Think my horse has mud fever- tips/advice for treatment please?

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Gingey

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As title....
After the hideous weather we've been having recently, his field is pretty soggy- it generally drains OK as it's on top of a slope/little hill, but judging by the track by the fence it seems he's been marching up and down in the mud!! :rolleyes:
Never, ever had problems with mud fever before, so don't really know anything about it (having been reading up on lots of H and H articles about it this evening though!)- I'm pretty sure that is what he has, it's only one one leg, just a couple of pink scabs/sores on his pastern about the size of 5p coins..sound like mud fever? Only noticed it today but they can't have been there hugely long as I check his legs over regularly. So far all I've done is wash with warm water and dry v thoroughly as I know being damp is the worst thing for it.
I don't think I'll need to clip the area or anything as he is a TB and with white sock and I keep his heels trimmed anyway so think it should air OK.
Like I say, I don't know anything about it, and while the articles are helpful I was wondering if I could pick some people's brains about their experiences and tips...

Should I keep him in? Or turn him out with it covered up (I don't have turnout boots or anything so would be some form of waterproof dressing)- have heard this isn't great as it needs the air to it though?
I do like to keep him out as much as possible (especially as he's a bit of a fruitloop currently)though obviously if he should come in then he will of course- he's normally out all day and stabled at night.

Is it best to avoid riding him in wet school/out in the muddy fields (lots of roadwork here we come.... :( ) until it gets better?

Should I get a specialised wash/treatment cream/barrier cream? Or any home remedies...? One H and H article said E45 cream??

I know it's not exactly life threatening (and he hasn't shown any discomfort at all, no swelling or anything, and he very obligingly let me poke it and prod it and wash it and dry it tonight!) but I don't want it to escalate at all..

Thanks!
 
My 18.1 gelding gets bad mud fever on the inside at the top of his back legs, I hose the affected area and pour some hibiscrub onto a dandy brush, then scrub at it quite a bit, it doesn't hurt him and he shows no discomfort, if anything he quite enjoys it. I then hose the hibiscrub off and dry his legs with a towel and dab Lincoln Muddy Buddy powder onto his legs which worked quite well. Although today I applied Muddy Buddy Magic Kure Cream (Expensive stuff!) and then dabbed with the powder to keep the top dry when the cream dried in.

Works great for me! I continued to ride him in the school apart from the first few days when he was really sore. I've also turned him out with just the powder on the area which affects him. I'd like to know how he manages to get the mud there in the first place!
 
I brush of the mud (when its dry obviously!) And that's it! I don't wash it, pick the scabs off or put any barrier cream on. Works well for my old boy :-)
 
Ok thanks, that's great :) So does the powder and cream work as a preventative as well or just as treatment for existing mud fever? - Ie would you put the powder on his legs even when he doesn't have it, just to prevent?
I'm actually a bit worried about riding in the school, it's pretty deep going ATM and a little concerned about sand etc getting in the sores and irritating them. :(

Without sounding stingey, given he's never had problems with mud fever before, I'm kind of hesitant to fork out for the different products etc unless I've had a good review from someone who's actually used them, so that's great thanks :)
 
I just keep my boy in for a day or so on the rare occasions he gets it.
Generally I never wash his legs off, he dries overnight, and I may or may not brush off before turning out.
He had it on all legs when I bought him, so I washed off with salt water and dried with clean towel, then dry bandaged, that cleared it up in a few days.
I would only use dilute hibiscrub if it were obviously infected, dry off, bandage and remove from muddy fields. I have seen more severe cases where we used cling-film on top of sudocream to shift the scabs [overnight], then washed off and dry bandaged.
 
The cream treats existent mud fever, the powder works as a barrier against mud and water.:) The cream is £16 for a small tub, but I'd say you'd be better off with just the hibiscrub and powder. The powder is around £10 for a big bottle, definitely recommend it!

The cream did work well to clear it up, but I ran out after about a week due to using it twice a day as recommended, so I now just use powder.
 
As its only a small area and hopefully the ground will dry out soon, just keep it clean and as dry as possible, maybe a night or two in to allow it to start healing and you should find it heals up fairly quickly. A little cream on before turnout will help, anything you have in your medicine cupboard should be fine.
If mid winter it may be a different view as it can take hold but now it is likely to clear up with little intervention, especially as he is not feathered.
 
Gingey said:
Ok thanks, that's great :) So does the powder and cream work as a preventative as well or just as treatment for existing mud fever? - Ie would you put the powder on his legs even when he doesn't have it, just to prevent?
I'm actually a bit worried about riding in the school, it's pretty deep going ATM and a little concerned about sand etc getting in the sores and irritating them. :(

Without sounding stingey, given he's never had problems with mud fever before, I'm kind of hesitant to fork out for the different products etc unless I've had a good review from someone who's actually used them, so that's great thanks :)
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I would not mix powder and cream. I used Keratex powder to prevent the area getting wet and infected, only used it on dry clean legs.
To ride in the arena, I would bandage [you can use tubiflex underneath] to prevent any sand getting in to any sores.
In my case, as soon as any heat and small scabs appeared, I treated it before it turned in to a roaring infection.
 
