posted May 10, 2006 08:06 AM            

BUT I have a special case in the barn. They have Chronic Mud Fever, nothing I do will get rid of it and let me say that I have tried everything; From not picking the scabs off and putting and anti bacterial on it to picking the scabs off and using an antibacterial. I have used MANY creams, potions, antibiotics, clipping the hair away and the area before putting any cream or liquid on it is completely dry. I am at the point where I want to call Guelph and see what they can do.

Anyone else have any ideas before I do that??

posted May 10, 2006 09:13 AM            

Some hard to treat cases require penicillin to clear it up. If it's still there, consult your vet and get an antibiotic.

Good luck!!

posted May 10, 2006 09:21 AM            

So any other ideas are welcomed.

posted May 10, 2006 09:36 AM            

I scrubbed with a hard brush to get the gunk off. Then dried it with paper towels and then slopped on furacin. That is what worked for me. I also did not turn him out-gave him a haynet instead. It was summer and buggy and he didn't mind staying in.

I am not sure that Guelph would help. Did your vet give you special formula? The penicillin should work right away. Any pics to show us how bad it is?

posted May 10, 2006 10:47 AM            

Until last November I had only ever dealt with the bacterial one.

Then bratboy got the fungus. I cleaned and zinced and scrubbed and so on diligently for six weeks with no progress - it just got worse. But I did notice that it was different from what I'd seen in the past and my vet recognized it as fungal from my description. He gave me Panalog ointment and had me wipe the area with alcohol, then apply the Panalog, rubbing small amounts well into the scabs (and NOT picking the scabs off unless they were falling off ). I was seing improvements in two days.

I had to wash his leg to get the arena dirt off before treatment and had gotten the fungus down to two small (1/4") scabs when I ran out of ointment. By the time I got more it had started to expand again, but within two days after getting mor ointment was shrinking nicely.

Then one day his skin turned black in patches and the next day all the black patches had the fungal scabs covering them.

I consulted the vet and he examined the horse. The daily washing had dried out the skin so much that it created wonderful new footholds for the fungus. Treatment was no washing or treatment for a week. I just applied vaseline every day after brushing any dirt off as best I could. This soothed the skin, allowing it to heal. After that I washed it once a week, just brushing the dirt off the other days. Treatment was daily and consisted of the alcohol wipe, ointment, and vaseline smoothed over top.

We're down to a couple of very small scabs again. They get very dry from the track and sand ring so I put vaseline on before riding to help soften them up, and scratch off any scabs that will come off easily before applying the treatment. I still only wash about once (maybe twice) a week and make sure to use the vaseline afterwards.

If you are washing 2-3 times a day and seeing it get worse, I wonder if his skin has dried out the way bratboy's did.

If it is the fungus you need an antifungal as the anti bacterial won't help. Panalog is an ointment for dogs (ear fungus) but it sure worked on brat's skin fungus. The second lot of ointment was a different brand but described as a similar triple strength anti-fungal ointment.

Bratboy's fungus (after weeks of washing and zinc ointment) looked like thin soft off-white scabs, and they were almost impossible to get off. When left alone they turned black (and I do mean BLACK) and got thick, then cracked but never oozed any serum.

The bacterial scabs I've dealt with are thick, reddish brown, crack and ooze a translucent orangey serum that turns into more scabs when it dries.

posted May 10, 2006 11:04 AM            

His scabs are brown black and his skin is definitely not dry. I was going to go to shoppers and try the Nizoral shampoo.

When I clean it 2, 3 times a day, I do not always wash it. I brush off the dirt and apply more ointment.

But maybe I should bug my Vet more and tell him to do something about it as my poor horse has to deal with the re-opening wounds.

posted May 10, 2006 02:33 PM            

As for Iodine, well he is allergic to it; he swells up anytime anything is used with iodine in it.

Thanks again everyone. I am sure that something will work.

posted May 10, 2006 05:19 PM            

Website: Dr. Val Harris DVM http://www2.silverstar.com/scratchesformula/
email: Scratches@silverstar.com

The only solution that helped my mare with 9 month old Chronic Mud Fever, under veterinary supervision.

I have sent a full email with description of events to your home email address. Here is an excerpt of that email describing how it worked for me and my mare. Good luck. Mud Fever is exhausting!!

