How to deal with mud fever
It’s mud season, here we go again! How quickly it comes around! For horses and ponies that suffer from mud fever, it’s a miserable time of year. Here are some tips to help you manage mud fever.
The problem of mud fever is difficult to combat in horses that are living out, since the bacteria that are usually present on the surface of the skin don’t normally become a problem until they meet wet and muddy conditions. If it is at all possible to bring the horse in, even for a few hours ie long enough for the limbs to dry out completely and remain dry for a short period of time, it will actually help to minimise the problem. If there is no possibility of bringing your horse in, the alternative is to try one of the various barrier creams and powders currently available on the market. These products claim to waterproof the skin, and help to protect against mud fever.
If an infection is already present, gently wash the area to loosen scabs, do not pick the scabs off, (yuck, I do apologise, but it has to be said!) Then dry the limbs thoroughly and apply an anti-bacterial cream, powder or ointment. This will help to stop the infection from spreading. Please note that any cream, powder or ointment applied will not penetrate the scab. So if scabs are still present, then so is an infection.
In severe cases, it may be necessary to seek veterinary assistance and stable the horse all the time, or only allow the horse to be turned out onto a dry all-weather surface.
Creams Ointments and Powders to try:
Mudgard from NAF: Natural Animal Feeds - barrier cream (use in conjunction with NAF MSM ointment and NAF teatree oil shampoo)
