Underlying problems such as feather mites or autoimmune disease that have not been addressed. Incomplete scab removing which prevents the medication from penetrating to the skin.
Hair that wasn't completely clipped away, preventing the skin from being cleaned. Stopping treatment before the condition was completely cured. A deep infection that needs oral antibiotics instead of a topical treatment. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Mud fever will usually clear up during the summer. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 6. Never brush a wet muddy horse, which will cause problems under the tack and just grind in the mud.
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 7. Always be cautious when working with your horse's legs. Even though he may be a gentle, trusting horse, peeling off the scabs can be painful and could cause him to kick.
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Related wikiHows How to. How to. About this article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: Updated: March 29, Article Summary X To rid your horse of mud fever, start by clipping the hair at the back of its heels so that you can clean and treat the wounds.
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 50, times. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Follow Us. The legs, more commonly hindlimbs, affected with mud fever can become swollen and the skin can look inflamed reddened , this can make the horse very uncomfortable and sensitive over the affected areas.
Scabs may appear on the legs, which may ooze serum or bleed when removed. Rain scald is characterised by scabs that come off with tufts of hair which look like paint brushes. If the saddle area is affected, the horse may be unable to be ridden until it is successfully treated. Speak to your vet for advice if you think your horse has rain scald. Gold Label Pig Oil and Sulphur is an old recipe for the conditioning of the legs and feathers and to aid the prevention of any mud-borne infections.
Especially popular with shire horses and horses with lots of feathers. It will also help prevent heel mites when used as part of your regular grooming routine.
Gently cleaning the skin with warm water and antibacterial scrubs such as Betadine or Chlorhexadine. After softening the scabs and crusts with the wash, they are gently removed. This can be quite painful and may require sedation of the horse. Table of Contents. There can be other causes of mud fever such as leg mites which break the skin and enable bacteria to enter.
If you suspect your horse has mites, speak to your vet for further advice. Some horses are more prone to developing mud fever, and this is because they may have:. Credit: mud fever images VetPartners. Once your vet has made a diagnosis and recommended a treatment plan, they should be happy for you to continue managing the condition yourself.
However, you should get back in touch with them if your horse fails to respond to treatment, or the mud fever gets worse. In more severe cases, a blood test may be required to identify an underlying disease. Anti-inflammatories may be recommended by your vet, depending on the clinical signs and overall health of your horse. There are many ways to reduce the risk of your horse developing mud fever, and they are all aimed at avoiding the underlying causes.
This also prevents serum scald, which occurs when there is sufficient skin damage for serum to ooze out onto the skin — scalding it in effect. Clipping also improves air circulation to the skin, helping keep the skin dry and healthy.
After clipping, be sure to clean and disinfect the clippers very well since pastern dermatitis can be transferred between horses on clipper blades. After washing, make sure to use clean towels to thoroughly dry the leg. The scabs should be gently picked off of the skin, but this can be a very painful process for the horse.
Your veterinarian may need to sedate your horse before removing the scabs. You can use ichthammol ointment or zinc oxide cream to soften the scabs making them easier and less painful to remove. Since bacteria cause pastern dermatitis, veterinarians often prescribe antibiotics as part of the treatment. If the infection is more severe or has started to ascend up the leg, your horse may require more aggressive therapy with systemic antibiotic treatment. Your veterinarian may also use topical corticosteroids to treat severe lesions.
Corticosteroids reduce inflammation, which helps alleviate pain and swelling. Some veterinarians make a specific scratches cream or wound cream that contains both antibiotics and steroids for their pastern dermatitis cases.
If you have competition horses, you should avoid using creams containing procaine penicillin G, as the procaine may be absorbed through damaged skin and result in positive drug tests. Your veterinarian may prescribe pain medications, such as phenylbutazone bute , to help make your horse more comfortable. Affected legs should be wrapped to keep the topical medications in contact with the lesions and to prevent exposure to direct sunlight and moisture.
For problem horses, it may be worth trying silver-impregnated wraps. Silver has antibacterial properties that may help to control the bacterial component of pastern dermatitis.
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