RolyPolyPony said:
I brush of the mud (when its dry obviously!) And that's it! I don't wash it, pick the scabs off or put any barrier cream on. Works well for my old boy :-)
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Thanks RolyPolyPony, that's all I've ever done with mine too, up until now!- or if I need to put boots on to ride I sponge then towel dry. I guess now he's actually got it I desperately feel like I need to be proactive and DO something to it! :o :rolleyes:

Miss L Toe, thanks that's really helpful.. I definitely wouldn't say it's a severe case, like I said it's a couple of little pink 5p sized sores on one leg..that doesn't sound severe/obviously infected does it? :confused: Sorry, like I say, I know less than nothing about mud fever..!
Guess he will have to stay in then, as we have NO unmuddy fields at the moment, other than his spare which is resting and I really don't want it just getting torn up and made into a mudbath straight away! :(
Without being thick, sorry, when you say bandaged, I assume you mean stable bandaged on top of some kind of dressing? Just a bit paranoid about bandaging on top of even slightly damp skin but I guess if I thoroughly towel it should be OK. Thanks :)
 
Btw, I didn't mean you should turn him out, just saying what I did with mine!:) And mine gets mud fever on the top of his legs where it can't get muddy unless he does the splits or whatever it is he does to get it there! Which is also why I continued to ride him.

Mine are all stabled over night and go out for at least three hours in the daytime, all are very happy!
 
I too have a TB and he can't stand a dandy brush at all - let alone scrubbing with Hibiscrub! My last horse (also TB) did suffer from mudfever, and although he never got it badly, he did get lymphangitis as a result so I was extremely careful with his management. Don't use warm water to wash - it open the pores and can allow infection in. My vet's advice was washing of the legs with cold water until the water ran clear (hands giving a rub to ensure all mud removed). He didn't advise drying the legs. I then used green oils on the sores. Veg oil was used to soften scabs, really work oil in and be patient for them to come off! I did always turn out on the recommendation of my vet, but would stress that my horse only ever had a few tiny scabs which could escalate to lymphangitis easily. Have you talked to your vet about your horse?
 
Have tried everything for four years but the only thing that has actually worked is Avon Skin So Soft Body and Bath Oil. I squirted it directly on the mud fever, scabs detached overnight and I brushed them out. Voilà!
 
BeckyMason97 said:
Btw, I didn't mean you should turn him out, just saying what I did with mine!:) And mine gets mud fever on the top of his legs where it can't get muddy unless he does the splits or whatever it is he does to get it there! Which is also why I continued to ride him.

Mine are all stabled over night and go out for at least three hours in the daytime, all are very happy!
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Lol, no I understand completely, different position of mud fever = different situation!
Think I probably will keep him in, and just take him round the village to get some exercise. Expect others on the yard will be in tomorrow too as weather is still pretty horrific, so at least he won't be in on his own. Maybe I'll put some kind of waterproof dressing on just so he can go out for an hour or so.

kirstyl said:
I too have a TB and he can't stand a dandy brush at all - let alone scrubbing with Hibiscrub! My last horse (also TB) did suffer from mudfever, and although he never got it badly, he did get lymphangitis as a result so I was extremely careful with his management. Don't use warm water to wash - it open the pores and can allow infection in. My vet's advice was washing of the legs with cold water until the water ran clear (hands giving a rub to ensure all mud removed). He didn't advise drying the legs. I then used green oils on the sores. Veg oil was used to soften scabs, really work oil in and be patient for them to come off! I did always turn out on the recommendation of my vet, but would stress that my horse only ever had a few tiny scabs which could escalate to lymphangitis easily. Have you talked to your vet about your horse?
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Yep mine is a bit of a fidget and also hates dandy brushes- but luckily, being an accident prone kind of guy, he's quite good at being an invalid and letting me tend to cuts/sores/bumps! :rolleyes:
Oh dear, lymphangitis, sorry to hear that :( Having read your post and all the others with different advice, I think the best thing is probably to ring my vet tomorrow. Nope, haven't spoken to my vet about it- it's only come up over the last 24hrs!

cinnamontoast said:
Have tried everything for four years but the only thing that has actually worked is Avon Skin So Soft Body and Bath Oil. I squirted it directly on the mud fever, scabs detached overnight and I brushed them out. Voilà!
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Interesting solution, amazing to hear the remedies people find :D Thanks
 
couldnt shift my mares scabs at all, she had really thick crusty scabs....felt so sorry for her. the rhing that cleared hers up was aromaheel - amazing stuff
 
My TH mare had a mild case after the very wet spring we had last year. I spent weeks cleaning with dilute hibiscrub, drying and using well horse spray. I saw no improvement and just annoyed us both, I think. Then I switched to cleaning the area with a wet wipe and checking on sudocream. Worked a treat and the scabs cleared up really quickly!
 
Wash the affected area with Nizoral or Sebizol - both contain Ketaconisol and will kill off the mudfever fungus and heal up the legs in no time at all. You can buy it at the chemist.

I've recently treated my fillies mudfever - I dilute the shampoo in hot water and lather it up well making sure I go well beyond the current affected area. I generally only have to do this once and the mudfever will be gone within a week.

I could kick myself as I moved her to new grazing at the end of February and she was without her mineral block - I came back from Horse of the Year two weeks later to find her with a very sunburned scabby nose and mudfever. The legs were washed but I daren't touch the face - the scabbing was down half her face. I bought a new mineral block with Copper in it and within about 10 days the scabs had gone.
 
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