Mud fever in horses: How do you resolve this crusty problem?

Unfortunately, autumn and winter mark the return of "mud fever" season for horses susceptible to the condition. Mud fever is a very common equine ailment.

How do horses develop mud fever?

During these seasons, several unfavorable factors coincide—such as damp or muddy paddocks and the presence of mites and parasites that thrive in long winter coats or heavy feathering. Small scabs around the pasterns are easily overlooked at first, allowing a stubborn bacterial skin inflammation—known as mud fever—to take hold.

It usually—though not always—begins in the hollow of the pastern. The affected skin becomes inflamed and develops thick scabs; sometimes the leg swells and the area begins to ooze fluid. Bacteria multiply rapidly beneath the scabs and often spread to other areas of the skin. It is not uncommon for horses to become lame.

Loosen scabs, eliminate germs!

The resulting scab acts as a protective shield for pathogens. Therefore, it must be removed carefully and gently, without placing additional stress on the horse's skin. Medilusan Vet Wound Care—a "scab loosener" containing active chlorine—has proven particularly effective for this purpose. It allows the scab to be removed effortlessly; the solution disinfects and cleans the wound without causing irritation. Since germs have already penetrated the tissue, treatment must be repeated over several consecutive days until the scab has completely disappeared.

Clipping the affected area of skin is a highly beneficial measure with significant impact, as it allows proper access to the wounds for truly effective treatment. This is especially important in cases of long feathering.

Protect the wound, promote healing, and prevent reinfection!

Once the scab has been successfully removed and the affected area disinfected and cleaned, the skin requires lasting protection to allow it to heal. Gauze swabs or rolls of gauze bandage—selected according to the required size—are recommended for this purpose. The wound dressings should be soaked in the scab-softening solution, and a bandage applied over the top. Self-adhesive, elastic flex bandages for horses make this process particularly easy. The wound dressing should be changed daily, and the skin allowed to air out for a while before a new dressing is applied.

In the next stage of treatment, it is important to support wound healing and prevent reinfection. To achieve this, the fresh skin tissue must be kept clean without drying out. Medilusan Vet Wound Gel is ideally suited for this purpose, as it forms a transparent, breathable protective film. This barrier keeps out bacteria, viruses, and fungi while maintaining an intact wound environment with the necessary oxygen supply. Both factors are crucial for an optimal healing process. In some cases, the horse may even require stable rest.

No dirt should get into the wound, and treatment must be carried out regularly; otherwise, the effort could quickly go to waste. However, if keeping the area clean is not possible, the wound must continue to be bandaged.

Considerable patience is often required until the wound has completely healed. If this equine condition recurs frequently, it may indicate metabolic issues or a weakened immune system.