CeanTrax: does it really work in one go?

[HelenBack]

My horse has recently had his shoes off and unfortunately has some white line disease in one hoof. I want to zap it as quickly as possible as don't want it growing up or along any further. I've been looking at the different options and am going to try CleanTrax.

Does it really work in one go? Will I need to use anything else afterwards? My tendency is to want to put something on it every day so as to definitely kill it dead but I'm very aware of the risk of overdoing it and killing healthy hoof too.

It's tracked both along the side of the hoof for a reasonable distance and up a little bit leaving a small hole. I think it will be a couple of trims before it fully grows down so I need to stop it progressing further. The farrier is out in the next couple of days but I don't think he'd be able to trim it all out straight away as I don't think there'd be enough left for the horse to stand if he did.

 

[supsup]

Never used Cleantrax myself, so can't advise on how effective it is. I've heard good things though.

I do have experience dealing with a stubborn case of WLD/seedy toe though which started at/behind a toe crack and kept eating up the white line as quickly as it would grow down. In the end, the only way to conquer it was to open up the crack enough to allow air in there.
I think the problem is that even if the CleanTrax does its job perfectly, you are still left with a narrow, moist crack and new bacteria will quickly settle in again. I think I'd investigate how deep the WLD goes e.g. using a paper clip that you've bent open (e.g. a thin piece of stiff wire that isn't pointy) to feel how deep it goes. If the WLD is superficial around most of the hoof, or the gap is pretty wide, I'd probably leave it and try cleaning it out daily (wire brush can be good to get caked dirt out of grooves) and then spray/pack with something antiseptic (Miltons, Red horse sole cleanse spray or ArtiMud, anything else you feel like trying). Or just leave without treatment, hoping enough air will get to it after cleaning before it gets packed with moist dirt again.
If there's a place/pocket where the WLD travels up quite a bit and where the crack is very narrow, I'd consider talking to your farrier about opening that area up to expose it to air. IME, the only way to get on top of it is to either dry it out (air) or treat daily, and it's just impossible to get proper treatment down a narrow, deep crack.
Another treatment I've tried is White Lightning Gel (different horse with toe crack, not yet full-blown WLD/seedy toe, and more as prevention). I'm honestly not sure how much good it did, but it works by creating fumes/gas that disinfects. You're supposed to apply it to some cotton wool or similar and then seal off the area to allow the fumes to do their thing. I tried using it by putting a bit of cotton wool with the gel over the toe crack, then taping it on with duct tape. On good days, it would stay on for a few hours during turnout. I think the flaw with that method is that there's likely already quite a bit of dirt/gunk stuck up in the hole, so not sure how much of the fumes make actual contact with the hoof itself, and deep cleaning is difficult before application.

 

[MissTyc]

Cleared up my boy's seedy tow in one go. Couldn't quite believe it until it happened. Did a full 60 minutes soak to the knee on the affected leg and then 20 mins on the others to use up the stuff.
My farrier said that the Cleantrax effectiveness is usually directly linked to how well it is used. It does need to be a full soak!

 

[HelenBack]

Thanks both. MissTyc, I'm very prepared to hang around for the time it takes to do a full soak and stick it in up to the knee (although I don't really understand that point) but I still can't understand how the nasties wouldn't start to get back in afterwards, as per what supsup said. Did you genuinely not using anything at all afterwards with less than perfect hoof there?

There are two separate areas for me I suppose. The first is where the shoe came off in the field and took some hoof wall with it. So there's a bit of hoof not touching the floor already and there's a small hole under there. It's quite shallow and I can easily to get in to clean it and squirt it with whatever but given that it's already a little way up from ground level I don't want it to travel any further. I was looking this morning to see if I thought the farrier would be able to cut it away without compromising what's left to stand on and I'm undecided. It's what I would ideally like and on the one hand I think that given that bit of hoof wall has already gone maybe it will be possible. That's obviously up to the farrier to decide though.

The other bit is the white line travelling back from there. So far as I can tell there are no actual upwards cracks there yet but it's starting to go manky and I can see where the wall is starting to come away. It's quite a long section so I want to stop it now before it starts to eat upwards. I don't think there's enough hoof growth yet though for this bit to be trimmed out. I think this bit is more of a worry for me in a way.

