foot conditions

[pixiebee]

noticed today when pucking out my ponies feet that he has slightly black looking patches along the edges of his frogs, just along the edges of the 'v' shape. if i put my nose really close to it, it is a bit smelly (although i had just pulled a load of wed mud from his feet) he is not lame at all and there is no heat. his dips by his frogs(sorry dont know the proper name) is quite deep, nearly an inch, but have been for a little while now. He has been out 24/7 since feb, could it just be where its been raining alot? should i be worried or am i just being paranoid??????

 

[spaniel]

When was the last time he was trimmed? It sounds like a bit of thrush to me and if its just surface at the moment your farrier will trim it off when he tidies the frog up. Make sure you keep an eye on this though and ensure you pick the feet out as often as you can. (the bacteria that cause thrush cannot live in oxygen so the less cr*p you have in the feet for any length of time the better.)

 

[pixiebee]

he was shod on the 18th or 19th april (cant remember exactly which date!) and is due on the 10th june. should i stable him at all or leave him out but pick out his feet regualrly? sorry ive not experienced this before!

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Definately sounds like thrush, I would scrub his feet with some hibiscrub and try to get out any loose black stuff, then I would spray something antiseptic like purple spray or iodine into the clefts at the sides of his frogs. I would probably stable him after the first time of doing this for several hours to allow the antiseptic to seep in and do it's job. You could then turn him out if you wished but would definately clean feet like this again the next time he comes in and keep spraying them for at least a few days so the thrush doesn't come back. You should always pick a horses feet out regularly anyway! Now you know he's prone to thrush I would pick them out twice daily and check them thoroughly when doing so. Next time the farrier comes tell him your horse has had a bit of thrush and ask him to check for anymore. He'll trim off any remaining infected horn, I would then either spray his feet with antiseptic again after being shod or use an anti-thrush hoof oil as these are good for guarding against the condition.

 

[pixiebee]

i do pick his feet out regularly but have to confess to the odd day where i dont :-( (slap wrist!)
so tomorrow i will bring him in and clean them... i dont have any iodine or hibbiscrub but do have some pevidine. will that be ok? do i dry his feet when ive applied it or put him in the stable to let them dry naturally? is it best to bring him in when its raining to keep his feet dry and let him be out if the ground is dry?? what about riding, he seems absoloutley fine so i assume i can still ride???

 

[pixiebee]

forgot to add, i didnt realise field kept ponies can get thrush? i thaught it was a stable related issue? you learn something new everyday!!

 

[spaniel]

Pevidine will be fine.

It may be worth going to the chemists and buying a little bottle of hydrogen peroxide along with a big syringe. (Should only cost a few pounds) if you mix a little HP with some water and suck it into the the syringe you can sloosh the solution deep into the clefts and frog. It will create oxygen and go fizzy. This will kill the bacteria. Be careful not to get in on your clothes as it will bleach them.

 

[ISHmad]

NetTex Frog Health disinfectant is fantastic at getting rid of thrush. Scrub the feet out with a capful of Hibiscrub diluted in a pint of water, and then spray the Frog Health on. Got rid of it in about 3 days at our yard.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Sorry if I sounded mean. He'll be fine to ride. It sounds like the thrush is only mild, so you would probably be alright to turn him out. But if it comes back again after turnout I would keep him in for a few days to get rid of it properly.

Thursh can be caused be wet/dirty stables but also very dry ones as well as wet fields. You sound like you have spotted it quickly so well done and this should make it much easier to get rid of.

 

[pixiebee]

i haver found some stockholm tar in my cupboard-ive heard this is good for thrush? is it and if it is do i clean his feet with duisinfectant first then apply it, and once applied do i need to keep him in to allow to dry?? if i wash his feet first, will it be ok to put on over his damp jhoof or wait til that dries fully????????

 

[josephinebutter2]

My boy got a bit thrushy in the winter when the ground was really wet all the time.

Once your farrier has trimmed it all away (which he should be able to if it's mild) I found that applying Effol hoof oil every day to the soles before he was turned out prevented it in the future.

I'm sure stockolm tar will do the same thing, but i wouldn't put this on the whole hoof every day, just the soles, as it can dry the hoof wall out.

x

 

[spaniel]

Dont put it on over the thrush, you need to get rid of it first. The thrush bacteria thrive in damp, dark and warm so putting anything on top of it at the moment will only encourage more bacteria to grow.

 

[pixiebee]

i thaught it would help as it is anti-bacterial stuff??? hmm now im confused!

 

[spaniel]

I can see where you are coming from but thrush bacteria is anearobic...it cannot survive in oxygen so you need to expose it to the air rather than cover it up.

 

[pixiebee]

ok,so i have cleaned up his feet and scrubbed them with pevidine, he is currently in his stable with dry bedding to let them dry. i was planning to go back up tonight to turn him out. the field he is in is very short grass and dry except for a patch around the fence which is still wet and muddy and as soon as he walks through that it cloggs up in his feet and i worry thats whats making it worse yet i dont want him in all the time as he suffered from stomach ulcers last winter due to the stress of being in 24/7. is it ok to turn him out overnight and in during the day to allow them to dry off??? each time i bring him in do i pick out his feet thern scrub with pevidine???????

 

[spaniel]

Thats what I would do yes.