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Article: Mauke on the horse

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Mauke beim Pferd
Pferdekrankheiten

Mauke on the horse

Help, my horse has a problem!

In the autumn and winter months, horse owners can often discover manifestations of the horse disease “mud” in their horse's fetlock. Mauke is an inflamed skin irritation that usually appears in the fetlock.

The cause of mud in horses is a defect or an open injury to the skin that allows bacteria to penetrate. These bacteria now spread unhindered under the skin and lead to redness and severe itching.

How does the disease progress with horse disease Mauke?

  • Skin defect
  • Bacteria invade and spread
  • slightly reddened areas
  • Fur loss in the affected area
  • the affected area oozes
  • Crusts form and become increasingly thicker
  • Legs may swell and become hot
  • Horse is lame
  • poisoning can occur in the horse's body

What are the causes of Mauke disease?

There are various reasons why mud occurs in horses. Often several factors play a role.

  • Long periods of standing on muddy, damp paddocks
  • not enough dry litter or poorly managed boxes
  • Immunocompromised horses are more likely to develop mud fever
  • Long pasterns – dirt and moisture can get stuck there
  • Stress (e.g. b when changing stables or conflicts in the herd)
  • Illness (taking medication, operations, etc. s w)
  • Allergies
  • Metabolism problems
  • Mites
  • Fungal infections
  • Incorrect feeding / food change
  • Season or Weather

How can I treat mud?

The good news: You can easily treat mud in horses yourself.

The earlier you discover mud in horses, the easier it is to treat.

It is important to clean the affected area carefully with water and iodine soap. The crusts become soft. You will also remove any dirt that has accumulated in your hair. If your horse has strong pasterns, we recommend clipping or cutting them. Once the affected area has dried, you should apply an antibacterial ointment to it every day. Zinc ointment, job ointment or a medical ointment from your veterinarian are particularly suitable as ointment.

If the problem is already advanced and your horse is in pain as a result, you should only treat it in consultation with your veterinarian. Here it may be necessary for your horse to even take additional antibiotics.

You should definitely make sure that your horse is always dry during the treatment. Box hygiene is now the be-all and end-all so that your horse gets fit again quickly.

You should also reconsider feeding. Your veterinarian can certainly help you with advice and support.

Treat Mauke with homeopathy and/or home remedies

Of course, in mild cases of Mauke you can also consider treatment with homeopathy and/or home remedies. The treatment of Mauke using homeopathy is usually administered to the horse in the form of globules (milk sugar balls). The choice of the remedy and the selected potency should only be done by an animal health practitioner.

In the area of ​​home remedies for mud in horses, for example: b Envelopes with sauerkraut have proven themselves. Sauerkraut contains lactic acid and important minerals that promote wound healing. The lactic acid lowers the pH value, so bacteria can no longer spread. The sauerkraut wraps should be approx. Leave to act overnight for 5 days.

TIP: A particularly suitable bandage is a disposable diaper that you can fix with adhesive tape around the hoof and fetlock.

Poultices and sprues with Rivanol are also used as a remedy against mud.

Applying garlic oil to the affected area is also said to have a positive effect. Garlic is antibacterial and has an anti-inflammatory effect. It repels parasites and is also effective against fungi.

TIP: You can even make the oil yourself. Make sure that there is a sufficient concentration of garlic in the oil, this is the only way it can develop its positive effects.

Last but not least, honey or Propolis can be applied to the affected area in the form of an ointment. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

Prevention is the best medicine!

So that your horse doesn't get sick with mud in the first place (or again), you should definitely make sure that your horse's immune system is intact and strong enough to withstand bacteria and other pathogens. If necessary, you can also support your horse's immune system with suitable additional feed.

As already mentioned above, box hygiene is very important when it comes to horse disease. So always make sure you have a clean box and enough dry bedding.

The paddocks should be regularly cleared of accumulations of feces and fluids. You should also avoid standing on muddy paddocks for hours.

If you take these precautionary tips to heart, the probability that your dear four-legged friend will get Mauke is relatively low.

From Marie Augustin

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