With Autumn approaching, beware of common winter problems - one being mud fever

I have noticed a huge increase in my blog statistics again over the past few days and funnily enough, although we are still in the middle of summer (well....), people seem to be researching mud fever.

Whether you are preparing for winter or your horse is struggling with mud fever now, then no doubt it will be a stressful time for you.

What is it?

Mud fever is a group of diseases that causes irritation and dermatitis in the lower limbs of horses. Often it is caused by a mixture of bacteria called "Dernatophilus congolensis and Staphylococcus spp". Although mud fever is normally associated with mud, it can also be caused by mites; this is less common but owners should be vigilant.

Before Ceaser was got mud fever last winter I thought it was something that was associated with winter, wet weather and mud. However, this myth is wrong and a horse can suffer an attack at any time of the year - autumn, winter, spring and summer.

How will I know if my horse has mud fever?

Any of the following can be signs:

 - Matted area of hair containing crusty scabs
  - Thick, creamy, white, yellow or greenish discharge between the skin and overlying scab
  - Raw looking skin
  - Inflamed, sore looking legs
  - Lameness
  - In bad cases: lethargy, depression, loss of appetite.

In Ceaser's case, sometimes his legs looked clean and I struggled to find the scabs. However, I was told once that even the smallest of scabs can cause swelling and lameness. You have to be very vigilant when checking the legs and almost go through with a fine tooth comb to ensure you get every scab off.

Last year Ceaser suffered with mud fever continuously for a year. Whilst it was both a stressful and worrying time for me, it gave me the opportunity to research what exactly caused mud fever for hours upon end whilst trying to find a cure.

If your horse is suffering with this awful problem then take a look at my previous two blogs about mud fever.

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