Treating mud fever

Harlequin32

Harlequin32

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Feb 20, 2008
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with ever changing advice on mud fever and not having had a mud fever sufferer i am a bit confused as to what is the correct way of dealing with it.
The pony has lived out in knee deep mud for years until just recently so her legs have not been seen in god knows how long (we have just taken her on)
I have so far washed her legs (the mud was too welded to brush without causing pain) in hibiscrub, dried them as best i can then plastered them in cream.
She has been moved to a dry paddock and her legs are staying clean.
I thought it was now said NOT to pick scabs off but have been told today they need to be pulled off?? (I know this was always thought to be right)

I think its far to painful to pull them off and surely will leave exposed sores which could become infected?

Whats best and kindest please?:)
 
Keep them dry, I dont wash or scrub them, I dont let any damp get to them. Horse stabled 24/7. Thick layer of sudocrem, put cling film on top then stable bandage on top of that. Change every 24 hours for 2/3 days, when you take the cling off the scabs come off in it. DOn't treat like this for too long as the skin can be softened tooo much and it only scabs up thicker. After a couple of days keep the pink hairless skin covered in aloe vera gel, and within about 10 days horse is back to normal. :D
 
Thanks, i would be keeping her in but she has always been a live out pony at the yard and at the moment there are no stables free so she cant come in. her field at the moment tho really is very dry- i could actually bandage her in the field?
I did wonder about the washing which is why i only did it the once to get the mud off (we have bizarrely difficult to remove mud! last yard only a mile away was completely different:rolleyes:)
So i wont wash again and just keep plastering her in cream- is sudocreme best?
 
Sudocreme is good ( and half price at Sainsbury this week!) if your pone doesn't hate the smell-mine tried to bite me for putting it on earlier!

If you look in the horse care section, there's a fair bit about treating it.
 
You can buy EquiChaps to turn them out in to protect them from the mud, I have never tried these but they might be worth a try. You shouldn't have a problem if your field is dry.
The horses I am looking after at the moment are stood in thick squelching mud its horrible. But if we stabled them they would go mental so its not ideal, I just keep washing the mud off with hibiscrub, letting them dry overnight and then plastering sudacrem on the legs before they get turned out.

Here is a good article on mud fever: The War Against Mud Fever

Oh and another recommendation I keep getting told is applying Pig Oil and Sulphar every two weeks which prevents Mud Fever and means you don;t need to wash the legs. They sell it on Ebay if you search for it.
 
I did think for next winter i will look at buying her some chaps- poor little thing I guess she must have got like this every year just no-one bothered with her before now.:mad:
Her field was awful but as i said she has been moved as we started riding her and the other field kept ponies were to bargy to be bringing her in and out but hopefully she can stay in a decent field now.
I will get her some bute in the morning as she is quite sore on one leg which has the worst scabs- do you still ride a pony with mud fever?
-obviously not if really lame but she's not just a bit uneven looking.
 
Someone from this forum once recommended a salve called Itch Stop Salve Complete - it was for sweet itch - but it works very well on mud fever, wounds, eczema and all other kinds of stuff too. Worth checking out perhaps? It is a homeopathic remedy.
 
shave hair off as easier to treat, then pull off what scabs come easily and then put a thick layer of udder cream on ( sounds weird i know!) but trust me it works a treat!!
 
Yea I heard about udder cream- a lady from the yard apparently has a pot at home:confused: she will bring tomorrow for me to try out.
I will have a go at removing some hair tomorrow if i can without hurting her I have some small trimmers which may work well.
Will have a look at itch stop also- thanks very much xx
 
Just a word of warning mud fever is usually just a mild annoyance, but if it is infected it can become very nasty.
check poor ponys legs for any sign of swelling, if they look swollen or seem very sore you may need a vet and anti biotics, esp if pony has hadit a long time:mad:
If she seems uneven or lame leave her alone for a while, it can actually make them feel very unwell
 
Thanks, there is no heat or swelling but this is what i am worried about.
I will speak to my vet tomorrow when call in for some bute!
 
when you wash with hibiscrub always rinse well afterwards, a vet told me this, as it is strong on already irritated skin.
whatever creme you use, just rub it in gently every day, as the scabs soften they will come off with the rubbing the cream in.

I have found pulling a scab off early just leaves a bloody mess that gets reinfected and takes much longer to heal
 
Yuck! I haven't pulled or even been tempted to pull off any scabs just looks too painful- I don't want to hurt her :eek:
tbh i could never see the theory behind removing the scab even when it was recommended, I was always told as a child scabs are to protect whatever is healing behind it and will fall away when they are ready!- and mummies know best:D
 
EquineCompare said:
You can buy EquiChaps to turn them out in to protect them from the mud, I have never tried these but they might be worth a try. You shouldn't have a problem if your field is dry.
The horses I am looking after at the moment are stood in thick squelching mud its horrible. But if we stabled them they would go mental so its not ideal, I just keep washing the mud off with hibiscrub, letting them dry overnight and then plastering sudacrem on the legs before they get turned out.

Here is a good article on mud fever: The War Against Mud Fever

Oh and another recommendation I keep getting told is applying Pig Oil and Sulphar every two weeks which prevents Mud Fever and means you don;t need to wash the legs. They sell it on Ebay if you search for it.
Click to expand...

Just don't put chaps etc on them if they've already got mudfever-it will encourage the spread of bacteria and create a lovely warm environment for the mudfever to multiply. Udder cream can work really well-plaster it on!

Re the PO+S-some tack shops are now starting to sell it-£5 litre tub! (Chemist, otherwise) I swear this is down to NR users demanding the stuff! Pig oil is lovely, but baby oil works just as well. Careful with your measurements-fierce stuff! (Measurements on horse care section or search for one of Coyote's old threads-saw it the other day)
 
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i wash my horses legs in hibiscrub (warm if possible) and soak the scabs off (you may have to do it over a few days) rinse and dry thoroughly with kitchen roll and then a towel and then i use "aromaheel" to help the legs heal and also as a barrier - works wonders!
 
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