..the aftermath...

...Tom, and the stitches come out...finally...

Today the vet came and gave Tom the big thumbs up, and took out his stitches:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First she cleaned the area with weak Hibiscrub, then proceeded to cut and whip out the bright blue wires one by one. 
 

 

 

Her blade was curved and the process quick.  Tom must have felt the top ones more because he fidgeted and raised his leg up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had my fair share of stitches out, and though not painful it does have a weird pulling sensation, which I'm guessing Tom didn't like.  But without sedative, he did stand still and allow it.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I invited the vet to linger and watch as the boys were turned out finally, since she gave me the green light to allow Tom to test his scar to the limit!
 

 

 

 

 

...and test it he did, they love being out at grass since they have been restricted since the 'unfortunate incident'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a look at these photos, you'll see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...I think you'll agree, all back to normal now...

...UPDATE...

..Tom update...

It has now been two weeks since Tom had his 'accident', and I have tried to account here each step we have taken.

 

This weekend the rug came off and he was turned out with Henry in the small field, with lots of hay in the Haybars and access to stables at all times.

 

He was relaxed and happy grazing and wandering alongside his friend, and on occasion getting too excited and leaping about and rolling too.  But I took this to mean he's feeling better, so I watched him and allowed it. Plus, as you can clearly see here, his scar looks very healthy indeed.

His stitches are all intact and the wound has healed beyond even the vets expectations.

But pictures speak a thousand words, so here are a few:

...stitches out Wednesday...

mud fever, and what to do if you've got it.

...this is a mud fever post...

........ a one-stop shop, let's beat it once and for all.

TCJ blog's most popular posts are all the mud fever ones (all year round), and ragwort advice. 

Tom and Henry are of course, in at night still, so they have hours with dry feet, this helps.

*It doesn't just happen in the muddy conditions of winter, Henry had it after a wet summer, as you can clearly see from the photo above. 

*don't be ashamed to ask for help, call your vet, I did, and my vet was brilliant, we couldn't have gotten through it without her help. your vet will give you pain killers and anti-biotics to fight it from the inside, whilst the creams fight it from the outside.

*ignore stupid advice from yard types who think they know everything, it's mostly passed along bad advice, and treatments have changed so significantly in the last few years your vet with have creams most people won't have even heard of.

*be super-vigilant, catch the small scabs and treat them before anything serious occurs.

*mud fever can cause terrible swelling resulting in incapacity, terrible lameness and pain.

*Wash the area thoroughly, use a diluted soloution of water/hibiscrub to pick the scabs completely off.  wear gloves, and disspose of them afterward.

 


*Without rinsing the hibiscrub away, dry the area completely.  The vet advised me to use throw-away blue paper roll to dry it, and not a towel as I had been using.  mud fever is contagious, and you need to be clean, work clean and throw everything away afterwards.

*Once dry, add a light coating of fuciderm cream, again wear gloves for this and throw them away after.  lay a dressing over the area, and hope your horse is as good as Henry here, not tied up, just standing and waiting for me to finish.

*Wrap the whole area in vetwrap, black is the correct colour for the season.  be careful not to make it too tight, your horse will need to move in it.

*Make a neat job, it'll be more comfortable that way.

*Slide the hoof-boot on.

*If your horse, like Henry, had secondary infection which casues the leg to swell, that's what your vet will give you equipalazone for, bandage the leg too.

*Fuciderm cream, it has a picture of a dog on the box, but trust me, it really works.  get it from your vet.

*Hoof-boots, very handy indeed.

*Above, after a week treatment, it's sore, but the vet told me to leave it alone unless a large amount of scabs returned, which they didn't. Henry was on anti-biotoics, bute and fuciderm cream. then after two weeks no cream, no anti-biotics, no bute.

 CHECKLIST:

• check the pasterns ever day, even the smallest scab can be very painful.
• clean the area with lots of water or if you can, stand your horses foot in a bucket of water to soften the scab.
• wear rubber gloves, the sort of thing you see at crime scenes on the telly.  mud fever is contagious, you don't want to spread it from one leg to another, or to another horse either. throw everything away afterwards.
• add a cap-full of pink hibiscrub to a 100 parts water, it's weak, that's what you want. wash the area, use this to help remove the scabs.
•  pick the scabs completely off, be gentle it'll hurt your horse.  be patient with him, he'll be in pain. if the scabs are many CALL THE VET.
• this part is important:  use disposable blue-roll to absolutely and completely dry the area.  you can throw it away. 
• give your horse an hug and a handful of well-deserved treats.
• once dry, put more gloves on and add a little cream from the vet to the area.
• add equipalazone or equibutazone to his dinner, alongside anti-biotics, and breakfast, usually for about three days. that's why calling the vet is important, it'll only last for weeks longer if you don't.
•  then, if your horse is going out, put a clean gauze over the area, with gamgee over that, held in place with vet wrap.
• and use hoof-boots, I promise you, once you get some, there'll be no going back, they're brilliant.  

