Mud Fever

Mud Fever is caused mainly by wetting or chapping the skin by mud or water which allows a microbe to cause infection. It is frequently found in the heels of horse in wet weather. The legs and sometimes the belly are also affected. Mud fever often goes with cracked heels.
At this time of year, particularly with prolonged wet weather, horse owners should be on the look out for the signs. It is a difficult and painful desease affecting horses lower legs.

Mud fever is a common condition that affects horses who are living or working in wet and muddy conditions. The main problem areas are the skin over the pasterns and heels, these become infected resulting in scabby or weeping lesions and these can be very painful. The infection can sometimes extend to further up the legs. It mainly occurs during the winter months and horses and ponies with white legs are more susceptable. Your type of horse may be more prone to get this condition if it has long feathers where the wet mud can stick and the area stay wet. Chemical irritants can damage the skin which allows the area to become affected, also insect bites and injury perhaps caused by dirty over reach boots or brushing boots can also result in this problem. 

Here are some of the signs to spot:-
1. Mild skin irritation.
2. Painful sores and scabs.
3. Occuring on the back of horses it is called rain scald or rain rash on horses living out without rugs a rough ungroomed appearance.
4. Inflamed skin that discharges serum, causing the hair to matt and giving a rough ungroomed appearance.
5. Severe cases cause the skin to split open and cause horizontal cracks, which is commonly called cracked heels.
6. Swollen legs and lameness.

Treatment - There are many treatments for mud fever but there is nothing guaranteed to succeed.
The first step is to remove the horse from the environment (wet and mud). Walking a horse or pony in hand is initially helpful and once the lameness is resolved working on a dry surface which does not scratch the legs further will help the circulation and encourage healing. Roadwork is best for these horses.
Your horse should be stabled in a clean dry bed, preferably not straw as this is abrasive to the damaged skin.
The area where the lesions are should be carefully clipped so as not to damage the skin further. Use an antiseptic wash such as Hibiscrub to remove the unhealthy crusty scabs. You may need to call the vet to sedate your horse or give pain killers. The area should  be gently rinsed and the skin blotted dry with an absorbent tissue.
There are many topical treatments which can be used to maintain the skin hydration, and help to soothe the skin. Some contain antibiotics.
There are some new treatments using antibiotic and a special dressing impregnated with silver, this has shown to be quite a promising treatment, obviously through your vet.

Firstly use non-stick dressings on open wounds and hold them in place with cotton wool or gamgee and bandage. It is important to keep the lower leg warm and clean and dry. It would also be helpful to remove the bandages daily for at least an hour to let the area breathe. This treatment should be repeated daily until the condition is under control.
Severe cases will need anti-biotics to help reduce the pain and swelling.
Once the lesions have dried up the bandages can be removed, but the legs need to be protected from moisture, mud, abrasions and flies as the newly healed skin will be tender and susceptible to injury or reinfection. Mud fever is very difficult to treat and it may take many weeks for the lesions to heel completely. Prevention and early signs are the key to success in the management of mud fever. Susceptible horse should be checked every day. There are different schools of thought regarding muddy legs. Some say they should be left to dry and others say hose them off and dry carefully. It is important not to use a high pressure hose or a coarse brugh to avoid damaging the skin and allowing the infection to be introduced. Other horse owners recommend using barrier creams which help to prevent infection in susceptible horses. The legs must be dry and clean before the application or moisture will be sealed in creating an environment where bacteria thrive. Protective boots and bandages used during turnout can be helpful as long as the mud does not work its way underneath and rub the horse's skin. Bandages applied during stabling will  help to dry the legs.
 It is important to follow strict hygiene when dealing with mud fever as the infection can spread through shared grooming kits and clippers. These should be cleaned and sterilised after use on an infected horse or pony. Virkon should be used in the stable once the horse has recovered to thoroughly clean the area to avoid re contamination.

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