Central Suculus Thrush - feet literally disintegrating

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lucy_108

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I am looking for help/advice/experience as I'm fast running out of ideas.

My old boy is almost 25 and was retired two years ago due to obliterating his check ligament for a second time and being diagnosed with a G5 heart murmur and is high risk of sudden cardiac death.
I took his shoes off a little over 12 months ago as my farrier felt it would actually be better for his feet seeing that he was only going to be on grass and a rubber matted stable.
First 6 months he was grand, coped really well, barely foot sore, feet began to take a better natural shape, recovery in his heels...alll good.
Over the last 6 months there has been a decline in his feet. I want to highlight here that my farrier has been doing an excellent job - he really takes his time with his trims, balances his feet really well and does a lovely job, his hoof conformation has never been top draw but I wouldn't say this (or the shape of his feet) have changed in line with this decline. The issue is coming with this deep central suculus crack that he has had from the days of being shod - it was getting better, but has now done a U-turn and is now a lot worse. I have been working with the farrier to clean and pack it - we've tried leovet frog medic, red horse clay, diluted iodine solution - nothing is working and this horse is SORE. He has multiple cracks coming off the central suculus, some of which are insanely deep and so painful for him.
One of his feet in particular is just disintegrating before us and farrier, vet and myself are stumped.
He does have cushings and is a very poor healer with pretty poor circulation/lymphatic drainage, but I just don't know how to keep him comfortable.
We have tried keeping him in on the dry, but we then get issues popping up elsewhere - he gets colicky, very fat sore legs and also just gets really depressed - he really does hate being stabled 24/7 and I don't blame him.
Any ideas?
 
Is the vet involved? I wouldn't leave a horse in pain.

If nothing is working and shoes did I'd go back to them for his sake.

Have you tried boots with the frogs cut out of pads for support and protection without pressure on his frogs?
 
NR88 said:
Is the vet involved? I wouldn't leave a horse in pain.

If nothing is working and shoes did I'd go back to them for his sake.

Have you tried boots with the frogs cut out of pads for support and protection without pressure on his frogs?
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Yes vet involved and he's on bute to help with pain, but that obviously doesn't solve the issue.

Shoes, I have been told by both vet and farrier will make the problem worse as it's effectively what caused it in the first place so not really an option. Also, I don't think his feet would hang on too shoes now.

He goes to and from he field in boots but can't wear them in the field as they rub him (tried two different types now and money is getting thin!). He's got very fine fur so there is no margin for any tight/loose fit annoyingly.
 
I would definitely get the vet to have a look. It might be that his Prascend needs tweaking. My elderly mare had foot problems before she started on Prascend. I ordered Red Horse products for her, as advised by the farrier but while I was waiting for that to arrive, I started spraying her frogs with tea tree oil spray and by the time the Red Horse stuff arrived her feet were better.
 
Do you have photos?

My usual would be to treat with a cleantrax soak (now cleanit) but it’s been withdrawn from Europe atm.

Back up would be white lightning gel, then daily sole cleanse and packing with hoof stuff.

Are bloods good for the cushings? I think that’s likely your main problem unfortunately
 
Check the Prascend levels. If the PPID isn’t under control you’ll be fighting against the tide. There is some thoughts that you need to medicate the symptoms not the numbers in some cases. So it might be worth increasing the dose (but of course chat to your vet first).

The now like rocking horse poo cleantrax or cleanit are an ideal start for this.

But I have also got on top of this deep and persistent thrush by spraying with very diluted Milton solution.

Flossing the sulci with a wet wipe until it comes out clean. And then packing with Red Horse Hoof Stuff. It’s a treated cotton wool not the clay.

Once you can no longer get the hoof stuff in switch to the clay.

You will have to grow out the damage, but you can usually make a big impact to their comfort quite quickly.
 
My horse has struggled with this and he's much younger - as yet untested for metabolic syndromes but he is PSSM1.

I didn't know Cleantrax had been withdrawn from the EU/UK, but I use chlorine dioxide two-part sterilisation for soaking hooves. I think this is the one I use (bought through Amazon). A helluvalot cheaper than CT and just as effective (same mechanism of action if I remember rightly). If your farrier visits regularly, do a soak just after his visit (make sure he's cut back any flappy bits - they won't be functional in any case!). Do a full soak (over the coronet band) and follow up with something that can get in the cracks. I find hoof clay mixed with copper sulphate best. I make my own up (wearing gloves!) using bentonite clay, copper sulphate and for good measure add in essential oils (clove oil, eucalyptus, tea tree and bay laurel), but field paste is a good one (nothing to stop you adding copper sulphate to that). If there is a crack to fill, I dunk cotton wool in a liquid version of the clay (I just add more water to get this!) and force it in with a hoof pick. It's normally still there a week later.

In severe cases of thrush, it can be beneficial to give antibiotics such as metronidazole to fight the infection from within. Has the vet not suggested that? I nearly had to go that route, but got on top of it with regular (2-3 weekly!) frog trims and treatments.
 
I have to carefully manage the frog health of both of my PPID ladies (age 19 and 24).

I am currently fully on top 🤞 of both mares’ hoof health with judicious use of the hoof knife to remove any raggedly ends of frog and to help keep the central sulci open, regular hoof trimming plus liberal use of Red Horse Field Paste.

I have to say that if either of mine had got as bad as your lad is at his age I would call it a day. It’s always something of a rearguard action fighting this, and sometimes we lose the battle.
 
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Do you feed a mineral supplement? I'd significantly up his daily intake of manganese. He seems to have quite a few symptoms that are typical for a lack of manganese. For a start, I'd recommend 1 mg manganese per kg of his bodyweight.

If you're interested to learn more, read this very informative article (in German but auto translation does a decent job):
https://www.dr-susanne-weyrauch.de/gesundheit/naehrstoffe/mangan-komplett-unterschaetzt
 
Think I would be trying to balance the pergolide and control the Cushings as a priority. Ask your vet to prescribe Terramycin foot rot spray. It comes out either blue or purple, and is definitely not the same as the purple spray from the tack shop. Ask your farrier if he can scrape the affected areas and clean off the debris, then apply the spray. Cushings is an awful, progressive disease, and unfortunately when feet start to show symptoms, it is hard to control. Good luck, I hope you can sort it.
 
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