Mud fever

[TBHunter 100]

Mud fever may be another topic worth discussing and this forum is probably the best to post it in.

Over the years I’ve struggled with it, mainly in white socks.

I’ve quickly realized that the secret is to get the scabs off and treat the infection beneath.

So much of the info available describes the process of softening and removing the scabs as a straight forward task. This has caused me to consider the possibility that my strain of Mud Fever was tougher than others or maybe my horses were softer than most as they usually protest vigorously

The challenge then was to find an oil that would soften the scabs and allow for painless removal.

I then found that no sooner had the affected area been treated, another patch would appear nearby.

I read a while ago that Mud fever was related to sun exposure in white shin. This seemed unlikely to me but I filed it away anyway.

A friend gave me some horse oil with a secret potion in it that was to be cling wrapped onto the leg then vet wrapped.

Not only did this soften the scabs and heal most of the effected skin but removed all swelling in 4 days (2x bandage changes).

What I’m curious about now is, did the swelling go down due to the potion or the protection from sunlight.

Interestingly I’ve been told about a trainer that puts a dark stocking on a white sock at this time of year to prevent Mud Fever

[Dopey 214]

the sun the will make a difference but I have found if you feed flower of sulpher in the feed it will heal from the inside ,good for the horses that will not let you pull the scabs off .Touch wood they do not seem to get it again . the swelling would have gone due to the bandages

[TBHunter 100]

the sun the will make a difference but I have found if you feed flower of sulpher in the feed it will heal from the inside ,good for the horses that will not let you pull the scabs off .Touch wood they do not seem to get it again . the swelling would have gone due to the bandages

Thats brillant, Ive used flowers of sulphur on the mudfever but not in the feed.

I should have known the bandages reduce the swelling.

[kmhood 1]

Would flower of sulphur be OK for putting in the hardfeed of a pregnant mare? I'm fairly reluctant to medicate except for their EVH 5-7-9 month vaccinations.

[Small Change 0]

Get your vet to make this up for you.

100ml Nitrofurazone & 15gm Pevaryl.

Keep in the fridge. Use rubber gloves. Apply twice daily.

I have used this for years. Works every horse, every time. After the first couple of applications the scebs just start falling off. Just rub them gently before the next application. Sometimes pulling a towel around the leg from side to side helps get them off too.

If the leg is really swollen give some penicillin to help take the swelling down.

I couldn't get near my mares leg, it was so sore, so had to tie up a front leg to apply this to her hind leg. Two days of treatment & she stood there & let me put it on as she knew it was helping.

[IF ONLY 0]

Solution of Napisan and water in spray bottle. Kills the bugs.

[TBHunter 100]

I’ve found that the white sock seems to grow longer hair and this seems to form a impenetrable crust of scabs.

I’ve used the towel idea before and it does remove soft scabs but leaves me wondering if it also spreads the bug around.

The idea of treating it from the inside appeals to me.

Its said that the bug is the same as the rain scald bug but I’ve found rain scold very easy to deal with.

When I think of the lost work from this bug the more I wonder if internal remedies are worth any side effects there may be.

With the exception of in pregnant Mares and racing horses of course.

Ive just removed the bandages from my filly and the scabs are gone and the skin is pink however I suspect the bug is still there just waiting to taunt me for another fortnight.

Then at the end of the day when its all cleared up, did I cure it or did it just decide to move on, untill next year?

[astronomour 0]

I also find that after the scabs are off, putting on a thick layer of white filtabak cream seems to help prevent the area immediately rescabbing.

[John Clydesdale 229]

I have a couple of mares with white socks who come back from studs with mud fever. When they return to their diets which includes sulphur, it just goes away. I'm sure there are further things to consider including the environment, but that's how it works for me. Prior to my using sulphur, I used to spray a bluestone mix which dried the scabs and they used to scrap off easily. But sulphur works a treat for me.

[TBHunter 100]

I have a couple of mares with white socks who come back from studs with mud fever. When they return to their diets which includes sulphur, it just goes away. I'm sure there are further things to consider including the environment, but that's how it works for me. Prior to my using sulphur, I used to spray a bluestone mix which dried the scabs and they used to scrap off easily. But sulphur works a treat for me.

I started my filly on Sulphur back on the 20th May and from that time onwards I didnt lose any ground to the Mudfever. The plastic wrap took the existing scabs off and no new areas appeared.

Whats more she didnt seem to notice a heaped dessert spoon of Sulphur in a kg of wetted grain.

She will start back to work Queens birthday,

Thanks all for advice.

I also will have a look at the effects of sulphur supplements on the overall mineral balance but a couple of weeks is only a short time.

[John Clydesdale 229]

I started my filly on Sulphur back on the 20th May and from that time onwards I didnt lose any ground to the Mudfever. The plastic wrap took the existing scabs off and no new areas appeared.

Whats more she didnt seem to notice a heaped dessert spoon of Sulphur in a kg of wetted grain.

She will start back to work Queens birthday,

Thanks all for advice.

I also will have a look at the effects of sulphur supplements on the overall mineral balance but a couple of weeks is only a short time.

