When to call the vet out with mud fever???

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Princess P

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Can anyone share their mud fever experiences with me?

My dales type got mud fever through having feather mites back in November (even though I clip feathers off - vet said prob caught from when I ran out of bedding and had to use straw for a week) and the skin got scabby etc etc.

The scabs completely got on top of me, having tried my usual pig oil & sulphur and then hibiscrub and sudocrem & all the muddy marvel stuff.

One morning mid December his legs were swollen like tree trunks and hot and he was very reluctant to walk. The vet saw him that day and gave a weeks course of danilon & norodine antibiotics for mud fever / cellulitis.

This cleared up the heat and swelling but not the scabs.

Have been washing and hibiscrubbing and drying as the vet instructed, and have tried keratex hoof and leg scrub, and flamazine cream and the scabs got a bit better but won't go completely.

At the weekend my RI suggested poulticing legs with cligfilm to soften and remove scabs but since I did that his legs have been too sore for me to touch. He is very good natured and has put up with all other washing & poking so he's not being naughty.

Now this morning they were quite puffy again....

Has anyone else experienced this and can you offer any advice?

Don't know if I need the vet out again of if I should persevere with the hibiscrub etc.

(I have also ordered some dermisol cream and solution which should arrive tomorrow which should help with healing)

Thanks for reading this and for any advice!
x
 
I would give your vet a ring and have a chat about the way his legs are or are not progressing. It may be that he could recommend some other lotion or potion to try - or it may be that he feels he ought to take another look. :)
 
Stop hibiscrubbing or wetting in any form!!!!!!!

Get some more Flamazine cream and just keep bunging it on for the next week until the scabs are falling off on gentle manipulation.

If there's no improvement after this - I'd have the vet back out to look.

The important thing is though to keep the legs as dry as is humanly possible (i.e no water).
 
What did you use to get rid of the mites? Our cob gets mites and I thought it was mud fever, treated her with flamazine for ages and it didn't clear up. Eventually used Frontline spray and haven't had any problems since. The scabs cleared up and the Frontline killed the mites. She is living out this winter in lots of mud and hasn't had any problems.
 
Throw that blasted Hibiscrub away; it's great stuff but it is not at all suitable for mud fever as it is far too strong and strips out the natural oils from the skin which is also another reason to stop washing it too.
As Amy says, get some decent cream (my preferred one is Protocon) absolutely plaster it on, do not pick or rub it at all; repeat every other day for a week, by then the scabs will have softened up and you will be able to roll some of them off. If they don't come easily, don't pick at them just plaster again with the cream; repeat this as long as it takes which might be a couple of weeks. Horse will appreciate not being pulled and picked at too. Keep legs as dry as you can. Also look at the diet as skin heals from within, so a healthy diet will give you good skin regrowth too, think of adding some oil or linseed if necessary.
 
Thanks for all your advice.

Vet gave dectomax injection for mites, so have had vet twice in a short space of time for this!


I was feeding fast fibre but read somewhere that alfalfa can exacerbate skin conditions so I tried cutting it out, and the scabs did get a bit better, but this was also around the time I swapped the hibiscrub for the keratex scrub so not sure if it helped!

He is a v good doer prone to chubbiness so he gets a token handful of hi-fi light (alfalfa again I know, but he's been fed that forever with no probs), and a handful of spillers light balancer. He is out during the day and has a haynet in the stable at night.

If I fed oil would that put weight on him?

The 'funny' thing is with all the ice and my careful management of grazing his field isn't even muddy at the moment!
 
I used Flamazine on my horse, caked it on about 1/2 cm thick, covered it in loose clingfilm and then bandaged over the top (all as instructed by my vet). the badages & clingfilm were removed in the morning and then each evening I would manipulate the scabs and remove those that would come off. The process was repeated for 4 days and his MF had gone. It was quite bad too from the fetlocks down and he was very sore. I also didn't allow him out in the field until they had fully healed.
 
