My new livery has the worlds worst thrush ! Help

[Mary3050]

Hi Guys ,

You may have remembered that I took on a new livery in an emergency situation. Well he’s settled in great however since he arrived he’s had bad thrush it’s the worst I have ever seen.

I mentioned it his owner who said she hadn’t been told by pervious yard who where supposed to do everything but he did used to get when he was in wok . I have been using what i do on mine if they get a bit of thrush . But this isn’t a bit and it doesn’t seem to be clearing up .

We are picking his feet out at least 3 times a day and applying thrush treatment . I am trying to keep his bed as clean and dry is skipping out every time I see him poo. Help please !

Any miracle products

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I would suggest Red Horse Artimud. It is fantastic stuff, you can pack it right into the central sulcus and the frog. It cleared up my Connies thrush after three dressings but if you get in touch with them and ask their advice they will tell you which product will work best.

 

[Mary3050]

I would suggest Red Horse Artimud. It is fantastic stuff, you can pack it right into the central sulcus and the frog. It cleared up my Connies thrush after three dressings but if you get in touch with them and ask their advice they will tell you which product will work best.

I haven’t tried that one specifically but I usually use the red horse products for my others . Thanks

 

[Follysmum]

Before I started using red horse products and horse leads I tried Kevin bacons on a horse that had stubborn thrush. It was great stuff, smells disgusting but worked wonders

 

[Hepsibah]

I had one with deep seated thrush that had caused her to go lame. I used zinc sulphate powder like this mixed 10 parts water to one part powder and a small squirt of washing up liquid in a spray bottle. Sprayed into a picked out hoof (doesn't have to be washed clean first) once a day for a week and it wasn't painful any more. I use it at the first sign of stickiness now and have no issues.

 

[pistolpete]

Swan anti bac red horse or horse leads clay or the blue spray from vet alamycin look for sheep foot rot product. Can you tell my pony too is a sufferer!

 

[ester]

Might benefit from a cleantrax soak first? (also a fan of red horse products)
Is there a big butt crack? it can be useful to floss if yes.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Tea-tree oil spray works a treat, gets intoall the cracks and crevices, I swear by it.

 

[Goldenstar]

Is it all four feet ?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Scrub first using hibiscrub or providing-iodine (both will kill the organisms responsible, then add red horse stuff. To be honest, I prefer to scrub then use Terramycin spray from vet but use the red horse stuff as more of a preventative-it’s not as good on really bad cases. I faffed around with all sorts with one horse, the povidine scrub and Terramycin sorted it in a couple of weeks with a huge improvement in footings straight away.

do the scrub daily for a week, then 2-3 times a week etc.

 

[holeymoley]

What’s the diet? If high in sugar this can make matters worse.

 

[Mary3050]

Is it all four feet ?

Front two are very mild have improved slightly. Back two are horrific and have not improved one bit

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

How old is he? It might be worth having a Cushings test.

 

[Mary3050]

Scrub first using hibiscrub or providing-iodine (both will kill the organisms responsible, then add red horse stuff. To be honest, I prefer to scrub then use Terramycin spray from vet but use the red horse stuff as more of a preventative-it’s not as good on really bad cases. I faffed around with all sorts with one horse, the povidine scrub and Terramycin sorted it in a couple of weeks with a huge improvement in footings straight away.

do the scrub daily for a week, then 2-3 times a week etc.

Great I will ring the vets and see if they can send some out . Thanks

 

[Mary3050]

What’s the diet? If high in sugar this can make matters worse.

He’s only been with me a week or so . But mine don’t get a lot of sugar so doubtful it’s that . Thanks for flagging something to think about going forward for him

 

[Boulty]

If there's a load of flappy, horrible bits would it be worth getting farrier / trimmer to see if they could cut any of it back without making her sore as getting some air to it can definitely help if it's possible. I've been told then threads of mop head soaked in iodine can be good for flossing deep cracks (also baby wipes) & if it's really bad giving the area a good clean before putting your chosen product on. I found red horse products really good with my previous horse but tbf he didn't tend to get it badly (although if you've got deep cracks then artimud is definitely better at staying in place... hoof stuff if really deep but it's a bit like chewing gum & a nightmare to actually use!). My trimmer actually told me to use a weeks course of leovet frog medic when current horse had persistent thrush & it seemed to help clear up the stubborn bits that nothing else shifted. It's pressurised in a can & really good at reaching to the very bottom of any splits & cracks but I think it's quite harsh so not ideal to use unless you've actually got an issue if that makes sense

 

[Mary3050]

How old is he? It might be worth having a Cushings test.

