Treatments of Mud Fever

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MoniqueCSS

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Any recommended treatments/methods for Mud Fever? What treatments do people find really effective? How do you manage it (keep in/leave out etc) and how do you try and prevent it from reoccuring? Any info would be really appreciated, Many Thanks.
 
My old mare had it a couple of times. I used to clean the area thoroughly and dry completely. Then I covered in Keratex powder and gently rubbed into the affected area and surrounding area and then I ussed turnout socks/boots. The keratex cleared up the infection and the boots kept the legs dry. However she only went out in the day and I wouldn't leave the boots on for more than a few hours. Also the turnout boots had to be washed and dried everynight.
 
Pig oil is amazing! A cob on the yard I'm at got mud fever really badly last year and we tried everything to prevent/cure it. This year all we do is apply pig oil to dry legs then turn him out and (touch wood) there's no sign of mud fever!
 
I have just stuggled really bad with one of mine with mud fever. It seemed to go from a tiny bit on both back legs to what can only be described as what looked like 3rd degree burns right up to his hocks. I tried everything and nothing worked and nothing from the vets worked either. He was put on antibiotics to cover him but it was honey which sorted him, big improvement within 2 days of having that applied. Now he's sorted he gets sudocrem put on to cover his delicate fresh skin
 
Will be following this. My 8 month old gelding has it really bad and am struggling to get rid of it.
Dont mean to hijack your post but does anyone recommend clipping the bottom of the legs to get to ALL the scabs and treat?
 
Sudocrem massaged into scabs helps them fall off. Washing with Nizoral shampoo once a week and leaving for 10 mins then washing off with hot water good. Give the scabby bits a bit of a scrub with a sponge when lathering up shampoo and most of the scabs come off. Dry legs, squirt scabs/sore bits with Hydrocare and leave uncovered for the night. Sudocrem and/or Hoof to Heel for turnout. This works brilliantly for my current horse. He only gets it in his heels though and feathery bits of his fetlocks. I trim any hair so that the scabs are visible and easy to get at without lots of hair getting in the way.
 
Char0901 said:
Will be following this. My 8 month old gelding has it really bad and am struggling to get rid of it.
Dont mean to hijack your post but does anyone recommend clipping the bottom of the legs to get to ALL the scabs and treat?
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Absolutely! Feathers are useful to prevent mud fever, but once they've got it, its far easier to treat, and keep clean, if the legs are clipped
 
After only one leg on one horse some years ago getting it, I now have a horse that just has to look at the ground and he comes out in lumps of the blasted stuff.

After getting the first, and most virulent, bout cleaned up, he's now got it again, so we're back to antibiotics, Bute, and Special Spray (can't remember what it is). This is despite oiled legs, hosed off, no scrubbing, etc. etc. etc. Getting the scabs off, or even getting Flamizine on, was a case of taking one's life in one's hands until we had a bit of a discussion the other day. He's better now, but the spray (we had a silver one, and then a blue one - he looked like Metal Mickey!), seems to work the best for getting rid and keeping it at bay.

He doesn't go lame with it and seems as bright eyed as ever. Tried having him out, but it spread like wildfire, so now he's in. Luckily wherever he was before he was stabled and doesn't stress.
 
I have one that gets mud rash from just looking at mud too (ginga with white socks..). I have tried allsorts over the years. The best prevention I have tried seems to be muddy marvel cream as a barrier. Baby oil smoothed over the hair (not into the skin) did well on horses that don't get it badly. Sudocrem was good for healing damaged skin, but doesn't last two seconds as a prevention in our deep clay (nor does udder cream). I don't clip feathers, I trim them with scissor and combs - it still leaves short hair for water to drain down naturally, clipped hair sticks out and catches water, and doesn't offer much protection for the skin.

We have a hardcore and road chippings turnout area that we use in winter, which has been the ultimate mudrash prevention - haven't had it since we built it! Clean dry legs works for me!
 
My hairy cob has it quite bad at the moment and has pig oil on the feather and udder salve on the worse areas. Does anyone have any idea what to put on his tummy as I noticed yesterday whilst doing the weekly wash with Nizoral he has it there also, not bad but dont want it spreading. Unsure what to apply to the clipped area of his under carriage.
 
Both of mine are suffering this year, it has now gone after three weeks of treatment (which I did once a week)

I trimmed the hair right down
Scrubbed legs with warm water and tea tree oil- while you do this, pick off/ loosen any scabs
Dry legs completely- essential
Then Gold Label Pink Ointment + MSM applied all over area - remember to apply around the damaged area
Coat the legs in Pig oil & sulphur

I only needed to do this three times (every Friday) and I just hosed the mud off every day when they came in.

I just use the pig oil now to keep it away

Good luck x
 
Without wishing to decry poster above........... can I just say that IF using pig oil with sulphur, best to patch-test (24hrs) first, as my boy (pink legs, white hair & ridiculously senstive) reacted very badly when I (stupidly) used it on him; sorry previous poster but some horses do seem to react to it.

Think that cobs with pink skin & white hair seem to be particularly sensitive to mud fever........ they're the same ones who have to be slavered in sun-cream in the summer:) (OMG roll on the summer, puurrrllleeessssse).

My trad-lad has feathered legs and I'm one of the "clip out" brigade; makes life SO much easier when you can see what you've got. Him and mare are out by day at the mo, and in by night. When he comes in I hose down his legs and (horror of horrors) DON'T dry off, just bed them down in really deep shavings to dry off naturally as I was told that if you rub the legs with a towel it can rub in any mud fever/infection that's there but if you leave it to dry naturally its better.

THEN (when dry, i.e. the next morning before turning out) I brush on pig oil with tea tree added. And apply Sudocrem to any scabby bits.
 
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