With autumn and winter comes mud, mud and more mud! And not only is mud cold, wet, sticky and irritating, it can also harbour bacteria that can affect your horse’ health. Below I will look into the conditions that your horse can suffer from as a result of mud.
Thrush
Thrush is a bacterial and occasionally fungal disease that manifests on the bottom of the foot, on the triangular, spongy part known as the frog. The symptoms include:
- heat
- foul smell
- black discharge
- pain when depressed
Treatment
There are many so called treatments for thrush, including surgical spirit, which can be used for mild cases, iodine which can be used for many cases due to its strong antibacterial activity, and hydrogen peroxide, which has a very strong action, and is only suitable for severe conditions.
When buying a horse, you can tell if they are susceptible to thrush if they have cracked heels. This helps the bacterium enter, and shows they have a predisposition to the condition.
Mud Fever
Mud fever, pastern dermatitis or ”dew poisoning” is caused by a bacterium called dermatophilus congolensis, and it lives in the soil. During the winter, when the skin becomes wet and muddy, bacteria can penetrate the skin more easily and infect the horse. This condition is found on the legs.The symptoms are:
- Scabs
- Oozing or weeping cuts
- Scratching of the legs
- Reddened skin
Mud fever is not usually life threatening, however must be treated to prevent secondary infection and ensure the horses well being.
The horse must be removed from the muddy area, and re-located to a dry stable. The legs should be washed with chlorhexidine based solution, such as HibiScrub. This should be used on a daily basis, and the legs should then be dried. A non-greasy mud fever ointment should be applied, and the horse left in a dry area. If the legs are covered in lesions, and these are oozing, veterinary attention may be required, and your horse may have to be put on a course of antibiotics to avoid secondary infection.
Mud fever can be avoided through the use of mud barrier creams if the horse is susceptible to the condition. All horses should be kept out of the muddy conditions as much as possible.
Rain Scald
This is caused by the same bacterium that causes mud fever, namely dermatophilus congolensis . It is just like mud fever, however it manifests on the horses back, rump and neck.
Symptoms:
- scaly bumps
- crusty scabs seen on back, neck and rump
- bare patches
- lesions
- matted coat
Rain scald, or rain rot can spontaneously disappear, however, it should be treated, as it can cause secondary infections such as staphylococcus and streptococcus.
Treatment involves the rinsing of the affected area with a chlorhexidine based solution such as HibiScrub, and application of non-greasy ointment.
Similar articles to this one can be found on Pony Galaxy, such as Sweet Itch, Headshaking, Lyme Disease. and the Equine Endocrine System.
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