A bit of old magic works wonders

[Scotty Belmont 0]

A great way to knock over any sort of lower leg/fetlock/pastern/hoof skin and just under the skin invader is to stand them in a bucket or buckets of Copper Sulphate/water & it works even better still if you can get the water temperature up to somewhere around a comfortable bath water warm level to a touch more.

The scurf will soften pretty quickly and much of it will just fall off of its own accord or otherwise be able to be hosed off with a pretty firm jet of water which I reckon is often easier/less painful to the horse & so less dangerous to horse and man than physical removal is.

Potassium Permangenate (Condy's Crystals) used in the same fashion also works well too, its only drawback being that it will more than likely dye their feet purple for a piece but big whoop, it will fix it and the purple fades out to a yellowish brown pretty quickly and will eventually fade completely.

In either case, getting them to stand in the bucket/s is the hardest part.

[TBHunter 100]

A great way to knock over any sort of lower leg/fetlock/pastern/hoof skin and just under the skin invader is to stand them in a bucket or buckets of Copper Sulphate/water & it works even better still if you can get the water temperature up to somewhere around a comfortable bath water warm level to a touch more.

The scurf will soften pretty quickly and much of it will just fall off of its own accord or otherwise be able to be hosed off with a pretty firm jet of water which I reckon is often easier/less painful to the horse & so less dangerous to horse and man than physical removal is.

Potassium Permangenate (Condy's Crystals) used in the same fashion also works well too, its only drawback being that it will more than likely dye their feet purple for a piece but big whoop, it will fix it and the purple fades out to a yellowish brown pretty quickly and will eventually fade completely.

In either case, getting them to stand in the bucket/s is the hardest part.

Thanks Scotty

I’ve heard of this from others also but have been reluctant to try it until I found out what concentration solution to use. Years ago I did try it with a squeeze bottle of a concentrated solution and the pony lashed out with a blow that sent the plastic bottle spinning from my grasp. I’ve been a little wary of copper sulphate since then.

[southerngal 0]

This works extremely well when fed along with sulphur for mud fever. Bear in mind copper sulphate must be fed with dolomite. Scabs just drop off you are right mud fever is always best treated from the inside out.

[TBHunter 100]

This works extremely well when fed along with sulphur for mud fever. Bear in mind copper sulphate must be fed with dolomite. Scabs just drop off you are right mud fever is always best treated from the inside out.

The problem with Copper Sulphate is knowing the safe dose.

I used to give it to racing pigeons at 1ml to 2000mls. Thats 1ml of a saturated solution to 2 ltrs water.

The saturated solution was made by striring bluestone into hot water until no more would dissolve, then watering it down from there.

I have no idea what dose is safe for a horse.

[southerngal 0]

Quarter of a tsp to one tablespoon dolomite. I have used more for a short period of time in bad cases works a treat.

[the mad scientist 0]

You want a non-toxic solution? Then try UMF manuka honey.

I have a horse who had chronic mud fever on both hind legs for years, so bad that he would go lame occasionally. The previous owners tried everything (including the remedies posted above) but still couldn't get rid of it.

I was fortunate enough to be a biochemistry student at Waikato at the time and had contact with Prof Molan in the Honey Research Unit there. He kindly gave me 1kg of UMF honey to try (lots of work been done on using manuka honey on chronic ulcers, google it).

Smeared the honey on and wrapped each leg for a couple of weeks.

That was 12 years ago. The horse hasn't had a touch of mud fever since

[TBHunter 100]

You want a non-toxic solution? Then try UMF manuka honey.

I have a horse who had chronic mud fever on both hind legs for years, so bad that he would go lame occasionally. The previous owners tried everything (including the remedies posted above) but still couldn't get rid of it.

I was fortunate enough to be a biochemistry student at Waikato at the time and had contact with Prof Molan in the Honey Research Unit there. He kindly gave me 1kg of UMF honey to try (lots of work been done on using manuka honey on chronic ulcers, google it).

Smeared the honey on and wrapped each leg for a couple of weeks.

That was 12 years ago. The horse hasn't had a touch of mud fever since

Very interesting

[JRS 9]

Very interesting

Manuka Honey is fantastic for lots of cuts etc, also available from Ewen Equine Vets on prescription, is an antibiotic cream for 'mud fever', it softens the scabs, they fall off, & nice clean skin below.

Trying to pull off the scabs is very painful for horse and may end up being painful for you as well... Ewen Equine 09 294 8447

[kmhood 1]

Manuka Honey is fantastic for lots of cuts etc, also available from Ewen Equine Vets on prescription, is an antibiotic cream for 'mud fever', it softens the scabs, they fall off, & nice clean skin below.

Trying to pull off the scabs is very painful for horse and may end up being painful for you as well... Ewen Equine 09 294 8447

A Chinese food shop - zy joy has VG range of high grade manuka homies- Peerswick lane Christchurch

[onepercentangel 0]

this is the best remedy I have used, apply it, next day you can pick the scabs off, it doesnt seem to leave the foot looking red and raw like it can sometimes after picking off the scabs. wash and keep applying it or manuka honey untill the scabs are gone, I think the swelling is caused by the fungal in the scabs as ive noticed the sweeling can go down by the next day