift it 100%. Then I read about vitamin E being really important so put the horse on Dodson and Horrell Ultimate Balancer. It was like a miracle. It started healing in 48 hours and 2 weeks later has nearly gone altogether. I am convinced my horse must have had a vitamin and mineral deficiency even though the vet commented on how well he looked!!
 
another one who would suggest to feed from within, went from have very bad mud fever to none (touches wood) by adding in my case vitamins and brewers yeast with a bit of linseed. now free for the last 8 yrs, prevention seems to work.
 
howestreet said:
Help my mare has the most horrendous case of mud fever - anyone any ideas ? Someone on the yard suggested stinky stuff , said they had used it in the past and it was brilliant anyone had any experience of it? My mare can be sensitive. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks
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Mine suffers terribly with MF, if its really bad get vet out and get her on antibiotics as nothing else will clear it, I also get a pink lotion made from the vets to help heal and soften the scabs, if you can keep her in as much as possible it will help, leave the scabs well alone and if they do get wet pat dry with kitchen towel. I have also tried stink stuff and imo is a complete waste of money.

Edited to say I have now started mine on Hilton Herbs Defender.
 
howestreet said:
Help my mare has the most horrendous case of mud fever - anyone any ideas ? Someone on the yard suggested stinky stuff , said they had used it in the past and it was brilliant anyone had any experience of it? My mare can be sensitive. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks
Click to expand...

Try GreenOil, it's a very light oil that dries out instantly, that you put on after washing legs and it has been a total game changer. Mine has four white socks and only has to look at mud to come down with it. I've tried washing, not washing, socks, boots, sprays etc and this is the only thing I've found to work so far!
 
I have been struggling with mud fever for 3 months and finally found a solution that cures it in a matter of days. This is for my horse who lives out 24/7 and has no stall, and his pasture is very muddy...

First, wash the leg and clip it very short. This really speeds drying time. Then, every day you will:

1. Apply Hibiclens or other soapy chlorhexedine scrub to the area with your fingers - don't scrub or pick. Allow to sit 5 mins.
2. Hose off (if some Hibiclens remains that's OK)
3. Towel off the leg, then take a 12" x 24" bit of towel, wrap the leg in it, then apply a fleece polo wrap. This will dry the leg pretty well. If you have a hairdryer go for it - leg must be DRY.
4. Apply goop. I have used nitrofurazone, or biozide iodine gel, or antibiotic ointment mixed with antifungal cream. Whatever - something non irritating but powerful.
5. Cover in gauze/a disposable nappy/a panty liner/a wound pad, apply some BB Satin Star cotton or gamgee etc for padding, apply vetrap to hold that in place, then cover the lot in half a roll of elastikon. Elastikon is the PRODUCT OF THE GODS and will stay in place without slipping, sticking to the hair above and below the site, until you cut it off. Even in a muddy-ass field. I'm not kidding.
6. Repeat daily, using freshly washed towels for the drying each time.

Let me know how it goes!
 
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