Warning...mud fever complications

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emma_lg

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Hi...I just wanted to share my latest problem with my mare!!

Last Thursday my 19yr old tb mare had a couple of scabs on her coronary band on hind feet...so we cleaned them, dried them...same on Friday and did the same and covered them with barrier cream - her feet were slightly warm to touch...Saturday the same. On Sunday both legs were puffy but walking fine etc but YO decided to leave her in (she got waterlogged last summer and was concerned this was heppening again). This was at 8.00am...she went back to check on her after turning other horses out (about 40mins later)and she couldnt put her right foot on ground and was breathing very heavily and obviously in discomfort. So emergency call out for the vet for 'mud fever'!!!
He checked all leg..she still couldnt put any weight on it...was in distress. He said if she hadnt been seen walking at 8.00am and us knowing she is a sensitive mare he would have said she had fractured it. He gave her steroid injections, antibiotics, etc etc and thought the reaction was to the infection of mud fever, severe reaction. Bandaged legs to the hock. Sunday afternoon she was still heavy breathing so had to have more painkiller..then she settled.
On Monday came out first thing...her leg had totally swollen and he diagnosed it had gone to lymphangitis - infection had got to lymph vessels. So he bandaged her leg up to the stifle and gave her even stronger antibiotics...So she was on antibiotics (and bute)..which we have to syringe as she wont take in feed or treats.
Today...swelling much better...she flattened YO when trying to syringe...but managed to get antibiotics down her...cant walk her out as whole purpose is to dry her feet out and also cant get bandage soaked as she has to have it on till Friday and it is constantly pouring with rain...now she is stressing in box and just wants out (so take it she feels better) after 2 days being in (one of which she was totally out of it mind you)...and tried to barge out and dash off...stresses as soon as you put her back in and shut door...managed to walk her round the barn she is stabled in whereby she sniffed everything and looked out the doors at the pouring rain but luckily seemed to be happy just to be out of box. She is also suspicious of us for poisoning her too, so starts off not taking anything from your hands.
The next few days are going to be a nightmare...with no prospect of her being able to go out in field in this weather...tho we do have pens which we would hope to manage to get her into in one piece from Friday if given ok...

So be warned...mud fever can be more than it seems and can quickly turn in to something else. She will always now have the tendency for lymphangitis in her right leg ie. small cut or scab will need antibiotics quickly.
She is a sensitive mare given to dramatics but thought it worth sharing my experience!
 
EYE OPENER!

My mare has mud fever too, not to your extent i hope, had a swollen leg so i bandaged it, just trying to keep it dry and clean!, she is having to stay in too which dosnt help the swelling, not had to have the vet out yet, i pick off all the scabs clean it and put Dermoslove on. Hope yours it better soon.
 
Yep, my mare got Cellulitis (similar thing) from mud fever. I have never seen her in so much pain, she just held the leg up and wouldn't let anyone touch it, it was so swollen. She had a course steroid, antibiotic and bute injections over three days, then steroid cream applied to mud fever.

She never had that much mud fever in the first place and I had been treating it, so it wasn't like it had been left or overlooked, just a bit that wouldn't clear up and the bam up came her leg over night!

Never had it before or since, thankfully.
 
This is what happened to Grace last year... she got cellulitis which led to lymphangitis and was on a 3 weeks course of antibiotics, flamazine cream and lots of care to get it right.
 
I know...came as a shock to me too!
She had a couple of scabs on/above coronary band which I think is slightly unusual to have straight away..so that might explain the quick escalation of it.
Tho even my vet was startled by her severe reaction...My YO said if it had been anyone else she had got emergnecy vet out too for 'mud fever' she would have been embarrassed!!! But as it was me and my sensitive mare she knew it was ok!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
This is what happened to Grace last year... she got cellulitis which led to lymphangitis and was on a 3 weeks course of antibiotics, flamazine cream and lots of care to get it right.

[/ QUOTE ]

^
exactly what happened with solo last winter.
 
Yes Rafi get really swollen legs before and with mudfever .I think the blood supply and lymph system to the legs goes haywire .Try to keep legs warm and dry,use turnout boots and keretex powder when you are allowed to turn out again
 
A horse at our yard had exactly the same thing happen as OP. Her horse's leg swelled to such an extent that the skin cracked and it was oozing. Thankfully injections, syringed antibiotics and the like worked. This year he is having hardly any turnout - only going out when it is dry, and when he is out he has turnout chaps on just in case.

It was such a frightening thing to see.
 
I do feel for you all, My gelding had suffered so bad from mud fever in the past 4 years (bad enough to get vet out once or twice each season for anti bio injs/cream) However last wet summer he had mild mud fever so kept on with sudo cream, no washing off legs at all. Yesterday i brushed his legs off when the mud were dry. He has NO signs of it!! As you can image my joy, the fields are like knee deep swamp! He was out from april up until late nov (usually early june til oct) I hope it will contiune to go up rather go downhill.
 
my boy has had mud fever since i got him in June! - he is on loan and came with it, it hasnt got worse in fact slightly better, but with all this rain not worth risking it, he is in dry and warm and mud fever improving!!
 
I do worry as Merlin has four white longish socks and is out 24/7 on five acres of varied grazing (he has this to himself).

The gate is obviously boggy and there are a couple of springy type wet bits in the field but mostly it isnt too bad...... I worry about mud fever as he would be very stressed if he had to stay in (as would I)!! .

Does anyone use the mud fever suppliments and find them to work.... or should I not worry too much as he hasnt had it in the three winters he has had with me like this???
 
Hello Merlinsquest. I have a white legged horse which lives out and have had no problems for the past two years, however I have this year, but only mild so I am hoping it's a one off and its going to be a problem. I feed linseed and seaweed, both of which are good for the skin and my other horse (black legged) has never had it. Guess its also luck, the field mine are on drains well but they are stood in wet mud round gateway and at haylage, but have seen fully stabled horses get it from just going on a hack.
 
My mare is actually black...and only ever had very mild mud fever about twice in the 11+ years I have had her...just seems that since last 'summer' as it was so glorious and WET!!!...its really got to her.
We were totally amazed at how quickly it went from a small mud fever scab on her coronary (just above really on the fur) to the end result in 3-4 days. The vet said it was quite unusual to get them straight away on coronary band so may be this is why it progressed so quickly.
So now will have to find things to put on her feet before she can go out again..as it will just happen again.
I think all you can do is keep a really close eye on it...my mare did seem sensitive and she can be quite dramatic but whatever her reaction she was in pain and needed to be taken seriously..other horses may be could have coped a lot better.
Today she is feeling absolutely fine and walking fine despite the huge bandage...and feels she should be going back out again...
Took her for a walk this morning with plastic bags on her feet!!!
 
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