I think I will try the CleanTrax but I think I will carry on to clean it daily too because I just don't want to take the risk of it getting worse.

I did see the White Lightning Gel but I just couldn't see how it could be practical for use in the field for the reasons you say. There is a liquid which seems to work in the same way as the CleanTrax. For that they say to use it 2-3 times a week to start with though, which seems a bit more realistic to me.

 

[Cortez]

I've used Clean Trax, and it worked in one go. I soaked all four feet (only two were affected) for the full 45mins recommended, and also swept out all the bedding, burned it and sluiced out the stable with the used solution afterwards. The organism can remain in bedding and flooring unless treated. I'd certainly recommend it.

 

[Charlie31]

What about the field though, he's turned out at the moment so won't he pick it up again there?

 

[MissTyc]

I genuinely used no other product. I think the idea of soaking up to the knee is that the pressure of the water higher up will help it travel up any weaknesses in the hoof and track the infection as far as it goes.
The idea is that once the spores are dead, they are dead - done. Not sure why it didn't come back (I was expecting it to!) but it didn't.

Mine is turned out. I treated I think in November after battling with other products since early September and the seedy toe just getting worse. The hole grew out naturally. With a smaller hole I might have used Hoof Stuff afterwards just to plug.

 

[HelenBack]

I genuinely used no other product. I think the idea of soaking up to the knee is that the pressure of the water higher up will help it travel up any weaknesses in the hoof and track the infection as far as it goes.
The idea is that once the spores are dead, they are dead - done. Not sure why it didn't come back (I was expecting it to!) but it didn't.

Mine is turned out. I treated I think in November after battling with other products since early September and the seedy toe just getting worse. The hole grew out naturally. With a smaller hole I might have used Hoof Stuff afterwards just to plug.

Interesting, well it has to be worth a go, although whether I'll be able to resist the urge to put other stuff on afterwards I don't know.

I'm undecided on putting Hoof Stuff in too. On the one hand I see the point to keep muck out but on the other hand I read that the germs like dark environments with no air so I'd be worried about inadvertently making it worse.

 

[paddy555]

I would just clean the hole out and syringe in hydrogen peroxide and then leave it open. I have found that to be just as effective and a lot easier than anything else.

 

[doodle]

I looked into it when robin had terrible wld in all 4 feet. I decided the sheer amount of time he would have to stand with legs in bags (45 min per foot soak and then 45 min per foot in a dry bag) was a bit much. I treated with alamycin spray instead. Farrier cut away all the rubbish stuff, I then cleaned his feet of mud each night and sprayed them. That worked and it all grew out.

 

[fairyclare]

It worked on my horses white line disease in one go.
I soaked for the full 45mins then wrapped her feet in plastic feed bags and taped them up for another 45mins.
I did it straight after she had been trimmed so all the excess hoof had been filed off.

I keep an emergency jar in the fridge at home just in case but I haven't needed it - last used this time last year!

 

[HelenBack]

Thanks for all the feedback. I've decided that I will give it a go. I can't say I'm terribly excited about the prospect of hanging around for 90 minutes while he stands with his foot in a boot and then a bag but if it really does get rid of it in one go then I'd have to think it's worth it to save future grief. Fortunately my horse is quite used to standing around looking vaguely bored while I faff so hopefully he won't mind too much and maybe I can use the time to do some of those jobs that you ought to more often but don't, like cleaning my tack.

Stupid question for those who have done it before - do you put the liquid in the boot and then the hoof or put the foot in first and then put the liquid in around it?

And for those who have used hoof stuff - do you find it tends to stay in okay or drop out quite easily? Unfortunately the hole is behind a bit of broken off hoof wall which I don't think is going to help with keeping things in place...

 

[Cortez]

Works best, I find, if you pour the liquid in after they're in the boot. Otherwise it can be hard to get them to put their foot in when they feel the water in there.

 

[Coblover63]

^^ That!

And stand with your hands/arm around the top of the leg because you will feel the muscles contract before you see it move, so you'll really be on the ball for keeping him still!

Worked 1st time for mine too.

 

[rara007]

I use it with buckets (couldn't afford 4 boots or the time for 4 soaks!) and just leave him tied up His back feet go in the same rubber bucket, the fronts use one boot and one bucket. I watched the first time from the corner of the stable but he quickly learnt!

