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Pastern Dermatitis (Mauke) - Causes, Stages and Treatment

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Pastern dermatitis (Mauke) refers to a skin inflammation (dermatitis) on the lower limbs of the horse. The inflammation usually starts in the pastern fold, but it can also spread quickly beyond the pastern fold if it is not treated or the causes are not addressed. Pastern dermatitis often arises through environmental factors: moisture, ammonia or friction (e.g. from sand, plants, bell boots etc.) can quickly irritate the skin on the legs. Incorrect feeding (nutrient imbalances) or allergies can also weaken the skin and make it more susceptible to pastern dermatitis. Likewise, a parasite infestation (e.g. with mites) can be the trigger. In many cases a bacterial infection is also involved, which is why antibacterial agents are almost always used for treatment. In addition, genetic factors can increase susceptibility: white legs with light skin are, for example, 2.6 times more often affected than other coloured legs.

Horses with heavy feathering are also more often affected by pastern dermatitis, presumably because on the one hand they more often suffer from nutrient deficiencies and on the other hand because dense feathering allows little air to reach the skin and dirt often gets caught in the feathering, leading to skin irritation.

The inflammation is associated with severe itching, which is why some horses then begin to stamp violently with the affected legs or scratch/bite the crusty areas until they bleed.

5 stages of pastern dermatitis

The first signs of pastern dermatitis are subtle and therefore easily overlooked – yet at this point it would still be very easy to react accordingly and stop the disease from progressing. Pastern dermatitis changes during the course of the disease; specifically, five different stages are distinguished:

  • Stage 1 = Dermatitis erythematosa: the skin is slightly reddened
  • Stage 2 = Dermatitis madidans: the skin is clearly reddened and warm, also slightly thickened (“bulging”); some horses show mild pain reactions on touch
  • Stage 3 = Dermatitis crustosa: the skin is visibly cracked open and wound secretions are visible in the cracks, sticking together to form crusts; from this stage onwards, pastern dermatitis can also be clearly identified by the layperson
  • Stage 4 = Dermatitis squamosa: in addition to the crusts, nodules and vesicles form in the skin and the horses show clear pain on touch; this stage is already referred to as severe pastern dermatitis and can lead to lameness
  • Stage 5 = Dermatitis verrukosa: this stage is also called “grape mauke” and is the chronic form of pastern dermatitis; the skin forms granulation tissue, visible as grape-sized ulcers; due to genetic predisposition, mainly cold-blooded horses are affected

Treatment of pastern dermatitis

Since pastern dermatitis can have various causes and is often only discovered at an advanced stage, a vet should be consulted in most cases for a quick response. In any case, the husbandry must be checked and adjusted if necessary: the horse should be kept dry and clean so that the affected skin areas do not come into contact with manure and urine. The diet should also be checked: is the skin supplied with all necessary nutrients in the right ratio?

In addition, an antibacterial wash lotion and a nourishing cream are used in most cases to prevent further infection of the destroyed skin barrier. With the wash lotion, any crusts can be softened and carefully removed so that no parasites or dirt can adhere to these rough structures. Crusts should under no circumstances be removed dry, as this can very easily lead to further injuries of the skin and would weaken the skin barrier further.

Successfully combating pastern dermatitis is often a lengthy process, especially in advanced stages. That is why it is so important to take the first subtle signs seriously – such as a reddened or warm patch of skin – and to counteract them. This includes not only gentle care products but, above all, optimisation of environmental variables (husbandry, feeding, equipment etc.).

Author: Nathalie Kurz

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