With the onset of winter’s cold, so also arise many equine skin afflictions. Mud fever, also known as scratches or rain rot, depending on the part of the body affected, becomes more common in the cool, wet season.
Scratches, or mud fever, usually attack the horse’s lower legs, especially around the pastern. A dermatitis caused by a bacterium called Dermatophilus congolensis, scratches appear as a scabs on the skin. In its most mild form, the scabs are few and are easily groomed away without much fuss beyond some topical antiseptic or just keeping the area dry. In the more severe forms, the horse’s legs swell with cellulitis and the horse is lame, a condition that can require systemic antibiotics for treatment.
How Mud Fever Happens
When a horse is standing in wet and muddy conditions, his skin gets softer, if not damaged, by this exposure to the wet environment. This particular then penetrates the skin in areas of damage.
When the same crusty scabs and oozing spots appear elsewhere on the body, it is referred to as rain rot or rain scald.
How to Prevent and Cure Mud Fever/Scratches/Rain Rot
Prevention and the most simple first thing that needs to be done is to remove the horse from the wet environment and keep his skin dry. If your horse is particularly susceptible to mud fever, you must keep his legs clean and dry with daily grooming. Many horses develop this dermatitis when they are not groomed daily.
If the condition is mild and the horse is not swollen and lame, an effective initial treatment is washing with betadine and warm water or warm water and mild shampoo. After the wash, scabs will need assistance to be removed, and items you may already have in your tack box can act as a softener such as mineral oil, Desitin, petroleum jelly or ichthammol. Since the skin is already irritated, take care in how you cleanse as the skin can be painful. Also, too much washing can further dry out the skin, so use the scab softener daily instead of washing over and over.
When the scabs are removed, further treatment for the skin with antibacterials such as nitrofurazone can be considered if necessary. Some horse owners find that applying an ointment to clean dry legs and wrapping the area helps when the affected area is on the legs. Mild conditions can often be cured just be keeping the horse in a dry environment and keeping the affected area dry. Clean the treated area daily of dirt and old ointment with a clean, dry, soft towel before reapplying the ointment. The scabs should loosen and be easily removed after a few days of treatment.
If the horse is lame and swollen, a veterinarian may need to suggest corticosteroids to reduce inflammation or administer antibiotics.
Reduce the Potential for Scratches
Keeping your horse in a dry area reduces his potential for developing scratches. Grooming his legs daily is also key in prevention. Additionally, in winter, prevent scratches by not hosing the mud from the horse’s legs but instead by allowing the mud to dry and grooming it out. Additionally, horse owners may try cleaning the legs with gentle dry shampoos after grooming dried mud off the legs. Horse owners may find benefit in clipping fetlock hair to make prevention and treatment easier, and they may find that applying a protective coat of ointment on the backs of pasterns may help prevent the dermatitis.
