Thrush and/or Mudfever remedies

[JOJOBA]

MUDFEVER
When I bought my horse he suffered horribly from mudfever. We got the clippers out straight away and took his lovely flares off and found that as his previous owner had never treated it he had chronic scarring and swelling in his heels.
We keep him clipped out but it has spread up behind his knees now too.
He seems to respond best to constantly changing medication - one thing will work for a while then stop working and we will have to change. We have stopped turning him out on any mud and begun keeping him in during winter but his mudfever is relentless. In nearly five years there hasnt been a day where we've not had to treat it.
We have tried Dermobion, Dermagel, Mudguard, Hydracortisone, Betadine and probably many others I cant remember. I have a vague recollection of one that looked like Lemon Curd:P.
We try to sometimes leave him a day where he isnt covered in gels and stuff for the cuts to dry a little but he usually cracks them and he bites constantly, making them bleed.
So my question for this section is - does anyone have any mud fever remedies that they think might work on my horse?

THRUSH
The aforementioned horse also suffers badly from thrush. He had deformed feet when I got him and apalling frogs (which mostly dropped out during vetting :P). The thrush in them is like thick black smelly tar and we cant seem to shift it. His hooves are like buckets and although the farrier takes as much excess off of his frogs as possible the little trenches down each side (which have a name but Ive forgotten it!) are still ridiculously deep - too deep to get a hoofpick to the bottom of, or a long bristled brush.
We power hose his feet to get all the dirt out, scrub as deep as we can with salt water and put in hydrochloride around once a week (no more because it makes his soles dry and cracked).
Every other day we spray teramiasin (sorry for any spelling errors) in the affected areas - down the sides and middle of the frog (once again, any more frequently dries his hooves).
When he gets footsore as he sometimes does we tub him in saltwater and follow the above procedures.
His stable is kept very clean so he doesnt stand on wet straw, and we avoid turning him out in mud (keeping him in at night in the winter and cleaning his hooves out when he comes in after the day out).
Anyone have any thrush remedies? Or any ideas how I can find what's at the bottom of his cavernous hooves? (we currently use a long syringe to treat them). Anyone else have a horse with hooves like this?
I can provide hoof pictures if they would be any help!

Thanks, Jo and Hector XXX

[Lucy J]

i always swear by udder cream for mud fever. demobium is usually really good. but try udder cream, its available in most country stores such as Scats. in addition you can get mud fever turn out boots to keep the legs dry and mud free, but tey're expensive.

can't help on the thrush though, had no experience of it.

[JOJOBA]

Does udder cream treat mudfever or is it like leg-guard and keeps legs mudfree?

Thanks for that I'll give it a go!
xxx

[Tina&Dale]

For mudfever I use a stiff bristled brush to remove the surface muck, then wash with a medicated shampoo and then apply Betadine. The wash I use is called "Maliseb" and I use it at least once a day, but try to do it twice a day. My horse has a short coat, but for long coated horses, I would do as you have done and clip it out. I have never had mud fever persist for very long doing the above, and wonder if your horse doesn't have scurf?

Scurf looks similar, but it is hard to remove and when it comes off it is like scratching a scab off and can create a little welt. My horse had this badly on one leg and it was quite persistent.

I treated it by removing the scabs and then washing with medicated shampoo. To get the scabs off though I had to moisten them first, otherwise it was very painful and difficult to get them off! I applied a heavy layer of a medicated ointment called "Potty's Green Ointment" and then bandaged it on for a few hours. This made it very easy to get the scabs off and the horse didn't seem to mind at all!

Once the area was cleaned I washed with "maliseb" again and then left it. I did this for a few weeks and it hasn't been a problem since!

Although, I have since discovered a great anticeptic application called "Lotigen". It is very good on any fugal or bacterial infections, as well as managing cuts and preventing proud flesh!


As for the thrush, I spay betadine or centrigen over the foot and it always clears up very quickly.

[nat17]

Get the vet out, let him/her look into it. Mud fever will normally run its course if the horse is kept in, if its not then the vet needs to give some strong antibiotics and monitor it.

You should not wash the legs, over washing could make it 10 times worse, you could use theratex leg wraps to dry the legs whilst in the stable then when they are dry brush off the excess mud. I was advised to try 'Aromaheel' which i did and yes it was good, as you dont have to pick scabs off, but for my very heavy feathers it couldnt get on and stay on properly. I had a horrible time last year with Podge and I am hoping this year will be better with out feathers.

