Thanks so much to everyone who made suggestions for how to treat Sid's mud fever.
What has happened so far:
(1) He has had his legs close clipped, and I have bought a pair of clippers so I can carry on with it for the time being. It's so much easier to see where I need to work.
(2) I have been treating the scabs on and around his heels daily with cocoa butter, Hedgewitch Horse Oil and most recently Hoof to Heal.
(3) I've been treating the thickened, scaly flesh behind his knees with the same topical agents.
Good news: hardly any scabs remain on his heels, and when they come off the skin underneath them looks pink and healthy. He objects very much less to having the cream rubbed in and the scabs removed, so presumably they hurt him less. This has allowed me to be more vigorous with removing the scabs. As far as I can tell, he has stopped biting and scratching them.
Not so good: despite a constant shedding of scales, the areas behind his knees are still thickened and it is very uncomfortable for him to have them treated. I'd like to comb the area to remove the debris, but he really doesn't want to let me.
Two questions for you all this time.
(1) What is the aftercare requirement for his feet and heels? Should I keep applying the cream, or is this the time when I switch over to a preventative treatment like pig oil & sulphur?
(2) For his knees, I suspect it is just a question of keeping up the treatment and allowing the thickened skin to soften and slough away over time. But is there anything else I can do to make it more comfortable for him?
I'm really pleased to see the improvements so far, and I have the softest hands in Surrey!
What has happened so far:
(1) He has had his legs close clipped, and I have bought a pair of clippers so I can carry on with it for the time being. It's so much easier to see where I need to work.
(2) I have been treating the scabs on and around his heels daily with cocoa butter, Hedgewitch Horse Oil and most recently Hoof to Heal.
(3) I've been treating the thickened, scaly flesh behind his knees with the same topical agents.
Good news: hardly any scabs remain on his heels, and when they come off the skin underneath them looks pink and healthy. He objects very much less to having the cream rubbed in and the scabs removed, so presumably they hurt him less. This has allowed me to be more vigorous with removing the scabs. As far as I can tell, he has stopped biting and scratching them.
Not so good: despite a constant shedding of scales, the areas behind his knees are still thickened and it is very uncomfortable for him to have them treated. I'd like to comb the area to remove the debris, but he really doesn't want to let me.
Two questions for you all this time.
(1) What is the aftercare requirement for his feet and heels? Should I keep applying the cream, or is this the time when I switch over to a preventative treatment like pig oil & sulphur?
(2) For his knees, I suspect it is just a question of keeping up the treatment and allowing the thickened skin to soften and slough away over time. But is there anything else I can do to make it more comfortable for him?
I'm really pleased to see the improvements so far, and I have the softest hands in Surrey!