# Mud Fever



## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Has anyone come across something similar in dogs?

Oscar has on one hind leg what looks exactly like mud fever (a general term for pastern dermatitis in horses for those that dont know). He's had a skin scraping (inconclusive), he's had an antibacterial wash, an antifungal wash, antibiotics and antifungal mediction. Hibiscrub made it worse, and nothing else improved it. Ive tried Dermacton, and that made it worse too.

Im wondering if its related to the extremely wet year we've just had, and the myriad of bacteria in all the mud. I wash him off with warm water once home, and dry him thoroughly, but he spends a good couple of hours a day caked in stinky mud.

He also has interdigital furunculosis, and i do wonder if the two are connected. Although i guess its all rather irrellevant as nothing i do seems to make either condition any better.

Im currently using Vaseline before i take him out as a barrier, but aside from that, i just don't know what to do for him anymore.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

The interdigital may well be solved with fuciderm: if you can wangle some from the chemist, it's double th strength, but prescription (generally for severe cold sores)

Nothing helped my cob's mudfever last year when he was constantly wet/muddy. I've never seen it on dogs but in similar circumstances, I imagine it's the same thing. What I eventually tried was Avon Skin So Soft and within a fortnight, every sign was gone, like a miracle, frankly. This year, I'm doing the whole ignore the mud, brush off when dry. Hard, but hopefully working.

Instead of Vaseline, which won't allow the air to get to it to dry it out, how about an equestrian product like mud guard?

Feathers ready for a show:


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Oh ive heard of people using the Avon stuff. Right now im prepared to give anything a go.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Id say do a final wash, brush when dry, put on the Avon stuff, comb through or massage in. Trouble is, it'll be very messy in the hose.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

cinammontoast said:


> Id say do a final wash, brush when dry, put on the Avon stuff, comb through or massage in. Trouble is, it'll be very messy in the hose.


Currently dealing with blood and serous fluid leaking everywhere from his cysts, so a nice smelling product will be a change for the better.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Nonnie said:


> Currently dealing with blood and serous fluid leaking everywhere from his cysts, so a nice smelling product will be a change for the better.


 Poor lad! Poor you!


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

cinammontoast said:


> Poor lad! Poor you!


Tbh, im seriously considering calling it a day.

He's still happy enough, and gets excited for his walks, but he is obviously sore, and licks his feet constantly if not stopped.

I can not walk him, which helps the sores heal, but then i have a whiny, bored, depressed and fidgity dog on my hands. Can only throw so much food at him in one day.

Im not sure how much suffering is fair.


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## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

and your vet has nothing to offer? 

If your dog has open, weeping, painful sores on his legs which are not responding to treatment he needs to be seen by a different vet. Is ther a vet school near you where he could be seen by more knowledgeable vets?


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## tashi (Dec 5, 2007)

For mud fever on the horses (which on some was quite bad) our vet at the time recommended 'udder cream' always worked for us


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Old Shep said:


> and your vet has nothing to offer?
> 
> If your dog has open, weeping, painful sores on his legs which are not responding to treatment he needs to be seen by a different vet. Is ther a vet school near you where he could be seen by more knowledgeable vets?


He doesnt have open weeping sores. The term 'mud fever' of course covers a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, its just the closest 'diagnosis' the vet could come up with given the appearance.

He has been seen by a dermatological specialist as well as my standard vet.


tashi said:


> For mud fever on the horses (which on some was quite bad) our vet at the time recommended 'udder cream' always worked for us


I shall have a word with my vet about that one.


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## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

it's just that you said:



> blood and serous fluid leaking everywhere from his cysts


cysts which are leaking blood and serous fluid would, I would be wont to describe as "open".

Can't they suggest anything?

For mud fever (horses) I would also go with the old fashioned keeping it dry (letting any mud dry off and brushing it out rather than washing).

Could you get some kind of boots/ leg wraps to keep the mud off?


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Old Shep said:


> it's just that you said:
> 
> cysts which are leaking blood and serous fluid would, I would be wont to describe as "open".
> 
> ...


Oh yeah  thats the interdigital furunculosis on his feet. Those are notoriously hard to treat, often resulting in surgery, and at 14 thats not even a consideration.

Apart from keeping the 'cysts' open and draining, and preventing infection, there isnt anything else they can do.

I have tried dog boots, but they affect his gait too much and made his arthritis worse (he only has 3 legs so i have to be careful with putting anything physically on him).

