Nelli the Donkey with mud fever

Treating mud fever (pastern dermatitis) in equines naturally with Kunzea based CritterKream®

Tabitha is the proud owner of two beautiful donkeys, Nelli and Peanut. She loves them to pieces. A few months ago, she discovered some redness, hair loss and crusty scabs on the skin above Nelli’s hooves. These are all symptoms of ‘mud fever’ - or pastern dermatitis - a disease that affects equines. It is typically caused by bacteria and is common in the winter months when the animal is exposed to persistent wet and muddy conditions. This is because the wet conditions cause the skin to soften and mud rubs against this softened skin causing damage to the surface where bacteria can enter. Mud fever can also be caused by fungal organisms. Other symptoms of mud fever include heat, deep fissures or ridges in the skin, small, moist lesions, as well as swelling and inflammation.

Mud fever can also occur in the summer months. One of the risk factors is hair. While you might expect hair to provide protection, it can actually increase the risk of rubbing and chafing. Not to mention, it holds large amounts of water, staying soggy for longer. Wet bedding can also increase your equine’s risk of mud fever. Urine is highly acidic and contains ammonia which can further damage the skins natural barrier. Open wounds significantly increase the likelihood of your horse contracting mud fever. If you spot a wound, it’s a good idea to treat it immediately with a barrier cream to avoid infection.

How to treat mud fever or pastern dermatitis naturally

If you suspect your horse or donkey has mud fever, it’s important to seek advice from your vet, as there are a number of potential treatments depending on your animal’s existing underlying conditions and the severity of the infection.

A medicated foot bath was not an option for Tabitha, knowing her donkeys wouldn’t stand still for a prolonged period of time. Instead, she decided to use our CritterKream® barrier cream, which contains coconut oil, wax, honey and Flinders Island Myrtaceae oil extract, to treat her donkey Nelli naturally.

CritterKream® creates a water and dust repellent barrier on drying. It encourages skin growth under the area of application which reduces the passage of parasites, bacteria, fungi and soil.

Here is Tabitha’s testimonial:

Thanks for my new order of CritterKream. I got the cream and not the spray, because my donkeys get suspicious of spray bottles. With the cream I can just quickly apply it and rub it in and they just feel like I’m giving them loving scratches.. which I am as well of course.

Prevention is better than cure, but treating mud fever at the earliest possible sign should mean that any infection will clear up quickly and easily. It’s important to remain vigilant and check your animal’s legs daily.

Have you used our CritterKleen® products for your animals? We’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch and tell us your story. :)