I've tried an experiment this year and have used a different prevention/cure method on each affected leg. I cannot believe how quickly the leg coated in manuka honey has healed. Another advantage is that the honey is so thick that applying it tends to rub off the looser scabs and leaves the lovely pink healing skin beneath with a protective honey coat.

Try it on one leg of your horse and see how it works for you. I'd recommend you do a hind leg though - prevents getting a horse face coated in honey if they rub their head on their leg. I've had no problems with her licking it off either - although she does help to clean my hands after application!

Another advantage is that it is totally water soluble so is easy to hose off.
 
Hmmm that's interesting... I think I will try the honey on one leg, nothing to lose!

Fingers crossed I can get a handle on it soon
x
 
1: Throw away the Dermisol, it's no better than paint stripper!
2: Yout need to clean the scabs thoroughly every day with hibiscrub and warm water - bathe them and pick off what you can. Then
3: Dry the legs best you can
4: Flamazine by the bucket load - it's a good idea to stable bandage over the top of it if you can and keep in overnight
5: If really bad then I'm afraid turn out's going to keep increasing the numbers of dermatophilous bacteria you're meeting daily and the bacteria penetrate broken skin so stabling 24/7 will really help if you can do.
6: Avoid turnout chaps etc when you've got active mud fever.

Hibiscrub is antibacterial surgical scrub and flamazine is antibacterial cream used for human burns/broken skin
 
peewit said:
1: Throw away the Dermisol, it's no better than paint stripper!
2: Yout need to clean the scabs thoroughly every day with hibiscrub and warm water - bathe them and pick off what you can. Then
3: Dry the legs best you can
4: Flamazine by the bucket load - it's a good idea to stable bandage over the top of it if you can and keep in overnight
5: If really bad then I'm afraid turn out's going to keep increasing the numbers of dermatophilous bacteria you're meeting daily and the bacteria penetrate broken skin so stabling 24/7 will really help if you can do.
6: Avoid turnout chaps etc when you've got active mud fever.

Hibiscrub is antibacterial surgical scrub and flamazine is antibacterial cream used for human burns/broken skin
Click to expand...

I have to strongly disagree with stable bandaging - this promotes the bacteria that causes MF.

And also the point about hibbiscrubing and wetting daily.
 
Yes - I agree. My friend got hold of some cream called 'mudbar' which you apply on completely dry skin to loosen scabs and it seems to be doing that - her cob's defo on the mend
 
Hi,

How are the legs doing? My horse has recently suffered with mud fever even in the snow it wasn't clearing up. I went out and bought keratex mud fever powder and its worked wonders its been 2 weeks and its cleared up and all her hair has grown back. I think the powder when you rub it in removes all the moisture under the scabs and in the hair.

In the last week or so I have started giving her Brewers Yeast and this is also meant to help with mud fever and sweet itch. I only got it to help calm her (which it has done) and I've noticed her coat and skin looking a lot better. I would defo try it as it isn't that expensive! Agree with the hibiscrub does make it look clean but deep down makes it worse in the long run, been there tried that!

Good luck...it's a nightmare to deal with!
 
at work and on my own we use sweating on mud fever scabs that have got out of control and it honestly is pain free and really works cover area in sudocreme like loads of it big thick layer then wrap in clingfilm not too tight then gamgee or a leg wrap gamgee prob best as can tro away and bandage leave alone for 24 hours then remove bandage all scabs will be soft and just falling off the sudo will sooth and soften anything all the pores will be clean and open so straight away you can just rub off scabs or give a good clean and start a fresh with sudo or your choice of cream once scabs are off its so easy to get back ontop of it
 
Hibiscrub ,bloody useless for mud fever. Mud fever is a twofold attack on the skin. The bacteria cause inflamation which causes an immune reaction which agravates the inflamation. Throw in hibiscrub and yes you kill all the bacteria,unfortunately also the good bacteria which protect the skin, Hibiscrub also irritates the skin causing further immune reaction. Once the hibiscrub has worn off ,you have a sterile inflamed ,raw ,skin just right for reinfection with ,guess what,.......mud fever bacteria.
 