LESSONS LEARNED:

• CALL THE VET, IT'LL SAVE YOU TIME AND YOUR HORSE PAIN IN THE LONG RUN, the mud fever infection will be treated from within with drugs, and without with cream and barrier methods.

Henry's pastern after three weeks:

 

Special Edition: Mud fever: Part Four

MUD FEVER FAILURE:
SOLUTION: CALL THE VET.

As you know, Henry has mud fever around his left fore pastern.  I have followed all advice, including my own, about how to tackle it, but all I have achieved is to move the sore patch further around toward his heel, and make him even more sore.  Henry's pastern is puffy (not warm), and has a combination of dry scabs which is the healthy healing skin where the infection began, and some thick mud fever crusts where it has shifted to.

 

I have washed the area in Hibiscrub, picked and dried, applied creams and potions, but this time I alone just couldn't shift it, and Henry was beginning to hate me too despite it taking at least a bag of treats each time I needed to work.

 

So, I called the vet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Henry had it before, you may remember back in February this year, the vet gave me equipalazone and a course of anti-biotics.  And I had concluded that this two-pronged attack was the only way I was ever going to get rid of this menace once and for all.  To tackle it from the outside with cleaning, de-scabbing etc. and with drugs tackling it from within.

 

Jess, the vet,  firstly sedated Henry a little. Remember:   Henry is allergic to the sedative so he can only have a 'donkey dose'. 

 

Then Jess washed the area using and already mixed Hibiscrub solution  of 1:100 parts pink:water, and pre-soaked swabs in a plastic container (only do this as you need it, you can't keep this mixed for a second time).  She rubbed the area gently whilst Henry pawed the air with his leg, and removed all the scabs with the Hibiscrub soaked swabs, it took about 5 minutes.  Henry's bare skin was salmon pink and clean.  Jess did all this wearing gloves too, because you must be very careful with mud fever, those spores of bacteria must not be allowed to spread or infect another part of the horse.  So everything gets destroyed afterwards, and hands are scrubbed.

Then the whole area, not soaking because Jess didn't use any water to soak the scabs like I did - just the swabs - was dried thoroughly using 'blue-roll'  the catering type of tough blue paper roll.  several sheets (all disposable) were used repeatedly until Henry was dried, and this seemed to dry Henry very well with marginally less fuss than a towel.

 

 

 

Next, Jess applied a cream to Henry's pastern, it's a must to wear gloves to do this, the cream contains steroids and prolonged contact with your skin could cause health problems...and you might notice from the box, there's a picture of a dog...this cream is for all animals, but not humans. Anyway, it obviously felt good because Henry stood perfectly still and shut his eyes and breathed a big sigh of relief.  The cream is a steroid and anti-bacterial, she has left me 2 tubes to apply once a day until it has gone.  Jess said I should only pick off the scabs if they return with a vengeance, otherwise, if it's just a little, just apply the cream and that should suffice.

 

Henry then was prescribed a course of bute (2 days worth only), and anti-biotics for 5 days.  This should sort him out!

 

 

 

Already he seams happier too.

 

Tom....well, he just looks on in his usual mildly amused fashion, calm and nonchalant.  Love those horses.

 

 

 

Henry was very good, he let Jess scrub his very sore area, made sore by me trying to rid him of the mud fever, and failing.

 

 

 

LESSON: don't let your stubbornness thinking you've got it handled stop you from calling for help, your horse will only have to suffer longer.  And actually watching a vet perform this sequence, and her technique varying form mine has taught me how to be more effective for my horse if ever it should happen again.

 

Henry is out now, wandering the grassy land with his best mate Tom, having eaten a second breakfast containing the drugs, as if this morning was just like any other.

 

I should have called the vet earlier, but being human means we can learn from our mistakes, and this 2 pronged strategy is what I shall be advising in future.

John, meanwhile, has already been on-line to order me a lifetime supply of all the dressings and swabs that Jess used, so I'll have everything to hand, he will also need to build me a larger first-aid cupboard, mine is already full....well you can't be too careful!

thank you Jess & John x


 

 

 

 

 

 

TCJ77 Mud Fever: Part Three

TCJ31 FURTHER TO MY UPDATE:

To be suffering with mud fever in August...via a very wet June & July does seem a little ludicrous doesn't it?  But here we are, and Henry has mud fever around his left fore pastern.

This is what Horse & Hound say about managing it from 2008+9 (don't worry, mud fever hasn't changed since then!).  I regularly consult the H&H vet pages, it's brilliant.

