Deep Central Sulcus Thrush

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HaffiesRock

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My Haffy has developed a bit of thrush really deep in his central sulcus. The problem I have is that he is quite uncooperative with his feet after an incident before I bought him. He is happy having his feet picked and I can get the pick in and clean out the central sulcus, but he is very worried about me scrubbing/pouring or squirting things in. I noticed it today so after a good pick I managed to get some Milton solution into the sulcus, but he wasn't happy about it. (I don't know if it is the smell?)

Is there anything I can buy that I can push into the central sulcus that will clear the thrush? I think this would be much easier on us both, specially as I will need to do this daily for a while?

Any suggestions much appreciated.
 
Does he come in at night? If so I'd recommend puffing some wound powder into the sulcus overnight to really dry it out, then in the morning spray some blue spray (antibiotic - you'll have to get it from the vet) into it in the morning. This shifted my cob's stubborn thrush in no time. If he's out, and also to prevent it coming back, Red Horse Field Paste is amazing - you kind of pack it on. I do it once a week over winter as prevention. Good luck!
 
He lives out.

I did see the field past and also a fiberous packing material for thrush too, which got me thinking. Anything I can pack in would be ideal as if he decides he doesn't want me to do something to his feet, he wont even allow me to pick them.
 
I've used hydrogen peroxide (from any chemist) with a very small syringe (1ml) as its quite easy to get it squirted in and should flush out any nasties
 
I had a similar problem with my highland. My (good, old fashioned!!) farrier suggested cotton wool soaked in Stockholm Tar, which you can get from a farm suppliers. It seemed a bit odd tbh, but having tried lots of other things, I went with it, and it's worked a treat!! It's a bit messy, but if you pack in the cotton wool and use a blunt object to smear on the tar as you pack, it stays in place till you pick it out. I used the end of a tail comb as I found it was blunt, but narrow enough to get into the crevices!! I guess to the horse, it felt like having his feet picked and no hissy sprays to upset him.
 
My horse has had thrush for the first time recently and I've been really impressed with the red horse products. I've flushed with the sole cleanse and packed with the hoof stuff and been amazed by how quickly it's cleared up. You do need to try and clean it first but the hoof stuff may be enough if you really can't.
 
red horse hoof stuff, works a treat and helps close the central sulcus! No wonder he doesn't want you to touch him I am sue it is painfull to pick out that deep.
Our big boy was lame with trush in the central sulcus he also lives out. This stuff worked a treat and has helped us though a very muddy winter last year!
 
I've actually been at the Vets today talking about this very issue. I was advised to clean the hoof and then squish a bit of cotton wool or a strip of animalintex (without the plastic bit) that is soaked in iodine down the central sulcus and then to pop a dry poultice over the top to keep the mud out and to stop the cotton wool falling off. I had been using a syringe to squirt diluted hydrogen peroxide in the gap, but my Vet says that the cotton wool soaked in iodine is more effective, especially if you can get it to stay in the gap.

If he's not great with his hooves then getting the dry poultice on might be tricky. If the sulcus is deep enough, I guess the packing would stay in place for a bit without the poultice? I just used a nappy and then quickly wrapped some gaffer tape round. We had a bit of hopping about on three legs, but I'm hoping that it will be good enough for a few hours.
 
Another vote for Red horse products...I use the sole cleanse on my stabled horse who had a similar problem, but they do a longer lasting field paste for those that live out.....my horse's recovery using their products was fairly miraculous!
 
Def the diet and minerals approach, the hooves are a reflection of diet - strip grazing and movement are also key.

Id do like faracat said, you can get swanbac which is iodine and eucalyptus oil which is v effective soaked on a poultice, vet wrapped on and you can also velcro on turn out boots which are useful for those living out, or foot skins do the same.

Persist over the foot handling, my mare isn't great but at the end of the day sometimes its an lesser evil than their foot rotting off so need treating like a child having a tantrum, with firm discipline and boundaries. Fair and consistent handling should help.

http://www.stromsholm.co.uk/swans-anti-bac-450-p.asp
 
Stockholm tar is really soothing they love having it on. And it clears up the thrush a treat. You warm it up and paint on with a brush right into the sulcus. iodine is useful but they hate the sting
 
kirstie said:
My horse has a v good diet, including forage plus, she's still managed to get thrush for the first time ever this year.
Click to expand...

Mine's the same. I think that the good diet etc... certainly greatly reduces the chance of a horse getting problems like that, but it doesn't reduce it down to zero.
 
My HW (with big feet) is on probalance and a low sugar/starch diet, but he too is prone to the odd bit of central sulcus thrush.

I have found a few things that help. Scrubbing with diluted Milton (using dish brush). But, your horse might not be keen on that. The other product you can pack in each day is NT Dry Powder. It's quite expensive and you need to be persistent with it, but it's easy to use and does work,
 
Kikke said:
red horse hoof stuff, works a treat and helps close the central sulcus! No wonder he doesn't want you to touch him I am sue it is painfull to pick out that deep.
Our big boy was lame with trush in the central sulcus he also lives out. This stuff worked a treat and has helped us though a very muddy winter last year!
Click to expand...

Second this! My mare had this issue last year and this product is what finally sorted it after trying to just clean it and squirt stuff at it. I washed it out with cotton wool soaked in diluted hibi and then dried it and packed it with Hoof Stuff. I only needed to change it twice a week, that's when it started to fall out.

The biggest difference to the healing came though when I started bringing her in at night so her feet dried out. But stuffing the sulcus to keep it clean is what is needed
 
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