Mushy Frogs

[bubbilygum]

My boy has just started going out again after being on box rest since the end of October for lameness issues (still not 100% what caused it but evidence is pointing towards flat feet which regular shoes have helped with a lot!) All is well except the frogs in his hind feet have gone white and mushy and are almost disintegrating. He doesn't mind me prodding and poking them or pulling the loose bits away, and I have been putting tea tree on them for now. They are a bit smelly but not unbearably so. Would you say this was thrush, or something more sinister? He has only been out since Wednesday and I first noticed his frogs being like this on Friday morning. One of the fellow liveries on my yard suggested that this was probably just his frogs adapting to not being on a nice shavings bed any more and that they were coming away to make space for new, harder frogs. Would putting hoof oil or another barrier (sudocrem etc) on him before he goes out or when he is brought in help?

Any suggestions welcomed!

 

[bubbilygum]

Bumped, just in case someone can offer me some advice!

NB. He has been barefoot for the past 10 years, now has shoes on front to give him more support.

 

[cyberhorse]

I'd get your farrier out to have a look and be on the safe side. It could be thrush as I found this happened with my horse at the end of last summer when the fields went soggy. If they have suddenly gone down hill I would always play safe and check this is what it is and nothing more sinister before treating. They are not bleeding are they?

 

[bubbilygum]

Farrier is out on Saturday, hoping he can fit Tosh in for a proper trim but will be at least having a look. He's really backed up at the minute due to not being able to shoe many of his customers due to the OBH strangles outbreak - our yard and many others have been on lockdown. Tosh stayed in today to get off the mud and they look better - there is definitely more solid frog underneath (I wasn't sure before tonight but I had a good look when they were dry this evening) and there is no blood. I have been putting tea tree on them and pulling off any loose bits. He's getting a bit fidgety about it but I think he is just getting fed up with all my prodding and poking... He's not kicking out or anything and will happily pick his feet up. I just feel a bit guilty as he's been lame on his fronts for a little while now and has only just come right, and we've all been paying most of our attention to his front feet and not his backs. Hopefully it is just his frogs shedding and a bit of thrush. I got myself in a panic that it was canker... I really hope it isn't, he's been so patient while we were trying to solve his lameness in front, having something wrong with his back feet now would be so awful .

 

[cyberhorse]

Canker is rare but I guess you saw what I was getting at when I was asking if they were really severe and bleeding - picked up on your tone that this had crossed your mind! With my horse the frogs went mushy and ragged quickly within a week of downpours that turned the fields into bogs. I found they do shed and peel quite a lot with thrush as the damaged frog is shed. Thrush itself can get nasty and cause pain so keeping it clean and tidy is the right thing to be doing until the farrier confirms what's up.

 

[bubbilygum]

Farrier is coming tomorrow afternoon and has Tosh booked in as a priority so we will soon have some idea as to what is what! I'm hoping that having his frogs trimmed right back will give us a better idea as to what is going on... Hopefully it will just be a combination of thrush and being turned out in a wet field after four months of box rest!