Poor you! So much contrasting advice. Much as its all good, and well meant, if you trust your vet, I would speak to your vet again - just ring for a chat initially, to avoid a call out fee. Out of us all, they're the one that has actually seen it.. My vet is usually very good about "having a chat" about one of the horses.

I've had various horses with various "types/reactions" to mud fever, and different things have worked with different horses. We have one gelding that only has to look at wet/mud to get severe mud fever. He is fed oil and gleams with health otherwise - its just his thing! (Like I personally get sore throats easily.) With him, the trick is getting his legs bone dry. I do use very diluted hibiscrub when it initially flares up - after washing with muddy marvel descab - which seems to take most of the scabs off very kindly without the horses bothering at all - no picking. I immediately dry it off with paper towels (I've even gone so far as to consider bringing my hairdryer down to the stables!) I then leave the horse with his legs bare - to get as much air as possible to the area. This particular horse has to go out in a small turnout paddock that is grass on hardcore- so even when muddy it is not over his feet. He goes out 2/3hrs aday in it. I'd much rather him be out 24/7, but its just not possible. I also avoid mud on bridleways in winter too - I'm that paranoid about this particular horse and his mud fever! I find that dry icy weather, when the fields are not mushy are great for him to go out - the sun and the air help no end if he's not gettin muddy.

Good luck to you - its hard work!
 
my vet makes a very good mud fever cream .. aqueous cream with antibiotic and steroid in it. works well. i like to keep the legs as dry as possible, never wash the mud off .. the mud fairies do it in the night, and not pick and aggrivate the condition. horses prone to mites are jabbed with dextomax to get rid of the mites. if scabs are bad and crusty i apply the vet cream, clingfilm and bandage for 24 hours, then rub legs with a towel til all cream and most of scabs are off then reapply the vet mud fever cream. very often the more you do makes it worse.
 
When we got our horse he had slight mud fever on one of his legs and when we got him vetted the vet gave us this stuff that you use for a skin condition cows get.

We used it for about 3 days and it went and hasn't come back and I can't think of the name of it but can look on the label tomorrow. Or someone on here my know what I mean. I think you can only get it from the vet though but it really worked a treat.
 
My boy had really really bad mud fever when he came to me. All i did was wipe any mud off the affected area (with an old towel) and smothered it in sudocrem. It took a week or so so start healing but once it started it went for it. it was completely healed in around 2 and half weeks. I didnt pick the scabs, hibbiscrub or anything.
 
why do people wet the legs and cover them in sudocream????? This makes it worse! You need to dry it up not keep wet!

You need Athletes foot spray or cream it contains Tinactin which dries it up in a week! Please try it it is £3.50 not a £350+ vet bill
 
Thanks for the advice everyone, really appreciate everyone's comments but so many different ideas!

I am nearly at the limit of what I can cope with at the moment, it's just going on and on!

Last weekend, after 2 weeks of 24 hour stabling, washing with hibi scrub at night after riding in the school, drying with kitchen towel and bandaging with sanitary towels on under bandage pads and stable bandages (14 p for 10 tesco value press on towels - sterile and non-adherent and cheaper than gamgee etc!), and either flamazine or aloe vera from a friend's plant on under the bandage, his scabs had almost gone! So last weekend I turned him out for about 3 hrs Saturday and 3 hours Sunday. He went out covered in muddy marvel barrier cream and didn't get muddy or wet in the field.

Decided he wasn't ready to be out all day long while I'm at work so started 24 hr stabling again on Monday. Monday evening legs were all scabby again and on Tuesday morning legs were swollen and hot. :-(

It feels like this is never going to end!

It is a bit better now, but it is still really sore for him and he is getting really fed up of me washing and rubbing cream into the scabby bits.

The warm hibi scrub and rinsing off is helping soften the scabs and get rid of them, and if I don't do it the scabs are bigger and crustier the next day. It also gets rid of the sand on his legs from riding in the school. If I don't bandage over night his legs fill and the scabs also seem worse.

To make it even worse a 'friend' stitched us up with some hay that none of the horses on the yard will eat and I have run out of my old hay, my hay man is on hols until next weekend so I'm having to beg and borrow hay off other liveries, because he's refusing to touch the other stuff!

