Is mud fever contagious?

[Trace The Ace]

Question in the title really. Should we separate towels etc for each of our horses. One has what look like the remnants of mud fever and the other has no scabs??

TIA

[Jessey]

Yes if the skin is pourous enough or has a cut/scratch, mudfever can be spread by touch, when dealing with mudfever you should really have a clean towel for each leg and for each session, otherwise you can cross contaminate between legs and also reinfect daily if you use the same towel (if the bacteria got on it yesterday).
Personally I use kitchen towel so it can just be thrown away each day :D in case you decide to do this, don't buy the really cheap stuff, the mid range really is more absorbant and doesn't fall apart but still isn't too expensive :D

[Trace The Ace]

Thanks Jessey........off to the shops!

[nutkin]

I'm guessing we are talking about Pedro here as he has the feather and white legs.Unless he is out in mud its unlikely to be mud fever.Cobs also get something commonly called greasy heel which can appear similar to the scabs you get with mud fever.Ask your YO to have a look for you as they should be able to tell which it is.If it is mud fever then you need to ensure you don't keep washing his legs as that can make it worse.You need to try and keep his legs as dry and clean as possible and use a protective barrier cream on them to help prevent it.

[Alfies-slave]

Mud fever is caused by an organism that can be present in mud, and dampness of all kinds, so not just mud! It is on the land, so if one horse has come in to contact with it, all horses that share the grazing will have been exposed to the organism. Not all horses develop mud fever.

Being obsessive about hygine can only help but in reality, unless you move to a yard where there is no mud fever there is litle you can do to prevent horses coming in to contact with the organism.

If you have a featherd horse it might not be mud fever. You might find this link helpful,

http://www.completerider.com/pasterndermatitis.htm

order a few gallons of Pig Oil and all will be well. Pig Oil with sulphur (from a garden centre) zaps mud fever and grease, plus it conditions the feather!

[Iron Maiden]

My old cob's 'mud fever' seemed to get worse in prolonged dry weather. I think he actually had chronically dry & scabby skin due to excessive washing with hard water & harsh shampoos before I got him (not his old owner's fault, the YO insisted on perfect turnout before he could be seen in public!). Dry weather exacerbated this so he really suffered, even though there was not a clart of mud to be seen!

As far as I can gather, mud fever bacteria are pretty much everywhere so trying to prevent contact with them is going to be almost impossible. Bacteria can multiply very very quickly in an environment they like so even if you only have a very low level of bugs present, it won't take them long to get going if things are to their liking. As Alfies-slave says there's no harm in paying attention to basic hygiene, but these bacteria can only infect skin that's weakened, so I've always thought that the key to prevention is keeping the skin in good condition so it provides an effective barrier. This is why washing the legs can do more harm than good, as it removes the natural oils from the skin so it can soften/chap & permit the entry of the bugs. Pig oil probably helps because it keeps the skin moisturised & in good nick, although I've never used it - eczema lotions are my weapon of choice against mud fever!

[Trace The Ace]

Thank you for those great replies. We will investigate and see what we come up with.

[Whinneyha]

Hi I just wondered if anyone can tell me the quantities of the pig oil to sulphur that you need to use to be effective.:confused: This has just been recommended to me for use on my pony's feathers?

[Jessey]

I'm also interested - I tried to get Sulphur powder at the chemist in Tesco's and they looked at me funny and said that was very old fashioned :o :D

Where do you get your Sulphur powder from? what is it meant to be used for (as in what does it say it is meant for on the box)?

Would also like to know the ratio of carrier to sulphur :D

Thanks

[Alfies-slave]

you can get it from Garden Centers. Gardeners like to dig up bulbs and tubers to store them over winter (?!) and sprinkling them with sulphur powder keeps the mould off them.

I mix it up with pig oil to make a runny paste, like paint. The trick is to get it in next to the skin. Feathers are wonderful at draining things away from the horse. I put it in to an old fairy liquid bottle to apply it. Using an old hair brush, the sort with prongs instead of bristles, helps. It is a messy job. I use gloves, you get them free from the petrol station (he, he, he!) I usualy oil up the horses every 2 weeks or so. You don't need much, a little goes a long way.

Hope this helps, I don't know if it is the RIGHT way, but It is what we have always done.