More hoof/thrush woes!

MasterBenedict

MasterBenedict

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Ok, bit of back story - pony has always been super duper healthy and never needed to see vet apart from vaccs/teeth. A proper little tough cookie, apart from a constant struggle with thrushy feet. I have to be very vigilant and after trying loads of products on the market, I've never been able to 100% get rid of it. He is barefoot and on a no/low sugar diet - a handful of Alfa a molasses free chaff, baileys lo cal balancer and spoonful of salt.

The thrush eats little black pockets out of his frogs that can be quite deep, but hasn't previously been too bad. I thought I'd got on top of the thrush with a mixture of daily scrubbing and applying eucalyptus oil. However, I have been extremely busy recently with changing my job etc so I'm ashamed to say I hadn't been paying them as much attention for a few weeks, but had still been picking them out twice a day without being worried.

About 3 weeks ago he came out the stable hopping lame on left fore for the first time ever. Slight swelling around whole lower leg but no heat and couldn't see any signs of abscess. Box rested for two days and completely sound by the third day. He had been having a hooley round the field in slippery conditions so assumed he'd tweaked something.

On Wednesday just gone I noticed a flap of frog hanging off his heel on this leg, so gave it a little trim and was alarmed to find what appeared to be a gaping hole going from his heel bulb right underneath his frog. I could insert pretty much my whole thumb and didn't find the end!! No sensitivity and happy for me to prod and poke about.

Farrier called and came out to advise. He trimmed the frog quite far back (being barefoot I ask him to normally take as little frog off as possible), but wasn't happy to trim any further, so hole is still there :/

I'm pretty worried that crap is going to get in and it will get infected - still not entirely sure how far this hole goes! Currently I'm flushing out with a diluted chlorhexidine (hibiscrub type) solution, packing with cotton wool saturated with sudocrem and applying a copper sulphate solution to the entire foot (hence blue/green colour) twice a day.

Unsure whether to get vet out to advise or farrier back out to trim back further? Definitely won't hit blood if more is taken off, as I've had a good poke about.

Has anyone seen this? Can't decide if it's an abscess exit wound from being lame, a thrush infection that has tracked right under the frog or something else enitirely! As you can probably tell I'm a bit obsessive about this ponys feet and feeling quite dispondant after spending so much time and effort to get on top of this :(

So this is a picture of the sole - the slight raggedy bit that the red arrow is pointing at is the opening. Doesn't look too bad on the picture, but when opened it is huge! This pony has quite small feet and as I said before, my entire thumb fits in with room to spare!

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Second pic - showing how the whole of the hoof pick fits in, and could definitely go further. The hole doesn't just run parallel to the frog either, it angles upwards towards the sensitive hoof tissues :/

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Any ideas?!
 
Might be worth trying a cleantrax soak. It is possible it was from an abscess.

For ongoing thrush, in my experience the most successful treatment is achieving the right mineral balance. I'd swap the balancer for something very high spec such as forageplus and see if that makes a difference.
 
My solution would be to acquire a syringe and 10% iodine solution. Wash hoof, dry on bed for a bit. Pull out of stable and brush hoof until clean. Fill syringe and squirt daily for 5 days. In fact, get a cheapo paintbrush and paint whole of under hoof - he has a slight stretching of white line. Then give three days' break but keep feet clean, and repeat iodine for 3 days. 5 days' break, 3 days on. For about 3 weeks.

I can guarantee that will get rid of the thrush for about £8.99 for three cycles worth of treatment. There will be those that say that you will also be killing off new growth but this has not been my experience if you do take lengthening breaks between applications. I have been doing this in this ridiculous wet/dry/wet weather we are having and Jams' frogs have actually improved despite not getting as much work as she should be. I also do it for a lami-prone pony we borrow - his feet are dire, but three days of iodine and 5 days off has seen vast improvement.

And then, as suggested, ensure that your mineral balance is good. That took a while to sort out, but we re certainly improving our stretched white lines. :)
 
hibiscrub type products are quite harsh. I would flush it with salt water. I would also change the sudocrem for manuka honey. The best quality you are afford. Pack some manuka in and then push it further down with something like a cotton bud. Then saturate your cotton wool in honey and pack that in behind. I would change that 3 times a day if possible and try and keep him on a dry surface for about 4 days if you can to really blitz it. I normally use iodine but in this case, based on what you describe, I would start with manuka.
I would try this for a few days before asking the farrier or vet back and see how it goes. It is going to take a long time to grow out so if the manuka does it's job it may be a case of daily cleaning and flushing (possibly moving onto iodine) for quite a while.
 
I'd probably look at applying iodine to dry it out a bit, and then I'd pack the hole with Red Horse Field Paste. I'd be inclined not to wash daily as it will prevent it drying out and thrush tends to prefer damp conditions.
 
Red horse products and re-vamp the diet. Alfalfa doesn't suit all horses and baileys lo cal has molasses and fillers in. As said above, get a better supplement, such as equimins, forage plus or pro earth.
 
I'd second red horse products. Hoof stuff is great for packing small crevices and amazinf in frogs. Field paste my go to product for thrush.

I'd trim any flappy bits of frog as they Inuktitut harbour bacteria (but I am a trimmer ... I'd suggest you ask your farrier it trimmer to do this) then attack with field paste and or hoof stuff
 
My mare had long term problems last winter with deep thrush in both hinds (unshod) despite me treating twice a day every day. Red Horse products kept it controlled but didn't clear it. For other reasons I binned my farrier of 30 years, new one has rebalanced her feet and bingo thrush went on first trim. After 5 months I hardly recognise her feet, no more thrush and the hideous deep cracks in the sulcus and heels have completely filled in. If it's persistent it may be time to think of other contributing factors.
 
