Mud Fever

Mud fever can occur suddenly and quickly become chronic. Therefore, it is important that the disease is detected and treated quickly. We’ll tell you how to recognize mallenders in horses, what works best for mallenders and how you can prevent this insidious skin disease.

What is mud fever?

mud fever (so-called dermatitis or fetlock eczema) is a bacterial inflammation and multifactorial disease of the skin in the fetlock crook of the horse’s leg.

Reasons for mud fever

• mechanical skin damage
• wrong diet
• illness
• Miscellaneous

Indicate mud fever

The first symptoms of mallenders include warm, red, and swollen areas in the ankle bend. In the next stage, the skin tears. A greasy film then usually forms from the wound fluid, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi after a scab has formed on it. If the mallenders are already chronic, the skin thickens due to systematic skin growths.

The following symptoms can indicate mallenders in horses:

• The skin at the ankles is red and hot.
• Very thick scabby crusts have formed.
• The hair on the ankle bends falls out.
• Sometimes purulent, foul-smelling blisters form.
• Your horse starts to lame from the pain.

Reasons for mud fever

The outbreak of mud fever is usually due to one of the following two main reasons:

• nutrient deficiency
• limited detoxification ability of the horse organism

These causes clearly show that in most cases mallenders have internal causes, which in turn can affect the quality and structure of the skin.

Common triggers for mallenders are micro-injuries and a poor structure of the horse’s skin. If the horse then stands on damp ground due to insufficient stable hygiene, mallenders can break out.

Treating mud fever

Since in most cases mallenders can be traced back to the causes already mentioned above, the first thing to do is to check the overall condition of the horse.

Support your horses through feeding

A detoxification disorder can be the reason for an increased need for trace elements and the failure of a zinc cure.

In this case, it is of particular importance to check the feeding of the horse. If the liver and kidneys cannot perform their function 100% or if the horse is struggling with intestinal problems, the body uses the skin as an alternative detoxification organ. Therefore, the roughage quality should be checked first. Since silage puts a strain on the liver metabolism, it should be avoided in the future.

To reduce protein intake, very high-quality hay must replace grass and silage. The concentrated feed should be limited to the essentials and artificial additives in supplementary feed should be avoided. In addition to the administration of zinc, the detoxifying organs can be supported by the administration of special detoxifying herbs.

Zinc is the key to good hooves, great skin, a shiny coat, and an all-around healthy metabolism and immune system. The need for the trace element for new hair growth is particularly high during the coat change. Horses that do not have high energy requirements often have a micronutrient deficiency due to the constantly regulated feeding. In such cases, horse breeds with a lot of fetlocks can cause mallenders to break out.

Treating affected areas

In addition to clarifying any deficiencies and disorders of the horse’s organism and their treatment, wound care should not be neglected.

The areas affected by mallenders should be shaved so that they can be treated in a targeted manner. When the curtains are gone, more fresh air can reach the wounds, allowing them to heal faster.
As more germs and fungi spread under the scabby crusts of the mud fever wound, these should be removed with care. The wound can then be treated with mild soap and suitable creams.