Thanks will bare in mind and mention to his owner he’s early 20s . He doesn’t have any symptoms of cushings I have one with it so am all too aware . Thanks

 

[Goldenstar]

Front two are very mild have improved slightly. Back two are horrific and have not improved one bit

Are his heel behind seared ?

 

[Mary3050]

If there's a load of flappy, horrible bits would it be worth getting farrier / trimmer to see if they could cut any of it back without making her sore as getting some air to it can definitely help if it's possible. I've been told then threads of mop head soaked in iodine can be good for flossing deep cracks (also baby wipes) & if it's really bad giving the area a good clean before putting your chosen product on. I found red horse products really good with my previous horse but tbf he didn't tend to get it badly (although if you've got deep cracks then artimud is definitely better at staying in place... hoof stuff if really deep but it's a bit like chewing gum & a nightmare to actually use!). My trimmer actually told me to use a weeks course of leovet frog medic when current horse had persistent thrush & it seemed to help clear up the stubborn bits that nothing else shifted. It's pressurised in a can & really good at reaching to the very bottom of any splits & cracks but I think it's quite harsh so not ideal to use unless you've actually got an issue if that makes sense

Thanks I message the farrier he can’t get until next Tuesday. I will try cleaning them again we may have to go for that as an option . Thanks

 

[paddy555]

for bad thrush I would soak for 20 mins in copper sulphate solution. You can use (or get) a soaking boot or otherwise put the foot in a bucket. I would do a couple of good soaks perhaps 2 feet a day if you have to use a bucket. Before soaking I would draw cottonwool through the central sulchus crack (poke it in with a hoof pick) to really open up the split so it benefits from the soak.

Many of the other products are fine but you really have to kick start bad cases.

 

[Mary3050]

Are his heel behind seared ?

They don’t seem to be no

 

[pistolpete]

Those blue poultice boots are great for soaking. Forgot about those. A good soak couldn’t hurt. Warming water even Epsom salts probably be good.

 

[Goldenstar]

Any condition that causes the horse to be immune suppressed can cause persistent thrush because of this I would if it was my horse be talking to a vet and doing some blood work .
My worry would be that if the horses foot conformation is poor ( long toes weak heels ) that he has PSD a which can cause spectacular thrush as the heels come under pressure .
If there is any searing of the heels I would bet that’s the issue .

 

[laura_nash]

Might benefit from a cleantrax soak first? (also a fan of red horse products)
Is there a big butt crack? it can be useful to floss if yes.

If they're that bad and not improving with red horse products I'd want to give them a good soak, with cleantrax ideally though there are other options, to kick start treatment, if he'd put up with it. Then I'd try foot rot spray from a local farm shop or iodine. I find you have to experiment a bit to find the best treatment for a particular infection.

 

[Mary3050]

Any condition that causes the horse to be immune suppressed can cause persistent thrush because of this I would if it was my horse be talking to a vet and doing some blood work .
My worry would be that if the horses foot conformation is poor ( long toes weak heels ) that he has PSD a which can cause spectacular thrush as the heels come under pressure .
If there is any searing of the heels I would bet that’s the issue .

I will speak to his owner as getting a vet unless an emergency is beyond my boundaries . His heels aren’t seared . Thanks

 

[pistolpete]

If he’s sound I’m sure you can get on top of it. It comes and goes with mine. He gets good and then a week can go by and he’s awful again! Good luck.

 

[Mary3050]

If he’s sound I’m sure you can get on top of it. It comes and goes with mine. He gets good and then a week can go by and he’s awful again! Good luck.

He’s a little stiff behind but could be age related . Fingers crossed can’t be nice for him

 

[Shilasdair]

I'm of an age where we used to pour hydrogen peroxide onto the soles....quite dramatic and worked well.

 

[emilylou]

For really bad cases: copper sulphate and sterilising fluid (baby bottle stuff)
Then once you’re on top of it, everything from red horse.

 

[WelshD]

If it doesn’t get any better it may be worth looking at the feed.

I had two ponies that got the most awful thrush while on a leading brand of balancer