The skin condition on the one leg is a seperate issue, although i do wonder if the two are related in terms of being a bacterial problem.

Ugh, reading all this back he sounds like a train wreck.


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## tashi (Dec 5, 2007)

Udder cream you can buy in a farm shop over the counter, buy a small tub see if it helps. Very greasy but very good


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

I ttok some pics to try and help explain things a bit better.

These are his 'cysts'. He has matching ones on each hind foot, these are what bleed the most, and a couple on the side of his one front foot, but you cant see anything on a photo. I shall have to take a pic when he's back form a walk and they've opened up:










This is one he has between his toes. At the moment epsom salts, hydrogen peroxide and surdocrem are keeping this one under control:










This is an unknown between his toes on a back leg:










This is the skin condition on his actual leg:


















As you can see, the skin is black, scabby and flaky, and if i scratch it with my nail it comes off, but the skin underneath is quite sore and sometimes bleed, and this obviously hurts him.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

With the horse, I've been advised to clip off all hair so any treatment can be applied more directly. 

How about pig oil and sulphur? Do a patch test, as some animals react to it strongly. This is desperate measures, but used a lot in the old days:
Cover legs in pig oil (or baby oil) and sulphur (powder available at chemist, known as flowers of sulphur). Mix the oil/powder til it's a paste and smother on legs. Wrap legs in cling film and leave overnight. Scabs should be gone when the cling film is removed and legs rinsed. 

I've never used this myself as the horse only has patches behind the knee. 

If he's reacting to the mud, adapt horse wraps to fit him to protect legs whilst out. I use Thermatex wraps straight onto wet legs.

An obvious question: is there cereal in his diet?


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## GoldenShadow (Jun 15, 2009)

We used to use sulphur and zinc oxide liquid on the horses, came in a glass bottle and zinc fixes nearly everything.

Hope you can get some relief soon.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Nonnie said:


> Has anyone come across something similar in dogs?
> 
> Oscar has on one hind leg what looks exactly like mud fever (a general term for pastern dermatitis in horses for those that dont know). He's had a skin scraping (inconclusive), he's had an antibacterial wash, an antifungal wash, antibiotics and antifungal mediction. Hibiscrub made it worse, and nothing else improved it. Ive tried Dermacton, and that made it worse too.
> 
> ...


Might be worth having a look at camrosa ointment, it forms a barrier against wet/mud and other things and also promotes healing, it doesnt wash off in rain or melt in heat either. Although used for dogs and other animals too I think the origins were for equestrian use.

Camrosa - Dogs


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Just also remembered aroma heal and ultrasalve its a horse product made by aromesse who make dermacton but its for mud and scabbing problems in horses might be worth contacting them to ask about use in dogs too.

Equinat Mud & Wet products for Scab Removal


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

I'd be wary of camrosa, lots of comments I've seen are scary:

From Horse and hound forum:
'There was a hoo-har a few years ago, and they had to remove the "no harmful chemicals" claim from their ads. Now they have removed all claims from their ads!

Spectral analysis of the ointment was performed and that analysis showed lead, nickel, uranium and lithium to be present in the ointment.'


I personally wouldn't put cream with heavy metals on anything.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I tried everything when my arab had mud fever and the only thing that worked for us was to stop washing and use sudocrem twice daily. Dont remove the old cream until the scabs start to move when applying fresh. Wipe the lot off including scabs with a baby wipe and re apply sudocrem twice daily. Repeat this until all the scabs are off.

I started spraying his legs with Mr Sheen in winter when picking out his feet and that kept it away. (Makes a good mane and tail conditioner as well)


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## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

I see what you mean nonnie. He's a poor wee soul 

I to would be very careful of "folk" remedies where you have no idea what the individual contents are. It would be disasterous if his skin were made even worse.

zinc and castor oil cream? Old fashioned, but you know what it contains and is safe enough for babies bums!

I do hope you find something that makes him more comfortable.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I started spraying his legs with Mr Sheen in winter when picking out his feet and that kept it away. (Makes a good mane and tail conditioner as well)


  I've got to be very careful with Beau, he has very sensitive skin to the point where he reacts if I change from one brand of shavings to another and gets really bad reactions.  Must be the different oils  Cobs, eh, ruddy trauma!


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

My arab was sensitive enough to get mud fever but Mr Sheen was never a problem:thumbup: Darned sight cheaper than Canter Mane and Tail. The lemon scented was great in summer with the flies


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