If your horse is as bad as its sounds, get the vet out and see what they advise;)

[JOJOBA]

Dont worry this is a long running problem which my vet and my yard is well aware of - of course calling the vet would be my first port of call.
When he went lame a couple of years ago it was due to infection from his mudfever and the vet ultrasounded him and gave him antibiotics. Other than that he says that he (obviously) cant keep him on antibiotics for ever and we just have to keep on top of it. Most people have agreed that my horse will never ever not have it :( but I remain hopeful as it does flare and die down on and off(but never actually go).
Just looking for something to stop the itching and bleeding.
I'll look into the scurf thing - as that does sound interesting.
Thanks for your help keep it coming!
xxx

[Lucy J]

udder cream has anti bacterial properties and is a barrier cream

[Tina&Dale]

Maybe your horses immune system is low? Although, if you've been talking with a vet, he/she would probably have suggested looking into it if it was an issue.

I have read that chronic skin conditions are the result of a lack of minerals in the diet. There is a certain one, but I can't remember what it was..

Maybe you could try putting your horse on a mineral and vitamin suppliment and see if it makes any difference.

[JOJOBA]

That's another interesting point actually - as he has dry skin and when I got him he was very malnourished and was losing chunks of coat. Ive tried him with mineral licks but he prefers to lick walls and moss (?). I shall see about getting him some mineral suppliments - any all round ones that arent too expensive that people can reccomend?
xxx

[Tina&Dale]

Well, Dolomite is good and cheap calcium and magnesium
I know you can get Copper and Sulphur seperately too.

However, I like to use a ready measured one because I don't really know what to look for abotu deficienies.

I currently use a pelleted mineral and vitamin at about AUD$80 for a large bucket. I think it's great! Dale has been on it for a while and his coat is great, had no problems and he has this spark in his eye! He seems really happy and healthy!

I'll get the name of it and post it here for you! :D

[x kitty x]

my horse is prone to thrush in all 4 feet. i use hydrogen peroxide and i find this works well. don't use 2 much of it and dont use it everyday as it can burn and make the feet very sore and sensitive. i also use iodine which i find good aswell. clean and flush the feet with hydrogen peroxide and then put iodine in them that works wonders.

thrushbuster also works very well as it drys it up but it does cost a lot.
hope this has helped.

x Kitty x

[JOJOBA]

Thanks for that:)
I do already use hydrogen peroxide and have used iodine but it just doesnt shift it.
My horse has to do everything to extremes :P
xxx

[Bebe]

Bebe came to me covered in rainscald and with shocking mudfever. I battled with it constantly for the first winter, had minor problems the second but none at all after another livery recommended Wonder Gel.

Is the MudGuard you've tried the same as Leg Guard, or is it the NAF product you've used?

If you haven't tried it, Gold Label Wonder Gel & Leg Guard have been godsends for Bebe. After trying just about everything else available (including antibiotics, Malaseb shampoo, athletes foot cream, etc) these two products work wonders.

My routine went something like this:

Wash legs only to remove scabs, I used diluted hibiscrub.
Put Thermatex leg wraps on overnight (whilst stabled) to make sure the legs dry quickly and thoroughly
Apply Wonder Gel to the legs, really slather it on. I applied to the entire leg, not just the scabby areas. With this on you can turn out as it forms a barrier against the mud & wet (which is why legs must be dry).
Repeat until scabs have cleared completely, never took more than 2 weeks for me.

Once the scabs have gone, stop washing the legs but continue using the leg wraps, even if the legs are muddy. If Bebe's legs are really filthy I might quickly hose them off with cold water (keeps the pores closed) and then put the wraps on but I try to avoid it.
Before turning out apply Leg Guard to the legs, I originally put it on from the pastern right up to the knee/hock on all four legs but last winter I just put it on the lower half of all four legs and never had 1 scab all winter.

For the immune system I used Hilton Herbs Gold Label Equimmune. I can't say whether it did work or not but it made me feel better! I just gave it for a month as a boost. I also make sure I feed a good vitamin supplement. Bebe has been on Baileys Lo-Cal for approx a year now and looks really well on it. It's approx £16 for a 20kg sack, I feed a half dose (1.5 mugs per day) and it lasts about 8-10 weeks so it is good value.