Very scabby mud fever like conditions. . .

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vandypip

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I have a horse with very scabby heels, looks like mud fever, but obviusly a summer condition, this needs to be sorted out for winter as the horse needs to come back into work, was thinking hibiscrub and poulticing? Any better ideas?. . .
 
It probably is mudfever - it's been so wet this year that there has been a fair amount around.

I wouldn't poultice tbh - all you're doing is making the skin soft and weak and allowing more bacteria in. Better to hibiscrub, soak the scabs off, dry thoroughly and then use sudocreme to keep the lesions covered. If it's a bad case, it might be worth speaking to your vet. Mine makes up a magic mud fever potion, which knocks it on the head pretty much instantly. Sure other vets must do similar.
 
A friend had a simialr problem earlier in the summer, it wasn't healing so the vet came out, recommendation was just to wash alternate days with hibiscrub and as it was a bit weepy in places just to use purple spray, this allows the puss to drain away rather than use sudacreme which holds it next to the skin, then just spray on the other day. It worked really well.
 
I find Equine America Fungatrol cream absolutely fantastic. Works brilliantly, not particularly cheap but worth every penny.
They also do a shampoo that you leave on for 20mins and the scabs just wash off leaving nice clean pink skin to put the cream on to. Definately worth a look at.
 
My horse had mud fever a while back. Tried hibiscrub and sudocrem but didn't have much effect. Vet gave me some flamazine cream with betnovate added. Told me to only wash every third day and apply cream twice daily. Soon cleared up.
 
Could always be mites- our boy got them again this summer because its been so wet- he doesn't have feathers but its the second time he's got them (he had them when we got him and again now 6 years later!) Symptoms can be so similar to mud fever most vets can't tell the difference!
 
LD&S said:
A friend had a simialr problem earlier in the summer, it wasn't healing so the vet came out, recommendation was just to wash alternate days with hibiscrub and as it was a bit weepy in places just to use purple spray, this allows the puss to drain away rather than use sudacreme which holds it next to the skin, then just spray on the other day. It worked really well.
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When you say purple spray, I take it you mean Engemicin - the prescription stuff? I wouldn't use the over the counter purple spray on anything - it's completely useless. Certainly wouldn't do a thing to non-healing mudfever.
 
Get some Muddy Marvel stuff. It's brilliant. There's a de-scab, disinfectant and a barrier cream. The barrier cream is the best in my opinion.

In the meantime, hibiscrub carefully (you want the scabs to disintigrate not get pulled off) then sudocrem. You want to keep it as dry as possible. You don't want to poultice it because that just makes the area warm and moist which will make the infection worse.

My horse has mud fever at the moment too- the conditions this summer have made it come early! (although this is the first time my boy has had it. We've had loads at the riding school in the past though).
 
I used a purple spray which was Gentian Violet on cracked heels and it was fantastic. Struggled to find it and used 'normal' purple spray and it was useless, I suspect it depends what's in it.
 
siennamum said:
I used a purple spray which was Gentian Violet on cracked heels and it was fantastic. Struggled to find it and used 'normal' purple spray and it was useless, I suspect it depends what's in it.
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I like the proper Gentian Violet stuff - but not the newer stuff, which proudly proclaims that it doesn't have GV in it! You can still buy it, but need to search a bit harder. Great for soggy, thrushy feet.
 
Auslander said:
I like the proper Gentian Violet stuff - but not the newer stuff, which proudly proclaims that it doesn't have GV in it! You can still buy it, but need to search a bit harder. Great for soggy, thrushy feet.
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I agree, I keep meaning to stock up off amazon, great stuff to have about.
 
vandypip said:
Just to add, these are real thick crusty scabs covering the whole heel area. .
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I found the gentian violet penetrated the scabs, and dried them out. When they dropped off the skin was healed up underneath. I suppose you'd have to be careful drying the area out didn't result in bigger cracks tho.
With my horse putting cream on was a tad risky as he would take your head off, at least with the spray you could blindly spray in the right general direction and keep at a distance.
 
vandypip said:
Don't know. This is a rescue horse, he's a hannoverian ex dressage so and want to bring him back into work when legs sorted out.
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Poor chap! Good on you for trying to do the best by him. I reckon its worth trying to soften them up with cream, then hopefully they'll rub off easily.
 
Another good cream (better I think than Sudocreme) is canasten/clomatrizole. I find Sudocreme can create a bit of a crusty barrier with some of these condidions whereas the canasten sinks in and has the advantage of being an antifungal.
With mine, I use Hibiscrub/malaseb, give the area a good soaking, let it sit for 10 mins with lots of foam, then rinse off. I then dry reasonably briskly with atowel,it will lift some of the scabs off - try not to get teeth kicked in. I then apply Canasten fairly liberally, if I don't have Canasten I will use Udder Cream.
 
Are you sure it's not mites as mine had this at the start of the summer when it was wet and it was diagonised as mud fever, thrush and canker before they realised it was mites. He had no feathers and has never had mud fever or mites before. They were scabs and the then bite his heels and made them very sore.
 
sounds like mud fever, if one of the scabs will ease off youll probably see a yellow sticky puss. best thing is to keep them dry. i use keratex mud fever powder works wonders. once all the scabs come off its can then be used as a barrier its brilliant and not overly expensive either around £12
 
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