mud fever is one of the most common skin diseases in horses. With the right care, you can prevent the development and heal affected areas of skin.
What is mud fever in horses?
mud fever is an inflammatory skin disease that often occurs in the fetlock area of horses. It is caused by a combination of moisture, dirt and bacteria or even mites and manifests itself as redness, swelling, crusting and weeping wounds.
Horses with long fetlocks are frequently affected, especially in the winter months. The disease occurs quite frequently and is considered difficult to treat if severe, as therapy is often laborious and takes a long time. If left untreated, mud fever can lead to pain and restricted movement.
Causes of mud fever in horses
It is almost impossible to keep the skin in the fetlock free of germs. Normally, germs are repelled by the skin's natural protective barrier and by the immune system when they enter.
However, the skin in the fetlock is under a lot of strain as it is exposed to constant movement and stretching. Tiny injuries, such as small tears in the fetlock bend, are the gateway for germs and mites to enter the skin. Insect bites can also severely irritate the skin and promote mud fever. The sparse hair also makes it easier for germs to reach the skin.
Once they have reached the uppermost layer of the skin (epidermis), they can spread further. The body reacts to this with an inflammatory reaction. A mixture of wound fluid, dead skin flakes, dirt from the environment and the germs causing the infection then results in the typical crust of the scab, which sticks very firmly to the skin and hair. Under the crust, the germs can continue to multiply in the moist, warm environment and attack new, still healthy skin. This creates a vicious circle in which ever larger crusts and more severe inflammation can develop.
mud fever can also be caused by a longer existing thrush, in which the germs spread from the frog, over the bulbs, into the fetlock bend!
Sorrels and horses with light skin in particular are affected more frequently and more severely than horses with dark skin.
Symptoms: Recognize mud fever
Small rednesses, which are usually not taken too seriously, are often the start of a mud fever. A few hours to days later, small crusts may cover the skin. These then quickly become larger and protrude more and more from the healthy skin.
Sometimes the areas ooze and are very red. In this case, these areas hurt the horse and can lead to serious, difficult-to-treat skin inflammation or even phlegmon.
Prevent mud fever
In order to prevent mud fever, it is important to keep the skin of the fetlock bend clean and supple. If the skin is cared for and small wounds are cleaned immediately with a disinfectant soap, it is difficult for the germs that cause mud fever to penetrate the skin. Hygiene in the stable and exercise area reduces the bacterial load in the fetlock bend and is therefore essential to prevent mud fever.
If you detect crusts in the fetlock bend, it is necessary to treat them immediately and not let a few more days pass, as the mud fever can spread very quickly.
Common mistakes in mud fever treatment
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Remove the scabs without pre-treatment
Whether dry or previously soaked: Removing the scabs without suitable pre-treatment damages the underlying skin and allows germs to penetrate new areas of skin. The next day, the crust is back and the scab is even worse.
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Washing the fetlock bend
Washing the horse's fetlock bend when it is heavily soiled is useful to remove additional dirt from the already irritated skin.
However, frequent washing is counterproductive, as pathogens multiply even faster in damp conditions.
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Wash the fetlock bend with curd soap
Bacteria and fungi love an alkaline environment. Soaps have an alkaline pH value and therefore promote the growth of germs.
The right treatment
The correct treatment is to remove the mud fever scabs as gentle as possible without damaging the underlying skin. A good option for the gentle removal of scabs is the Keralit Keralysin Ointment.
As soon as the crust can be gently wiped off, the underlying areas can be disinfected or soothed with a nourishing ointment. For the care and regeneration of the skin, the Keralit Dermacure Ointment is ideally suited. The areas can regenerate and the skin can restore its protective barrier.