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I have written this article with a view to hopefully helping other people cope with Mud Fever when it strikes.
Please note that the opinions and advice given are based on my personal experiences only. I am not a qualified vet.

A bit about our horse:
Harvey is best described as an Irish Cob. He is 16.1hh with either some Shire or Clydesdale lineage. He has been suffering from a chronic case of Mud Fever ever since we bought him 6 months ago. He is officially classed as a coloured horse and has 3 white stockings and one white sock.

Basic information concerning Mud Fever:
Mud Fever tends to mostly affect the heels/lower limbs of the horse. Those with white stockings or socks are usually affected the worst, with the bacteria targeting front and back heels alike. Some horses, particularly hunters, can suffer Mud Fever on their stomachs as well, so please do not assume that this bacterial infection is limited to the heel and leg area only. The bacteria that causes Mud Fever (Dermatophilus Congolensis) thrives in wet conditions, therefore is normally most prevalent during the winter months due to the weather being at its wettest.

This does not mean however, that once summer appears the infection will miraculously dry up and disappear. It is sometimes said the bacteria that causes Mud Fever resides in the mud itself, (a theory that some vets are now moving away from), and there are even people who believe that the more buttercups you have in your grazing land, the more prevalent Mud Fever will be. Wherever this bacterium derives from, in severe cases it causes pussy, smelly secretions from the heels resulting in sore, inflamed skin that scabs and bleeds.

Depending on the toughness of the skin, there can also be an element of hair loss, i.e. the weaker the skin the more the hair loss. In less severe cases, the Mud Fever will resemble a small scab on the heel. Thoroughly checking your horses heels and legs each day will help you to catch an infection in its early stages. It can then be easily prevented from spreading.

How best to treat Mud Fever:
There are various ways you can help your horse fight the infection (depending on the severity of the case) and I have listed these below:

Keep your horse stabled overnight
This gives the heels a rest from the field by providing a drier environment. Straw bedding is fine as long as it is mucked out daily, removing all wet material and keeping the bedding as clean as possible at all times. Depending on the severity of the Mud Fever (and the limits of your budget), you may want to substitute straw for shavings as they wick away moisture to the bottom of the bed leaving the top layer clean and dry.

Shavings also dry the heels off naturally making it easier for you to brush or comb away caked mud and puss. Turn your horse out during the day in good clean pasture Some people may advise you to keep your horse stabled round the clock until the infection clears, however this is sometimes just not practical for many reasons, some of these being the boredom factor for your horse, the problem of 'leg filling' (you will need to exercise your horse daily if you are keeping them in 24-7), and the fact that this arrangement just may not fit into your routine.

In my opinion it is better for the horse to be turned out in good clean pasture so that whilst grazing, their constant movement encourages circulation, thus helping to reduce puffiness and swelling in the legs. The swelling (filling) is caused by the blood carrying antibodies to the infected area in order to help fight the infection.

Do not wash the infected area
From experience, can I stress that no matter how tempting it is to wash your horse's heels or the infected areas, DON'T! We have indeed been guilty of regularly washing Harvey's heels in the past in order to remove the puss and dried blood that collects around the infected area, as it seems natural and indeed sensible to remove this gunk in order to stop re-infection.

Regular washing however weakens the skin thus making it easier for the bacteria to invade and cause damage. It is advisable to wash the infected area once a week ONLY in a cold weak salt water solution, soaking off the build up of mud, dried puss and scabs that you have been unable to remove by brushing or combing. The removal of scabs is important as they trap the bacteria next to the skin and need to be removed in order to best treat the infection. The cold saltwater wash is also important as the bacteria find it difficult to thrive in cold conditions. If you can (and your horse will stand for you), try drying off their heels with a hair dryer on a cool setting after the once weekly wash. There are several other products that you may be advised to use such as Hibiscrub, Surgical Spirit, Tea Tree Shampoo etc, however, to sore, red and inflamed skin, these products can be irritants in themselves.

Keep the infected area clean and dry
It is of the utmost importance to keep the area as clean and dry as you can. As washing is restricted to once a week, wipe the area totally clean with antibacterial wipes and dry gently and thoroughly with a clean towel. Apply Sudacrem to the area (you can buy this from your local chemist) as it is antiseptic, antibacterial and waterproof. Make sure you keep the legs and heels clipped out so that any cream you apply goes straight onto the skin as opposed to getting stuck on the hair thus doing no good at all.

You will also be better able to see how the infection is doing with less hair shrouding the area. Longer hair around the fetlocks may well help to protect the heels from re-infection once cured, however, whilst treating Mud Fever it is advisable to keep the hair as short as possible. It can be grown back once the infection is cured. Take care to get as much of the barrier cream as possible into all crevices of the heel once you have dried them - some breeds like Harvey have deeper crevices than most, and these areas will be warm and moist - paradise for the bacteria to thrive in.

If none of the above is having a positive effect then it is time to call in the vet. They may recommend either an oral course of antibiotics, although if you do not see improvements after a 2 week course then move onto the next option. It is not good for your horse to be on antibiotics for a long period of time, especially if they aren't helping as your horse will build up an immunity to them and they will be useless as a treatment for other ailments in the future. Demobion which is a green Vaseline type steroidal cream may be prescribed and should be smeared on the infected area once thoroughly cleaned.

A last resort is an inter-muscular antibiotic injection that costs £150, which tends to zap the infection quite successfully. There is however, no guarantee that the Mud Fever won't return and you may find yourself shelling out £150 each year for one of these injections. If you compare that to the products you buy and the time you spend helping your horse combat Mud Fever then this may be a favoured option for you. Divided over the year it doesn't seem too bad (£12.50 per month). At the moment we are in the process of trying the Demobion on Harvey. If that doesn't work we will opt for the injection.

Other information
Udder Cream (the sort that is used for Mastitis in cows) is good as a preventative measure once the Mud Fever has been cured. It is a green, Vaseline type cream that is both healing and waterproof. This can be applied prior to exercising or hunting in wet conditions to protect the legs. Insulite Leg Wraps from Aerborn are also good for preventing/reducing filling of the legs and should be worn overnight in the stable only.

They also wick away moisture from the heels and legs keeping them dry. If your horse has mud fever or is prone to mud fever use these wraps overnight on returning from a days hunting or when you bring your horse in from the field of an evening, as they will dry the legs naturally. Keep an eye on your horses condition - you may find that they drop off due to the discomfort they are experiencing, or the extra energy they are using to help fight the infection Mud Fever can travel up the leg so keep an eye out for lameness.

You can continue to exercise your horse as this improves circulation, which in turn helps to reduce puffiness and swelling in the legs, however try to keep it to a walk and stick to dry, clean areas. Once healed it is best to err on the side of caution and continue to keep an eagle eye on your horses heels and legs, protecting them at all times with whatever barrier cream works best for you and your horse. The bad news is that there are no quick fixes for Mud Fever and if a horse is prone then they will always be prone unfortunately.

Please note that the above advice is based on our personal experiences only and you may find other alternatives work better for you. I would love to hear about other people's successes/recommendations. If you are in any doubt at all you should call your vet for further advice and recommendations. Good luck and regards, Emily Davis