- 31
Oct 17
- DON’T wash your horses’ legs off with cold water – horse skin HATES cold water, you are better to let the mud dry on and then brush it off. If you have the luxury of warm water, great! Wash away but…
- DO make sure your horses’ legs dry thoroughly – special leg wraps are available, towel drying or even a hair dryer on the warm NOT hot setting can be used. Leaving them cold AND wet is a big no no.
- DO pick the scabby bits off if you can – the bacteria (Dermatophilus congolensis) likes to live in the ooze under the scabs, so if you can pick them off (horse permitting) then it can help to speed up the healing process. Softening the scabs first can help: a warm hibiscrub wash or applying Flamazine cream then putting stable bandages on top to warm the leg/s up.
- DO use silver based creams – like Flamazine, it is very effective against mud fever bacteria.
- DO contact us if you are struggling to manage this condition, bad cases can make your horse lame, cause swelling to start in the lower leg and can occasionally lead to more complicated conditions like cellulitis – we have some more potent lotions and potions that we can use to help.
- Remember that there are some skin conditions that look like mud fever but are actually other problems. If the mud fever isn’t responding to treatment as you would expect then get your vet to have a look.
