Help!! Mud Fever Taking Over!

[Funky_MeerKAT]

I have just moved my horses to a new place a few weeks ago and they seem to be particually prone to mud fever here. Although one of my horses, Mate, actually came here with a little bit of it and it cleared up beautifully. The other one, Ra, came with none and now has it bad. He was fine for about a week and then one morning I bought him in and both hind legs were very swollen and he had quite a bit of mud fever on his heels. I am amazed at how fast it is!

I have started feeding them both copper sulfate and have been washing Ra's legs in it every day, sometimes twice. This seemed to work for Mate. While it wasn't getting any worse it wasn't getting better either, the swelling went down but would come back up if it got wet.

This week end I went away, checked them saterday morning, it looked about the same. Then this morning (monday) I nearly cried went I saw poor Ra's legs :cry:, although not so swollen, the mud fever is much, much worse. He now has deep cracks and lots of puss and oozing horribleness and lots more scrabs. It is much to sore for me to pull them all off so I have covered it in Pasternoint (sulphur stuff) which is meant to treat it and will hopefully soften scabs.

Anyone found good ways to deal with it? I'm pretty worried about it now :no:.

[goeslikestink]

I have just moved my horses to a new place a few weeks ago and they seem to be particually prone to mud fever here. Although one of my horses, Mate, actually came here with a little bit of it and it cleared up beautifully. The other one, Ra, came with none and now has it bad. He was fine for about a week and then one morning I bought him in and both hind legs were very swollen and he had quite a bit of mud fever on his heels. I am amazed at how fast it is!

I have started feeding them both copper sulfate and have been washing Ra's legs in it every day, sometimes twice. This seemed to work for Mate. While it wasn't getting any worse it wasn't getting better either, the swelling went down but would come back up if it got wet.

This week end I went away, checked them saterday morning, it looked about the same. Then this morning (monday) I nearly cried went I saw poor Ra's legs :cry:, although not so swollen, the mud fever is much, much worse. He now has deep cracks and lots of puss and oozing horribleness and lots more scrabs. It is much to sore for me to pull them all off so I have covered it in Pasternoint (sulphur stuff) which is meant to treat it and will hopefully soften scabs.

Anyone found good ways to deal with it? I'm pretty worried about it now :no:.

wash with hibbyscrub then pick off scabs then put nappy rash cream on his legs like zinc and caster oil

once clear try not to wash them continiously but let the horse dry his legs of naturally and then brush out mud when dry as mud fever loves moisture
if it persist and you can get rid of it as its in the ground where you are then move your horses to better envrioment

[pines4equines]

This thread going around:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=195915

Check it out. Tons of advice there too!

[Funky_MeerKAT]

I have been reading about hibiscrub in a few forums, but I have never heard of it here (I'm in New Zealand). Is it something esspecially for horses or something you can get from a pharmacy?

Moving isn't really an option right now, but there is no mud in the paddock (its summer) and its dry appart from occasional dew in the morning.

Thanks :).

[goeslikestink]

I have been reading about hibiscrub in a few forums, but I have never heard of it here (I'm in New Zealand). Is it something esspecially for horses or something you can get from a pharmacy?

Moving isn't really an option right now, but there is no mud in the paddock (its summer) and its dry appart from occasional dew in the morning.

Thanks :).

its the dew thats doing it

[Funky_MeerKAT]

This thread going around:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum...d.php?t=195915

Check it out. Tons of advice there too!

Good thread, thanks.

its the dew thats doing it

Yeah I think it is, I had him in longer grass and that definately made it worse as it would stay wet for longer. He is now on shorter grass which drys out much more quickly, but I'll have trouble with dew where ever I go.

Anyone got any clues as to why one horse cleared up here and the other got worse?

[decorum]

IME the "mud fever" that they get from dew is harder to clear up than the real mud fever/scratches.

Ann Szolas

[Funky_MeerKAT]

IME the "mud fever" that they get from dew is harder to clear up than the real mud fever/scratches.

ARG!! So how does one escape the dew?

[Christine (Fgs)]

Isls Paste, Isles Paste, Isles Paste.

Put it on thick in the am.. in the afternoon take off all the scabs, there might be some blood and then tons of isles paste. and do this for 3-4 days. and voila.

Isles paste seems to work the best.. i've done all the creams, but it's so thick it doesn't let the moisture in ... and wow!!! iv'e done all the prescription stuff nothing has worked as well as this.

try it!

the key is to get all the scabs off and pile on the paste.

[Funky_MeerKAT]

Heres a photo if it helps at all.

I am going with the no water or washing for now, with no mud it doesn't really get dirty anyway and only lightly brushing off scabs that fall off, then pasternoint. I'm going to have a look for hibiscrub or the NZ version too.

Oh, beach is a 5 min walk, do you think having a splash in the sea would help? Or just no water at all?

http://i44.tinypic.com/2ciygy.jpg

[pines4equines]

Those are pretty bad...Maybe it's time for the vet with some internal antibiotics...

You know an older woman around me swore by Mastitis something or another that you'd use for cows. It has some sort of antibiotic in it. Maybe check that out at a farm store near you?

[BornToRide]

Sounds like Ra's immune system is weaker, hence he was more prone to the infection. I would also agressively boost his immune system to help him heal. Make sure he gets enough selenium (you can get him tested for that) & antioxidents like C & E

Best wishes

[Funky_MeerKAT]

Thanks for the help everyone, I'm about to go down and check him now, if its not looking good I'm getting the vet out.

He gets: dolomite, sulphur, apple cider vinegar, copper sulfate, garlic and I gave him selenium about 2 weeks ago. He is only three and has just moved homes twice (I have been moving with my jobs a bit) so his immune is probably a bit stressed out.

You know an older woman around me swore by Mastitis something or another that you'd use for cows. It has some sort of antibiotic in it. Maybe check that out at a farm store near you?
I actually have something like that, problem is I don't know if it will be strong enough at this stage...

Anyone used Inflamol? This is what I used to use and it worked really well, but I have a feeling you can't get it anymore? I could be wrong.

[Doodlebug1]

Funky Meerkat - Hibiscrub might well be known by a different name in places other than the UK - I'm not sure it's available in the US under this name.

Hibiscrub is an antimicrobial wash that is used in hospitals in the UK - it's the stuff surgeons wash with pre-op and everyone uses as handwash etc to prevent spread of infection.

It's available here from pharmacies - always ask at the prescription counter as they tend to have it in litre bottles unlike the tiny bottles on the shelves. It's also available from large farm stores etc

here is some more info (http://www.mobilishealthcare.com/ppc-403-hibiscrub.aspx)

It should always be used slightly diluted. It's quite harsh otherwise.

[Funky_MeerKAT]

Funky Meerkat - Hibiscrub might well be known by a different name in places other than the UK - I'm not sure it's available in the US under this name.
I wonder if Dettol could be similar? Although I think you have that in the UK aswell.

Just called vet out. It doesn't look any worse and most of the scabs have fallen off but I don't like it, those deep cracks look very painful :(.

[LabsChewShoes]

is there any reason he can not be stalled over night, put in pasture once the sun has dried the dew? at least until it is cleared up?

[Funky_MeerKAT]

is there any reason he can not be stalled over night, put in pasture once the sun has dried the dew? at least until it is cleared up?
No stables...