Pictures Mud fever :(

[TreeDog]

This is my fourth winter with my gelding, I guess he's had mud fever in the past as he has some mild scarring behind his front pasterns, but not since I've had him.. until now I noticed today the hair around the back of his pastern is falling out and skin looked dry, and on one of his hinds there's a couple small scabs. I've put sudocreme on all 4 pasterns so hopefully that helps, he didn't mind me doing that so it's not sore. He lives out and their hay area has been very muddy so I've been regularly checking for it and I'm sure last weekend he was fine, he must have developed it since then but their hay has been put in a different area of the field since wednesday last week and all this week the mud has been frozen over and freezing cold temperatures so I wasn't really expecting it. I feel bad for not catching it sooner but hopefully it's soon enough to treat without too much difficulty.

I have pig oil and sulphur that I got for my feathered coblet, is it worth applying to my gelding if he's already affected (I did a patch test today) or should I just keep going with the sudocreme now and hopefully that will clear it up? I could take some warm water down tomorrow to wash with hibiscrub but wasn't sure if washing might just aggrevate it and be unneccessary as his legs were looking quite clean already. Photo is of his front pastern.

 

[mossycup]

Dont wash it unless you can get it 100% dry again. Are there a lot of scabs to come off?

 

[Suechoccy]

sudocrem is good. the main thing is not to do anything which opens the skin pores or damages the skin surface - so no water, no brushing/scratching. You want the skin to be a barrier against the bacteria so sudocrem or other antiseptic barrier cream is good.

 

[TreeDog]

Dont wash it unless you can get it 100% dry again. Are there a lot of scabs to come off?

No only two small about 1 or 2cm scabs on one hind pastern. I can wash in the morning and borrow a stable for the day so he dries out but he isn't a fan of having legs washed. Hosing he doesn't mind, but soapy proper wash isn't fun for either of us so I'd rather not wash unless really neccessary. (Also because we're still having freezing temperatures and water on the yard will freeze into ice and be dangerous)

 

[SEL]

I like plastering the legs in udder cream rather than pig oil when they're sore. Most of the NAF mud fever products have been pretty good too.

I rarely wash. I know there's pros and cons but I prefer to dry, brush off and only clean gently bits that really need it.

 

[tallyho!]

Echo the others about getting it dry. There are some great threads on MF you should look through but also add in some additional vits and mins that are good for skin health for example copper, zinc, calcium, vit e and c. This will help the skin fight off the infection. I've not had one horse have MF for 10 years now (touch wood!) since using very high-quality vits n mins.

You've also got to take into account Mf is not always bacterial, it can also be fungal. So try a fungicide wash from the chemist, Nizoral maybe.

 

[Upthecreek]

You don’t want to wash excessively but I have seen mud fever get worse by just putting a barrier cream on as the barrier works both ways - it also traps the bacteria in. That said in the photo it does look nice and dry with no open sores so it looks like what you’re doing is working. I would not continue applying barrier cream over really dirty legs or if they had open sores though.

 

[Follysmum]

One of mine has got it from being in the all weather turnout area for just a few hours a day. I slapped on loads of heel to hoof and 3 days later all the scabs have gone.

 

[Shysmum]

Sudocream will keep any water and microbes in, it's a barrier cream. Dry legs, then pig oil and sulphur copiously. It will self lift the scabs off and heal the infection. Do not hose the legs as this weakens the skin.

 

[JackFrost]

I had good results using manuka honey - must be medical grade. It is anti fungal and anti bacterial and seemed to allow the wound to mend and stay moist but aerated . It can go straight on an open wound. It is sometimes used in hospitals for human wounds. Horse didn't lick it off, but may help if you're using sudocrem etc so smells unappetising.
Be careful if using pig oil and sulphur for the first time, on some horses it can burn and make it worse.
Echo what tallyho! says about general horse health.

 

[Waxwing]

I had a a horse on part loan a few years ago who developed mud fever; the horse lived out and there was no running water or shelter available so attempting to wash or dry her legs wasn't an option. I used a product called Aromaheel and this cleared the mudfever up within a month, even though it was only applied on the days I was there.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

. MY old lad gets mud fever. I've had him nearly 20 years and the best way I have found is to totally leave it alone. If I put sudocream on it broke out in more sores. If I tried to soften the scabs to remove them it made it all worse. He only gets several small scabs now so I just keep an eye on it.

 

[onemoretime]

Have a look at Red Horse products they have brought out a new cream for skin. I have never used it but it appears to be very good with skin issues.

 

[Hollychops]

Our old mare has similar scars and can be prone to mud fever as we are on clay. The only thing i found to work was Flowers of Sulphur powder rubbed in daily before being turned out. as long as she has that she doesnt seem to suffer anymore.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Back in the early 60's when I worked at a RS we had a little pony that developed mud fever up to the knee on all four legs. Our farrier suggesting using Anthisan cream, it was green and smelt lovely. We smothered her legs in it and they all cleared up quite quickly. As I now know it is a anti-histamine cream so not what you would have thought would work.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I had a a horse on part loan a few years ago who developed mud fever; the horse lived out and there was no running water or shelter available so attempting to wash or dry her legs wasn't an option. I used a product called Aromaheel and this cleared the mudfever up within a month, even though it was only applied on the days I was there.

This product is really good in my experience.

Has cleared up lots of friends horses mud fever.