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MUD
FEVER
A
winter hazard for horses.
by
supplied by Stephen
Ashdown’s Free Online Vet Advice
Mud Fever occurs during the wet
winter months and is principally caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus
congolensis.
Mud fever is essentially a form of dermatitis which affects the skin on
the heel, fetlock and pastern. All horses can be affected, but
particularly those with long hair around the fetlock. Back legs are more
prone to mud fever than front.
Inflammation of the skin and underlying tissues leads to the skin
swelling, stretching and weeping; cracks appear, hair falls out and hard
scabs form.
Horses exposed to a muddy environment or which are kept in a dirty or
unsatisfactory condition are liable to Mud Fever.
Here are some tips on managing mud fever.
1.
Correct bad management practices. Keep horses prone to fever out of the
rain and away from mud as much as possible. In severe cases consult your
vet.
2.
Dry the legs thoroughly before stabling using kitchen towel and keep
really clean, brushing out mud, and grit laden debris.
3.
Keep stabled horses bedding clean and dry.
4.
Try to limit stabling to over-night – horses don’t like being cooped
up. And the stress of being stabled 24hrs a day in the winter could
engender colic.
5.
Over-night stabling gives the legs a chance to dry off and the
opportunity for you to apply your favourite cream such as Mud-X Cream
(from Global Herbs) before turning your horse out.
6.
Clip away any excess feathering but try to avoid clipping the legs.
7.
Remove scabs carefully if you can with a suitable equine shampoo. In
extreme cases surgical hibiscrub may be better; but removing scabs too
soon just creates open lesions which get reinfected. Scabs go black when
they are ready to fall off.
8.
Use a specific formula of herbs which help improve skin condition and
act against the bacteria involved eg. Mud-X supplement.
Horse
Lameness
Horse
Colic
Skin
condition in Horses
Herbs
for Horses
Herbal
World of the Horse
Moody Mares
Horse
Breed/Horse Mating
Stress
in Horses
Horse Flies and
Biting Insects
Management and
Prevention of Sweet Itch
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