10 ways to manage mud fever:

21 April 2008

Mud fever is a general term for a skin infection around the heels and pastern of a horse. It is also frequently called “greasy heels” or “cracked heels” and is caused by an infectious agent called dermatophilus congolensis, which loves muddy wet conditions.

The infection can stay dormant in the skin, becoming active when the skin is compromised in some way, usually by prolonged wetting.

Spores germinate to produce hyphae (threadlike tentacles) that penetrate into the living skin and spread in all directions from the original site. The result is an acute inflammatory reaction. **it only needs to be a tiny break in the skin surface therefore to let this nasty in.

Often the disease is made worse by a secondary infection. Classically there will be serum oozing from the skin, causing the hairs to stick together.

There are often crusty scabs on the skin surface that, if pulled off, will reveal a greeny-yellow pus with the protruding hair resembling paint brushes.  

Mud fever can be extremely painful to touch, especially if secondary infection is present, but is rarely itchy.

Frequently more than one limb is affected.

In severe cases, the whole limb may swell up and a secondary lymphangitis can develop. This is serious and requires intensive veterinary treatment usually including both intravenous antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.
**This is what Henry had, very nasty indeed, and that's why I'm a fanatic now.

Karen Coumbe MRCVS

8 January, 2009
While there is no magic cure for mud fever, there are certain steps you can take to minimise the detrimental effects to your horse's health:

1. Where possible eliminate any recognisable triggering factors such as mud or mites, so consult your vet to obtain an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment plan.

2. Stable the horse on clean bedding and provide good living conditions.

3. Carefully clip (not shave) the affected area, so that air can get to it and allow it to dry.

4. Remove the scabs. A suitable antiseptic wash (like chorhexidine) and warm water is best to reduce infection. Your vet may need to sedate the horse to do this effectively.
**I use Hibiscrub on mine, SR

5. Carefully dry the area — use clean towels or a hairdryer with a circuit breaker — to prevent the skin remaining wet and waterlogged.

6. A variety of ointments, lotions and potions are available to use as an emollient to maintain hydration of the skin. Again your vet should be consulted as to what is best for your own horse.
**for a bad case where your horse is lame, he'll need antibiotics from your vet and some anti-inflammatory (equipalazone).

7. Remove all scabs and debris and ensure the stable is properly disinfected. Keep the horse in or turn out on to a manège or well-drained, dry field.

8. If there are deep heel cracks or big open sores, they should be dressed with a non-stick dressing and cotton wool or gamgee, otherwise leave the legs unbandaged to allow the area to breathe; bugs flourish in damp areas, so do everything you can to keep the limbs warm and dry.
**I have successfully used hoof-boots over these dressings so Tom & Henry can go about their usual routine.

9. Severe cases with obvious infection CALL YOUR VET, your horse may need a long course of antibiotics, which needs to be continued for seven to 10 days after the soreness has abated. Your vet may also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs such as bute to reduce the pain and swelling.
**This what happened to Henry, he has a swollen leg for over 2 weeks, it was horrible.

10.Make sure your horse has been protected against tetanus.

Henry:  this time began when he lost a shoe in July and his hoof boot rubbed him a little, you wouldn't even have noticed it, but it was enough for that nasty infection to take it's hold on my boy once again. 

Well, I'm not standing for it this time. 

I have washed the area until Henry can't stand it anymore, I used a hose to soften the crusty bits and as I dried the area thoroughly, the scabs came loose.  I dried it more, all the while administering treats, and applied an after lotion I bought on-line for mud fever: MUD MARVEL.  It isn't cheap, but it does the job.

In a few days, Henry's skin that straight after I've just done the first-aid bit above, looks red, sore and angry, will fade, go pale and dry up completely.

I think we're all going to have to get used to these climate changes, and prepare for flies in the winter and mud fever in the summer, always a good idea therefore to have your first aid and lotions and potions cupboard fully stocked, because you never know now when you might need what used to be seasonal applications.

Here I have wrapped the pastern in a bandage with a liberal application of wound cream and a dressing on top.  The bandage does the trick to keep the area moist and clean as well as keeping the flies away, we don't have to worry about this in winter...mud fever in summer is a different matter!

This stays on for a few days whilst the area becomes pale and then Henry will go without any topical applications to clear it up completely.  The bandage also has the added bonus of helping any swelling to go down, leaving Henry free to gallop around with Tom.

TCJp36 Unidentified Lumps

WEIRD LUMPS: don't freak-out!

Our first reaction to strange lumps on our horses even ourselves is fear.  The unknown.  The 'what-ifs'.  But of course horses don't preoccupy themselves with the 'what-ifs'.  They live in the moment - not keen on that phrase - but that's what it is. ...am I going to get eaten?...run!  That sort of thing.

