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  Discussion on Mud fever
Author Message
Member:
Gillb

Posted on Saturday, Aug 20, 2005 - 8:30 am:

My loan horse has developed a large scabby area behind his pastern on his only white leg. It looks to me like mud fever (which is what we call it here in the UK) but he has been out on totally dry pasture. I am wondering why he would have got it at this time of year, and what would be the best way to deal with it, seeing as there has been no mud or wet to speak of?

I can't see the point of stabling him as it is dry out in his field. Do you think this is the same as mud fever horses get in winter?
Member:
Dres

Posted on Saturday, Aug 20, 2005 - 9:44 am:

Gill, I can't answer your question, but will tell you that I have a 4 year old that I sent out to be bred and came home with what you call mud fever too, she was kept in a dry lot as well... and only on the white hind leg/ pastern area... I treated it with a antibiotic cream/cortisone cream/ and a zinc cream to keep it dry... it cleared up within two weeks... or at least the swelling went away, the scabs are still present but not sore and are going away too...
I was told its in the ground, moisture makes it worse....
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with SPOTS..
Member:
Gillef

Posted on Saturday, Aug 20, 2005 - 3:16 pm:

Hi Gill
although the weather has been enjoyably dry up here in Scotland too my mare has had mud fever lesions on her white socks all summer (none all winter and spring when it was WET). I had almost cleared the last spot when she went in for fetlock surgery and and as her leg was of course shaved and scrubbed it was then enclosed in heavy bandaging for the next fortnight but after only 6 days the skin infection went berserk.
The information on this site was a godsend in helping me not to panic and assume the worst- that it was the joint instead of the skin causing the problems.
We used systemic antibiotic but the topical treatments we used were Fuciderm and Viatop (both from the vet)These have worked well and the last of the redness seems to be disappearing quite nicely with good old fashioned zinc and castor oil cream.
Some individuals seem to be prone to this esp. on the white skin. My other two horse living in the same conditions never have any trouble with it and one of them has FOUR white legs!!
Hope you can clear it quickly.
Gillian
Member:
Meggles

Posted on Sunday, Aug 21, 2005 - 3:03 pm:

Hi Gill. My mare gets a scabby patch under the fetlock, just above the heel and only on the white leg. She got it three summers ago an its always been there since, although you wouldn't notice unless looking for it. I've tried all sorts of remedies over the last three years and nothing has got rid of it, although some things, like vaseline, MSM cream, zinc etc etc, have just made it worse. In the end, I put Sudacrem (?spelling?) on it to dry out and now put aloe vera gel on it if its starts to look a bit pink, which seems to soothe the skin and help it to repair itself. Its strange as she never gets so much of a hint of mud fever even in the worse winter weather.
Sarah
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Aug 25, 2005 - 8:23 am:

Gill, for info on treatment see, Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Hair and Coat Problems / Itching / Irritated Skin » Scratches, Grease Heel, Dew Poisoning, & Mud Fever.
DrO
Member:
Stacie

Posted on Thursday, Aug 25, 2005 - 3:51 pm:

Just my input, Ben has gotten scratches before and I used Tinactin spray. It is used for athletes foot usually. It worked great and quick, a few days later, poof, gone.
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