In desperation, I emailed Dr. Harris for her spray lotion/ointment recipe which was applied to my mare's leg on March 22/05.
In summary, here's what the medication did in exactly 8 days- after 9 months of veterinary standard practice with no resolve.

1. Scrubbed her leg down with a betadine/iodine anitbacterial scrub, whatever scabs came off with it so be it, but I did
not vigoursly attemp to remove scabs.
2. Then I towel dried as well as one can, and clipped away as much hair as I could.
(My mare was in a very agitated state with her sensitive skin by now from 9 months of infection, scrubbing etc.)
3. At this point, I DID NOT WET HER LEG ANYMORE- only sprayed on the ointment TWICE DAILY, in AM and PM and LEFT ALONE!
(I used one of those pump up bottles you can buy at Home Hardware in the food section, to create spray under pressure- it works great!)
Just wrap the plastic bottle in black duct tape so light doesn't breakdown the compound in the solution.
(Note, whenever we got rainfall, and it got a bit muddy during the course of treatment, in those times, I just let the mud dry off naturally,
brushing it away with my hand GENTLY, then apply the lotion)

At first I was concerned because she was kicking out as if it was stinging her. I emailed Dr. Harris and she responded encouraging me to even start with a more dilute batch until her leg cleared up a bit because her skin was so irritated and so terribly sore!!! But I chose to go ahead and endure an initial bit of sting for a good cause, and used the standard strength as per original instructions, and then 8 days later on March 29/05 and I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES- the mud fever was GONE!
ie: No active oozing scabs/sores, healthy scab now coming off, pink hair underneath, hair has to start growing in now.

One thing I have learned, many say to keep softening and picking the scabs off, but to do that you have to moisten the skin, and I think this really only prolongs healing- in such chronic conditions of mud fever, the spray ointment goes on quickly, and I DID NOT moisten the leg at any time, I washed it only once the first time before I started applying the solution, then LEFT IT ALONE! -regardless of the dirt- (I just gently brushed away with my hands, because I had clipped her as much as possible, then sprayed on the ointment once in the AM and once in the PM for 8 days. having said that, you need to keep your horse in a relatively DRY location, not wet mud!

The oozing stopped, good type scab healing commenced, -Leave it on! and on day 8, the healthy scab is naturally dropping off as I am just starting to brush her leg.

IT REALLY WORKED! and the bonus was it cost me a total of $25 -the cost of patented recipe plus $14.00 CAN in supplies I bought (2 ingredients that you can buy at any local feed, co-op store) that will give me many more applications worth which I can make up fresh-as needed for future applications.

UPDATE: May 2006: no reoccurring mud fever to date. I do spray on ointment in early March during wet season as a precaution.

Good luck!

posted May 11, 2006 09:58 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Donigal:
OkeeDokee: I was wondering if that scrathes formula is pink in colour? If so, I some and it does work great.

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Where did you get your Formula from? Did you get it from the site that was recommended by OkeeDokee??

posted May 11, 2006 03:20 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Jazzy_Lady:
Dr. Melissa McKee has her own medication. It is pink in colour and works a charm. My old horse had mud fever that NOTHING would help. That stuff had it gone for good in days.

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Do you have her contact info? Or is it a make your own? or buy it from her?

posted May 11, 2006 04:02 PM            

I have put a call into her so that I can speak eith her directly.

THANK YOU to all of you. I am waiting for the other Vet Dr.Harris to contact me and as well as Dr. Mckee.

posted May 11, 2006 05:54 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by 4Life:
Where did you get your Formula from? Did you get it from the site that was recommended by OkeeDokee??

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posted May 15, 2006 08:40 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by transfusions:
I've been using a product called Hibitane for the mud fever on my horse's hind legs. It's been five days and they're almost back to normal.

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That works on all other horses EXCEPT of course mine.

But I bought some products over the weekend that some of you recommended and I will let you know if it works. Cross your fingers for my poor guy, it is really sore.

posted May 29, 2006 11:14 AM            

An easy way to get the scabs off without irritating the horse/foot is a furacin sweat at night. All the scabs will be gone by morning and you are left with fresh pink skin! I am working with the Panalog at the moment ... wish us luck! And, luck to you too of course.

Edited to add: Special Formula is in a syringe like wormer and can be purchased through your vet or vet supply. It is a great product for a variety of uses. Again, check with your vet.