It's important when weird things happen, you try to stay calm, not least for your horse who most likely doesn't have a clue what all the flapping about is for.

This is what happened this week:

Monday night: This time it was Tom:

Thank goodness it's light when we get home now.  As I approached the yard the boys were hanging about on the ramp as usual.  I made their dinners, and, hoof-pick in-hand went over to Tom (strangely, it's not just the horses that have routine, I always pick Henry's feet out first...except tonight for a strange reason). 

It was then I noticed a strange and  rather alarmingly large lump under Tom's belly! About 6cm forward of his sheath opening, central to his mid-line.

the culprit

I wont tell you the crazy things that ran through my mind.  I gave it a good looking at, prodded it gently, then less gently.  Then put it in the palm of my hand and squeezed it to see if there were any clues as to what it might be. Then did what any self-respecting keeper of horses does...ran in-doors and yelled at John to come quick, my tone saying NOW NOW NOW!!!!  Which he did, but not before grabbing his camera!! Because a photographer doesn't miss any opportunity for a blogtastic shot.  So there I am, trying to stay calm, trying to remember to breathe.  Got my phone now so I could speak to my vet, all the while John calmly wanders around Tom inspecting the lump.  Tom just munching his dinner, unaware of all the fuss he has created.

John repeated the same things I did above, except he is a little rougher than me, which is why I will never let him take my splinters out, I always save them until I'm visiting Lesa in Tiptree!

My instincts said call the vet and ask for advice, I didn't think it was necessary to call her out.

You can see here just under Tom's belly, the lump I consulted Louisa about.

My vet Louisa @ House&Jackson, is brilliant.  She called me straight back, she is very familiar with Tom & Henry, and where possible I always ask for her to come out as she is also excellent with hysterical owners too!!  She asked me what it felt like, were there signs of fly bites around the area, where was it and how big. It is firm and spongy to feel, about the size of an egg, but flatter in shape.  With tiny little pin-prick bites all over it - she was right.

Phew!! perfectly normal reaction to bites!!  The lump may get bigger before it goes away (I have never seen anything like this before).  Louisa suggested I clean the area with  weak antiseptic or salt-water.  And just to be certain I gave the surrounding area a quick spray of repellent.  (it was only a few weeks ago I was sharing my in-snow experience of mud fever, and how to deal with that, and now I'm talking about fly repellent!!).  Tom is very sensitive, he has a very fine coat, and anything that bites him, he has a visible reaction to...thank-you John for reminding me xx.

So the lesson is, call your vet and ask for advice if you're worried about anything, your instincts will tell you when they actually need to come out.

Min & Lemmy

Louisa told me it may get bigger and move forward before it disappears completely.  I am to keep an eye on him too, of course, just to make sure he remains normal in himself...just in case.

The cats were 'helping', and Min launched herself from the haybar onto Tom's rear as he was eating, scattering Henry into a jitter across the yard,  but Tom remained calm, he bucked Min off gently, and just carried on eating his dinner. Min knows now not to jump on a horse....or so we hope!

I will keep this 'lump' situation updated.  I hope it's helpful to someone, John took the photos, so you can clearly compare Tom's lump with any you might find on your horse.  I shall be topping-up with fly repellent now too.

Tuesday morning: lump unchanged, Tom seems himself.  They have had a good nights sleep too there's evidence of lying down all over their coats on one side.

I will clean it again tonight and apply a little more repellent around, not on, the area.

Tuesday evening: lump has changed shape, slightly flatter, but remains the same size.  Tom appears normal.  I have cleaned it again gently rubbing all-over with a clean flannel sprayed with an antiseptic solution.  I then sprayed around his tummy, sheath area and tail with some repellent.  All done for the night.

Wednesday morning: lump size and shape unchanged, but now there is a tiny bite-mark clearly evident.  It has a small amount of solidified amber-looking discharge at it's centre similar to that of other bites Tom has had. Again, I have cleaned it, then left it alone.

Thursday morning:  The lump has reduced in size.  I have cleaned it, and once again left it alone.  Tom doesn't seem to mind all the extra attention, I think he's just happy he isn't Henry, because getting rid of all those crusty mudfever scabs must be boring and leave Henry sore, sorry Hens xxxxx.

Thursday evening:  Tom's lump has significantly reduced in size...phew!

Friday morning: and the lump has almost gone exactly as Louisa predicted, picture above.

Friday late afternoon: the lump is just a bump now, hardly noticeable at all...but we notice everything on our horses don't we?  I'm letting them out tomorrow to grass so I can harrow the long-awaited winter paddock, I'll take some pictures of Tom in the morning to add here....plus there may be some pictures of the Spring Harrow too.

Saturday morning: smaller again as you can see - very happy about  that!  Think we can sleep at night again now xx