 

[MissTyc]

My top tip is after the boot is on, pour the stuff in ... and then ... Tightly strap some travelling boots over the top. Stops the boot slipping even if they fidget a bit (and in my horse's case made him think Oh, this is normal and I actually went for a ride on another horse while this one was soaking in the stable - not necessarily advised but you need to know your horse!).

Mine having a soak on right leg and dry boot for the fumes on left foot.

 

[mini_b]

Reviving this thread as I have tried and failed miserably with alternative treatments I’ve asked about!

horse has deep sulcus thrush. Always prone to thrush. Lives out.
Was going to give cleantrax a go first, then start on with field paste again. Think problem was too bad for field paste alone.

everything has been tried at some point but it’s never really been got on top of or rid of.

 

[mini_b]

Also it says to remove shoe… Can you do cleantrax treatment whilst shod?

 

[Starzaan]

Also it says to remove shoe… Can you do cleantrax treatment whilst shod?

Better if you have the shoe removed, but will still work with it on. It really is the best thing.

 

[mini_b]

Better if you have the shoe removed, but will still work with it on. It really is the best thing.

im going to have to do all 4 feet, for max treatment time so will probably need 2 boots and 4 bottles as it’s only good for 90 mins

 

[Red-1]

I used it on one, it really did work in 1 go. I used 2 bottles, even though only one foot really had it.

I had one proper boot for the worst foot and a bucket for the other. I then wrapped in plastic while I did the other 45 minutes on the backs.

It didn't come back. the crack that was left was wider than I was expecting when all the dead stuff left, it was squeaky clean and grew out clean.

 

[mini_b]

I used it on one, it really did work in 1 go. I used 2 bottles, even though only one foot really had it.

I had one proper boot for the worst foot and a bucket for the other. I then wrapped in plastic while I did the other 45 minutes on the backs.

It didn't come back. the crack that was left was wider than I was expecting when all the dead stuff left, it was squeaky clean and grew out clean.

was your horse in/out?
We are starting to get a bit muddy on clay soil now.

They are all dreadful really, was going to boot one at a time for full time then plastic when boot goes onto next foot.
What plastic bags did you use that were strong enough for the extra 45 mins?

 

[rara007]

If your horse is chill, you can stand it in buckets..!

 

[mini_b]

If your horse is chill, you can stand it in buckets..!

He’s super chill - horizontal in fact but it’s going to be 3ish hours with foot in bags/buckets so I expect a bucket knocked over in that time!

 

[Red-1]

was your horse in/out?
We are starting to get a bit muddy on clay soil now.

They are all dreadful really, was going to boot one at a time for full time then plastic when boot goes onto next foot.
What plastic bags did you use that were strong enough for the extra 45 mins?

Out on all weather turnout.

I used standard plastic bags, with Vetwrap on top.

 

[rara007]

My 5yo Welsh stallion managed..! He’s a good boy though.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I can vouch for this stuff working in one go too! Horse with hideous thrush, split heels, lame and living out.

Didnt believe it would but last attempt and all that. Never needed it again either and this horse used to get thrush in a bone dry field in a heat wave...

 

[mini_b]

I can vouch for this stuff working in one go too! Horse with hideous thrush, split heels, lame and living out.

Didnt believe it would but last attempt and all that. Never needed it again either and this horse used to get thrush in a bone dry field in a heat wave...

this is promising! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is a post from 2020 showing how to soak all 4 feet in cleantrax in one session ?! Btw, the mare doesn't usually stand camped under behind like that when not wearing poultice boots on both hinds.

IMHO it’s always worth doing a cleantrax soak to clear up the current bugs, though you may need to repeat it more frequently atm as it’s so wet.

I do all four feet with one bottle on my long suffering senior Cushing’s mare. I soak both fronts for about 45 mins, then remove the liquid and bag the feet up to fumigate them. I then use the part used liquid in poultice boots on her hinds. She stands munching a haynet while I sit in the corner of the stable supervising her.

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[mini_b]

I can vouch for this stuff working in one go too! Horse with hideous thrush, split heels, lame and living out.

Didnt believe it would but last attempt and all that. Never needed it again either and this horse used to get thrush in a bone dry field in a heat wave...

also - how long did you soak for with them being that bad? Was your horse shod? Just trying to work out how many bottles I’m going to need.