[wcporter]

I tried to do a search - I KNOW there must be threads on this topic, but I came up empty handed :-/

My horse is starting to show early symptoms of Mud Fever on his back pasterns and I want to nip it in the bud before it get too bad.

Horse lives out 24/7 and BO does her best to keep the paddock mud free, but this weather lately has made that impossible. She does let me bring him in one night a week to dry his feet and I have been doing my best to keep them clean and applying HD veterinary Cream, but due to my work schedule and the whole gets dark at 5 thing, I'm not getting out there every night to treat it.

Is this a problem? Any other remedies to help?

Gah, Mud!

[Win1]

I've had good luck with MTG at night and desitin during the day. I've tried just about everything else and do my best to avoid oral antibiotics.

[LauraKY]

MuckItch worked the best for me. I fought it for years with one of my OTTBs.

[wcporter]

Great thanks guys. I think I will give MuckItch a try.

[kkindley]

I love Bickmore's Gall Salve. Dry the area then slather it on about every other day. Also clipping the long hairs off that area helps. Lets it dry easier.

[OTTBcooper]

Desitin!!

[CarolinaGirl]

http://www.pegasushealth.com/product...Mud_Kure_Cream
Not sure if its available here is the US, but I picked this up while in the UK. My friend used it for "mud crud" on her horse's pasterns and it cleared right up. I will add that while it says cream, the stuff is more like goo/slime lol.

[pony baloney]

Desitin!!

This! Buy the generic store version. If you put it on thick enough, it should protect the area for two days. It's a pain to get off of anything you don't want it on though.

[leheath]

I have had really good luck with Schreiner's Herbal Solution. It is a spray that is easy to apply and I have found it very effective in nipping Mud Fever in the bud.

[JB]

This! Buy the generic store version. If you put it on thick enough, it should protect the area for two days. It's a pain to get off of anything you don't want it on though.

When I've had to treat scratches, I mix (generics) desitin (40% zinc oxide, not 10), cortisone cream, and neosporin ointment, and apply liberally twice a day.

Wipe the old stuff off with paper towels. It's a nasty mess indeed that really, really does not wash well out of anything

Then I investigate the diet, as that's usually the culprit in the first place. IME, inadequate copper and zinc, both of which can be deficient in areas where iron is high, can be a major player in allowing scratches to take hold.

[SuckerForHorses]

JB -

My mare has always had an issue every summer. Last late winter/early spring, I started her on 1 cup daily of flax with her alfalfa. She didn't have 1 scab all summer long, and in addition, her cannon keratosis wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be.

Interesting observation. Carry on.

[SCMSL]

If you can find it, buy clorohexidrine. Hidrates, and kills both bacteria, fungi and virus.

My vet uses it to wash a horse when he has to infiltrate them.

[Tom Bloomer]

If you can find it, buy clorohexidrine. Hidrates, and kills both bacteria, fungi and virus.

My vet uses it to wash a horse when he has to infiltrate them.

I get the generic Chlorhexidine from my local feed supply and keep it on my rig. It's been my go to generic disinfectant for scratches, rain rot, mild thrush, and getting the hoof smell off my hands. I mix it a bit stronger than 2% for scratches and rain rot.

Usually knocks it down in a few days if it is applied daily and the infected area is kept saturated for a minimum of 20 minutes. In hot weather the mixture can evaporate quickly, which reduces the contact time needed for the product to penetrate the outer layer of crud and do its job.

If you can't find it local, try Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Bimeda-Inc-Chl.../dp/B00061MU9W

A gallon lasts me a year despite giving it away to clients - pour some into a water bottle and let them dilute it and treat as needed. Also clean my hands and tools between farms. Don't like eating lunch with thrush smell on my hands . . .
It is great for disinfecting open wounds (also comes in a more expensive surgical scrub). Don't get it in your eyes! It will attack the cornea of the eye, so best to keep it away from that area.

[JB]

JB -

My mare has always had an issue every summer. Last late winter/early spring, I started her on 1 cup daily of flax with her alfalfa. She didn't have 1 scab all summer long, and in addition, her cannon keratosis wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be.

Interesting observation. Carry on.

I believe it - Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory, helps the immune system, and is lacking in the diet without sufficient grass intake. Good for you