10/03/2025
TREATING GREASY HEEL, MUD FEVER, RAINSCALD, SKIN ROT. NATURALLY.
Please grab your drink of choice. Settle in. This is a bit of a read.
TREATING GREASY HEEL, MUDFEVER & RAINSCALD can be very FRUSTRATING.... it shouldn't be.... HOW TO TREAT THIS ?? PLEASE.. NO HARSH, PAINFUL AND INVASIVE SCRUBBING . It encourages bleeding and can spread the bacteriums into the lower dermis' of the skin. Also can result in scars if too harsh in treatment. So HOW TO TREAT?? AND WHAT CAUSES IT??? First to TREAT THE ISSUE..... YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE.... HERE IS WHERE I CAN HELP TOO :) Please read... RAINSCALD Rainscald is an actinomycetes, which behaves like both bacteria and fungi. So antibacterials only don't work, as well as antifungals. So you need something with BOTH properties in. Since the organism needs a warm, moist environment, it is likely that a secondary bacterial infection may become present. The most common secondary bacterial infections known are staphylococcus (staph), and streptococcus (strep). GREASY HEEL Other names: pastern dermatitis, scratches, swamp fever What is it? Greasy Heel is an inflammatory condition of the skin (dermatitis) involving the lower limbs, particularly non pigmented skin. Lesions appear as scaling, crusting, erosion and exudation, and can be due to a number of skin conditions. Organisms that most commonly cause Greasy Heel include fungi, bacteria and mites in horses with feathering at their fetlocks. How does Mudfever/ Rainscald occur? A number of environmental conditions can predispose the horse to Greasy Heel, however those horses with white limbs and feathering at the fetlock appear to be particularly susceptible. Conditions favourable for the development of Greasy Heel include: • constant or repeated exposure to moisture eg. swimming, wet bedding, muddy paddocks from wet weather • low heel conformation • insect bites on the lower limbs • abrasions from loose surfaces eg. gravel These conditions reduce the effectiveness of the skin as a barrier to organisms, allowing them to invade and cause dermatitis. The cause of RAINSCALD is a bacteria known as Dermatophilus congolensis. This bacteria lives on the skin of carrier horses. These horses are prone to developing rain scald, but do not always show clinical signs of it. They act as the source of infection for other horses. As well as there being a carrier animal nearby, two other conditions are required for a horse to be infected: moisture and skin trauma. When the carrier animal’s skin is subject to severe wetting, such as occurs during rain, the bacteria release zoospores, which are the infective stage of the bacteria. Biting and non-biting flies then transmit the zoospores from the carrier horse to a non-infected horse. Brushes, rugs, etc may also be responsible for transmitting the zoospores. If the skin of the non-infected horse is healthy and intact, the bacteria cannot invade and cause rain scald. However, if the skin is damaged, such as occurs with prolonged wetting, fly bites, or other skin disease, the bacteria can invade the skin and cause disease. What does it look like? Early in the disease, Greasy Heel appears as a mild dermatitis with swelling and reddening of the back of the pastern. Hind limbs tend to be more frequently involved, however all four limbs can become infected. With progression of the disease, numerous scabs and/or crusts may form, causing matting of the hair. If left untreated the infection may extend up the limb and secondary infection may occur, resulting in pus discharging from the area and more severe swelling of the limb. In horses with feathering at the fetlock, lesions tend to be more severe and occur over a larger area, whilst lesions tend to be smaller in short haired horses. Is Greasy Heel or Mudfever painful? In it's early stages, Greasy Heel is not painful, but may cause some discomfort to the horse. However, if the lesions are not treated and allowed to progress, they may become pruritic (itchy) and lead to scratching, further trauma and lameness (greasy heel). What can I do, as an owner, to treat Greasy Heel or Rainscald? The most important aspect of the treatment of Greasy Heel or Rainscald involves identifying and removing the predisposing factor(s) that started the disease. Once the predisposing factor(s) are removed, steps to reduce and treat Greasy Heel or Mudfever include: 1. Keep the affected area dry 2. Clip hair and clean the affected areas 3. Soak the affected area for 10minutes with water or weak saline solution 4. Remove all scabs with a soft cloth, but DO NOT cause bleeding as this will lead to further scab formation or cause the infection to go down lower into the dermis. Scabs may need to be softened before removal using chlorhexidine solution or an iodine soak to prevent this. Apply a softening cream ...Once softened, remove scabs by rubbing lightly with either a betadine or chlorhexidine solution, or Saline 5. Once removed, hose off solution with water and towel dry 6. Apply a softening cream to loosen the scabs. 7. Repeat steps 2-5 until conditions clear Severe cases you do need antibiotics.. and immune boosting internals.. But usually with patience of the lords.. you can get rid of it If in doubt.. GET A VET OUT :)
NATURALS THAT MAY AID IN TREATING RAINSCALD OR GREASY HEEL GENTLY
COLLOIDAL SILVER
LEMONGRASS OIL
TEA TREE OIL
ALOE VERA
CHICKWEED
MANUKA HONEY (HIGH ACTIVE) HIVE HONEY (not heat treated)
COCONUT OIL
TURMERIC
You can feed your horse that is PRONE to Rainscald or Greasy heel a toxin binder or Activated Charcoal (removes toxins from the horses body) and Vit C Powder or Roships to strengthen internally to help fight these issues as well.
AFTER INFLAMMATION GONE Use a Natural, topical cream to encourage hair growth to protect the skin Only Use Natural products to wash the horse in. Chemicals will just dry the skin, and may encourage further issues.
HOW TO DETER GREASY HEEL??? Prevention is the best cure for Greasy Heel. The most important predisposing factor for the development of lesions is a persistently wet and/or muddy environment leading to softening of the skin of the lower limbs. Thus, the best prevention can be achieved by housing the horse in a clean, dry environment. The lower limbs should also be monitored for any signs of dermatitis such as swelling or reddening of the skin so therapy can be started early in the disease process.
REMEMBER ... ALWAYS SEEK VET APPROVAL BEFORE COMMENCING ANY NEW TREATMENTS OR IF THE ISSUE YOU ARE TREATING IS CHRONIC OR WILL NOT GO AWAY.
BABES GOLD P/L
hthttps://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-for-pets/how-turmeric-helps-in-greasy-heeltp://www.vevs.com.au/56-uncategorised/229-rain-scald.html canberraequinehospital.com.au/wp-content/uploads
