Jess' leg

[Jessey]

Nope not that one, a back one this time

Its on the inside of the off hind, its very localised and scabby, at its worst it did actually effect her hoof wall, the coronet bowed up there and the wall went soft directly under it (I could flex the top 1/2 of the wall with my thumb) and it started to dip in. I did have both the farrier and vet look in the spring and they both brushed it off as mud fever but I'm not so convinced now and yesterday she had removed the biggest scab leaving a patch bigger than a 50p bald, raw and bloody. I gave the whole area a good clean with hibiscrub and slathered it in sudocrem but not really sure where to go with it next.

Some pics from the summer, I didn't get any last night as was racing daylight to get it washed properly.


It hasn't been constant since it started in feb/March, it gets bad and then appears to have completely cleared but then reappears in the same spot (within a 3-4" area), its under white fur and ginger and currently the worst bit is on the join of the 2 but I can feel scabbiness from the hoof to fetlock.

I have tried sudocrem, Sulphur powder, hibiscrubbing, iodine, protection plus, msm cream, triple antibiotic cream, salt water and probably a bunch of other things I can't remember.

Would you be wanting further vet investigation? As one of Jess' major symptoms of PPID is skin problems (and them not healing in normal time frames) I'm not sure how much it will help to be told again its mud fever. She's a bit tender if I pick at the scabs but not awful and def not lame with it and there hasn't been any swelling until yesterday but she had just taken a chunk off it and normally its dry as in these pics, no oozing or anything. She does get the oily seborrhea on those back legs at coat change time, could it be related?

 

[Bodshi]

It doesn't look like when Raf gets mud fever - his scabs look sore and obviously feel very sore to him as he doesn't like having them touched much, but he isn't brave like Jess He's only ever had a couple of scabs at a time though and I get some cream from the vets that clears it up without the need to scrub - you just apply it to the scabs and they soften and drop off. I think if it was me I'd want another opinion from the vet, although I'd wait until the vet was coming for something else - easier on a yard when it's more than likely that there'll be a vet visit to someone's horse in the foreseeable.

 

[Jessey]

Her Jabs are due in a couple of months so not miles away until the vet is out anyway

 

[carthorse]

If it was me I'd want the vet, and if they tried telling me it was "just" mud fever I'd say I don't agree & want it investigating more. I know with PPID skin infections can take longer to clear but this has been going on a long time & it's also affecting the hoof. Maybe ask them to take a sample to test, that way if it is a skin infection you could get the specific antibiotics for the bacteria causing it? And if it isn't you know to start looking elsewhere.

 

[Jessey]

If it was me I'd want the vet, and if they tried telling me it was "just" mud fever I'd say I don't agree & want it investigating more. I know with PPID skin infections can take longer to clear but this has been going on a long time & it's also affecting the hoof. Maybe ask them to take a sample to test, that way if it is a skin infection you could get the specific antibiotics for the bacteria causing it? And if it isn't you know to start looking elsewhere.

Just to clarify, the hoof doesn't appear to be effected anymore, its back to good and solid and no dipping in and the coronet is slowly levelling out again. And it has been going on a long time but it isn't continuous, we'll get a month or two of nothing then it flares again.

 

[Trewsers]

I could be wrong but I didn't think mud fever could actually affect the hoof? Chloe has the most awful mf practially all year round, it's a case of managing it rather than seeing it off (have spend hundreds of quid in vet call outs and lotions and potions). I am guessing it is strongly linked to her Cushings. But I have never known even at it's worse it affect hooves. Did your farrier actually think mud fever could do so? Hmm. I would most likely ask your vet next time they are out.

 

[Jessey]

I could be wrong but I didn't think mud fever could actually affect the hoof? Chloe has the most awful mf practially all year round, it's a case of managing it rather than seeing it off (have spend hundreds of quid in vet call outs and lotions and potions). I am guessing it is strongly linked to her Cushings. But I have never known even at it's worse it affect hooves. Did your farrier actually think mud fever could do so? Hmm. I would most likely ask your vet next time they are out.

Anything that effects the coronary band can effect the hoof and it had gone down deep into it at one point, though its not like that now. I will have to ask the vet though as I don't think it had gone that far at that point.

 

[Jessey]

I was mulling on this last night, I don't know that the manky leg caused the foot issue, but I think it was too coincidental not to be somehow related, but I was washing it and slathering creams on it non stop so that could have perhaps made the hoof go soft. Possibly the raised coronet from the uneven hoof growth could have caused the skin to be stressed and led to the scabbiness, I am gradually addressing this. As its not sore or rapidly changing I'm planning to leave talking to the vet until the new year when I have some time off, of course if it changes I will call before. I will try to get some pics in daylight at the weekend to compare to how it was.

 

[joellie]

It does seem to be going on quite a time but ppid horses can take longer to heal and are prone to skin issues as you have already stated. I would agree if it isn't getting any worse and it doesn't seem to bother I would wait until the vet comes out to do their jabs and they can have a look at it then.

 

[MrC]

Have you tried daktacort?? Or some other similar fungal cream??

I’d want scrapings taken of that if it is stubborn and not shifting

 

[Jessey]

Well either I jinxed it or subconsciously knew something had changed, today we have a hot fat leg, so that will be a vet job then I am worried there is an infection, cheap call out day is Tuesday but I don't think I can leave it to fester for 5 days, gave her a bute just now to try and take the swelling down although she wasn't lame/sore but I will call the vet as soon as they open and hopefully they can slot me in for a non emergency apt this afternoon.

 

[joellie]

Oh no , you probably did know something was going on , sixth sense. Hopefully the vets will get to the bottom of it...healing vibes to Jess

 

[carthorse]

I'd also say something had been niggling you. This time of year it's so easy for a lower leg wound to get infected

 

[Jessey]

Vet is coming at noon, hopefully we can get it gone for good

 

[Trewsers]

Oh lots of vibes for her leg and finding out more.

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

I hope she is OK. It is that time of year for slips and slides causing cuts and the smallest one can get infected with all the mud.

I swear by Lincoln wound cream with silver for all cuts/sores etc

 

[Jessey]

Well the vet came still saying mf, clipped it, scrubbed it and left me antibiotic cream and said if not better in a week call and he will dispense antibiotics by phone.

 

[Lemme]

bummer - surprised he hasn't provided you AB oral straight away as a precaution rather than wait to see if the cream works especially with the heat and swelling present, really hope it works and you get on top of it

 

[Jessey]

bummer - surprised he hasn't provided you AB oral straight away as a precaution rather than wait to see if the cream works especially with the heat and swelling present, really hope it works and you get on top of it

This mornings bute did it's job and the swelling was massively reduced, he said oral antibiotics often aren't much use for distal limb problems so gave me their in house made antibiotic ointment which he says is miracle stuff..... We shall see.
At one point there cellulitis was mentioned and I jumped on it and said I'd called him because I didn't want to risk it getting that far, that's when he said I could call for antibiotics if I was still concerned in a few days.

 

[carthorse]

Fingers crossed the cream works, I know lower legs don't respond as well as other places to oral antibiotics but they can help. Did he take any samples? If he didn't then I'd ask him to if the miracle cream doesn't work, sometimes persistent infections have developed a resistance & different antibiotics are needed.