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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