Poultice

[sam72431]

My hoese has recently been in hospital for a couple for a couple of days to find out why she has been very mildly lame for quite a while, it turns out she has the starting of arthritis in her coffin bone and pastern, the vet had to remove both front shoes to xray and because she now has to have natural balance shoes and wedges i have to wait for the vets farrier to do the initial shoeing, i spoke to the vet today and he is trying to get her booked in asap, but her feet are starting to crumble really badly as she has quite poor feet and the weather hasnt been helping she is more or less ok with shoes on though, told the vet and he said to poultice her with sugar and iodine to strengthen the feet but not really sure how to do this? Hot or cold? Any help much appreciated as I've never had to poultice before! Thanks

 

[Birker2020]

Pasted off a website:

Sugardine

Sugardine is economical and easy to make -- It has many uses in the stable!

Sugardine (or sugardyne) is an easy to make, economical and effective remedy made from granulated household sugar and 10% povidone iodine, or betadine. Commercial ready-made sugardine mixtures are also available. The idea of using sugar to treat wounds is not a new idea. In the past, honey has been used on wounds and sugardine itself has been used to treat human bedsores and burns. Many farriers and veterinarians have used sugardine in their practices with great success.

Sugardine is commonly used on horses to treat thrush, abscesses, laminitis, proud flesh and wounds. It draws out infection, improves drainage and toughens hooves while promoting healthy tissue growth. Unlike some other common remedies, sugardine doesn't dry or damage existing healthy tissue.

I have heard some people say that sugar feeds bacteria or fungal growth and will therefore aggravate many conditions. It has been proven in many case studies that white sugar in large amounts is antibacterial. Add betadine, and you can't go wrong. The sugars also help restore a proper pH balance in the tissue. Sugardine is mentioned as a reliable and effective remedy in a number of veterinary manuals. Cherry Hill highly recommends sugardine to treat thrush in her Horsekeeping website. I have used homemade sugardine to treat thrush and soft soles in my gelding with remarkable success. You just can't argue with a remedy that has been around so long. My farrier swears by the stuff.

Making and Using Sugardine

To make sugardine, simply mix one part 10% povidone iodine (or betadine, but this is usually more expensive!) to two parts white sugar. Add more or less sugar to reach desired consistency. It should be like thick honey when all mixed together. Put the sugardine in a container with a lid. The mixture will need stirring now and then but it will never go bad. Sugardine gets very stiff in the cold and sometimes the sugar settles a little. Povidone iodine ointment can be used in the mix as well. Herbs can be added to make sugardine an effective poultice.

If treating thrush or another hoof ailment, it sometime helps to bandage the sugardine in and then tape it all up. Leave this on for a day or two. Make sure to clean the hooves thoroughly and to pack the sugardine deep into the clefts. Sugardine can also be used as an antibiotic ointment on wounds, scrapes, and burns.

 

[Donkeymad]

Sugardine is also the most effective treatment for Seedy Toe

 

[Gemmaa]

My TB has been in and out of vet school too as he is lameness. X-ray, scintigraphy and MRI all show he has arthritic changes in his coffin joints and navicular bone. To make matters worse he has a slight prolapse where his inner sensitive tissue of his hoof has come out of the bottom if his hoof I've also been told to treat with Iodine and sugar, thanks for the info I hope your mare gets better soon