I think with a large hole like this you should seek veterinary advice on the best way forward rather than risk just plodding along in case you do get more serious problem.s
 
In addition to what others said, I'd also get really diligent about mucking the stall and picking the field. I've had FAR LESS problems with thrush/mud fever poo-picking every day or two.

A cheaper solution to the red horse products would be to make up a spray with tea tree and/or eucalyptus oil (if you just add it to water and shake up very well before spraying this usually works fine). That's the main active. You could also add the eucalyptus oil to a nappy rash type cream with a zinc oxide active and paint on there.
 
Hi.
I have been working on various remedies for horse shoe health.
Below is a quote from my Facebook page. Though I do wonder if in this instance the abscess can be filed with a pine resin. Just warm enough to make pliable. I would use potassium permanganate for cleaning and sterilisation. Again take note that this will stain.

"Equine Health.
If your horse/ pony does not wear shoes in fact even if they do I have another disease preventing or treatment remedy.

Pine Resin. All you do is warm it up though you can put a spot of a solvent in and paint it on though try keep this minimal. For under hoof only. Don't paint the outer hoof wall. Wash the hoof and dry as much as possible.
Equally you can mix fine copper/ silver salts in to the mix. This is superior to over the counter sprays or liquids solutions as it will not wash off, well not easily. Equally should the hoof be punctured at anytime you have an anti disease coating present. I would recommend coating once per week. :)

This sap is produced by the tree to kill pathogens including fungal, bacterial and viral infections. It's a no brainier :)

Just try not to get yourself in a sticky mess :)

Take note you can buy pine resin Cedar is best. Though most have the required properties."

I won't post links directly here so might I ask you look up the medical uses of such resins/ rosins.

Good luck with whatever action you take.

Matt
 
Little update. Vets spoken to and shown pictures, they are happy with how I'm treating it for now. Obviously if there are more problems they will be straight out.

Still no sensitivity or lameness, hurray! We now have a little exit hole further down the frog so flushing it out is pretty easy and effective. I am being very very diligent with cleaning them thoroughly twice a day. Pic below show the iodine coming out the exit hole. Vets think it's just a matter of waiting now and exercising on abrasive surfaces to slough the frog off in its own time whilst keeping everything squeaky clean and bacteria free.

416825b92f54d2e0ddf91cbd20829708_zpsqizjjo26.jpg
 
MasterBenedict said:
Little update. Vets spoken to and shown pictures, they are happy with how I'm treating it for now. Obviously if there are more problems they will be straight out.

Still no sensitivity or lameness, hurray! We now have a little exit hole further down the frog so flushing it out is pretty easy and effective. I am being very very diligent with cleaning them thoroughly twice a day. Pic below show the iodine coming out the exit hole. Vets think it's just a matter of waiting now and exercising on abrasive surfaces to slough the frog off in its own time whilst keeping everything squeaky clean and bacteria free.

416825b92f54d2e0ddf91cbd20829708_zpsqizjjo26.jpg
Click to expand...

Don't forget that Beeswax can be used in conjunction with pine resin and again trace salts as an antimicrobial packing agent. Iodine can be quite corrosive and will slowly ingress in to the tissue and as subsequent blood stream.
 
Horse Shoe Mountings said:
Hi.
I have been working on various remedies for horse shoe health.
Below is a quote from my Facebook page. Though I do wonder if in this instance the abscess can be filed with a pine resin. Just warm enough to make pliable. I would use potassium permanganate for cleaning and sterilisation. Again take note that this will stain.

"Equine Health.
If your horse/ pony does not wear shoes in fact even if they do I have another disease preventing or treatment remedy.

Pine Resin. All you do is warm it up though you can put a spot of a solvent in and paint it on though try keep this minimal. For under hoof only. Don't paint the outer hoof wall. Wash the hoof and dry as much as possible.
Equally you can mix fine copper/ silver salts in to the mix. This is superior to over the counter sprays or liquids solutions as it will not wash off, well not easily. Equally should the hoof be punctured at anytime you have an anti disease coating present. I would recommend coating once per week. :)

This sap is produced by the tree to kill pathogens including fungal, bacterial and viral infections. It's a no brainier :)

Just try not to get yourself in a sticky mess :)

Take note you can buy pine resin Cedar is best. Though most have the required properties."

I won't post links directly here so might I ask you look up the medical uses of such resins/ rosins.

Good luck with whatever action you take.

Matt
Click to expand...

Interesting ideas.

I did try persevering with Stockholm Tar for a long time, but unfortunately found that this did not help my boy at all and was incredibly difficult to apply.

I seem to have got a good routine going now with very diligent cleaning every day (really scrubbing out with a toothbrush and mild disinfectant), flushing out with iodine, painting the soles and frogs with iodine and packing the foot with a copper sulphate solution once a week.

I am all for natural remedies and believe me, I find it hard to put these harsh chemicals on, but they really do work much better than anything else I have tried.

I will be trying to cut back slowly on the amounts used now that it is more on top of, and will go back to using the eucalyptus oil as long as the thrush stays at bay.

I am revamping the diet in the new year to exclude alfalfa and introduce a new foot-friendly balancer. Lots of research ahead!
 
My horse had thrush for several years as he had oval feet and deep clefts even though I was neticulous with feet picking out etc and I tried everything, the only thing which cured it was a powder called NT dry, it was fabulous and I have never looked back. Would recommend it every time.
 
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