Am borrowing my friend's clippers on Tuesday night so will clip his legs out again so I can get to the skin more easily. Am going to continue my schooling / hibi scrub / drying / stable bandage nightime routine, and also try betnovate cream. My farrier recommended this, it's a steroid based cream and I happen to have some at home that the doctor gave me for my eczema.

Thanks for reading all of this, any more comments gratefully received!
x
 
Littlemissmoneypenny - I have never heard of giving brewers yeast before, what does it do? I have been thinking some kind of skin supplement may help him, just not sure which! He is black and he has a very nice shiny coat, but his mane and tail can get a bit flaky so I guess a skin supplement could help with that. I'm not so keen to feed oil as he is a v. good doer I'm worried it will make him fat!

He windsucks after any food apart from grass hay, and I have always wondered if it's an acid / unsettled stomach type thing (has been checked by vet who said it's not serious as he only does it after food and not losing condition) - so maybe yeast could help with that too?
 
I've just had to call the vet out as mine got secondary infection so had to have injections and is now on course of anti-biotics and bute for a week plus have to keep him in and wash legs every day with maleceteq - not sure of spelling shampoo, mine is prone to this strepto infection so if I were you I'd get the vet out as yours may have similar as 2 others on same yard have got it.

Re dietary I was feeding him brewers yeast and linseed as well as Mud Warrior supplement and Aloe Vera to help his immune system none have made any difference but girl at saddlery has told me to try Global Herbs ImmuPlus supplement as her horse had mud fever and she had tried every potion and lotion going to no avail so I am going to give this a try, thankfully field we are moving to isnt really bad so he should be able to be turned out in a few days.

Creams wise I used Aromaheel to help the healing and get rid of scabs without having to pick mud off and it had been doing a good job till other infection occurred - roll on summer and drier weather! Camrosa is also good for helping hair grow back.
 
I swear by Pevidine Scrub(very weak soloution) or Savlon disinfectant to clean followed by Germoline or nappy cream such as bepanthen or zinc and castor oil once the legs are dry, put as much on as you can. I have also been known to pile on Benzyl Benzoate and rub it well in, it is fab for lifting off stubborn scabs. My vet has yet to say anything negative about my ramdom mixture of creams.
I got to the point a few years ago where I was so fed up I raided the remains of my first aid kit and horses, hence the Germoline, which made an impression in 24 hours. Horse was close to being infected.
Hibi Scrub is a great disinfectant but it dries out skin both horse and human.
 
STOP WETTING THE LEGS! IT IS MAKING IT 10 TIMES WORSE! It is bacterial and fungal so it spreads in wet conditions! The Hibi scrubbing is making me cringe no wonder these horses legs get infected. Does anyone ever listen!
 
When one of my boys had a small amount of mud fever I used udder cream twice a day.

Kept him out on a concrete yard with access to stable, as I thought movement would help with the swelling. Never washed or tried to remove scabs.

Cleared up very quickly.
 
TheBlack said:
STOP WETTING THE LEGS! IT IS MAKING IT 10 TIMES WORSE! It is bacterial and fungal so it spreads in wet conditions! The Hibi scrubbing is making me cringe no wonder these horses legs get infected. Does anyone ever listen!
Click to expand...

You almost wonder if it's worth the effort don't you and I am the first to agree that different methods suit different horses but whichever way it's treated, nobody seems to give them any time to recover so nothing will work if you don't give it time to repair. Not only does it need to be scab free, it also needs time to strengthen up the skin again before you start turning out in the same conditions when they first got it whether you put a barrier cream on it or not.
Don't be in such a hurry, skin doesn't repair in a day.
If you leave it completely alone then it will go of its own accord eventually (think wild ponies, they don't get any treatment) and that's what I tend to do TBH as long as it hasn't got infected and most of the time, according to my vet, it gets infected because people have been messing about with it weakening the skin by washing it in Hibiscrub. I so wish that was a prescription only drug, it really does make more problems than it solves in mud fever cases.
 
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