thrush that won't go away! update

B

budley95

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 August 2012
Messages
904
Location
Kent
Visit site
Also in tack room. Some of you may remember me posting about my friends pony that had thrush 2 weeks after buying him and it wouldn't go away? Another vet from the same surgery has been out today and said it's canker :-( as insurance won't cover it due to it only being 6 weeks of her owning him now she wants ideas of veterinary colleges that may want to use Arthur for research into canker so she may be able to get the bill less than £3000 that bell equine want as a minimum! Please share this and pm me or reply if you have any ideas :-)
 
He'll have had it when she bought him. If it was a dealer it might be worth trying to see if there is any way to send him back and get her money back.
 
No idea what insurance company and unfortunately injury is 2 weeks and illness 6 is the answer they're giving, so they won't pay. Pony was brought from a girl that is known and trusted and she knew his owner before her. He's been known for the last 4 years never having a day sick or sorry, even when he was on a riding school. Previous owner needed rid due to redundancy so she dropped his price from £2000 to £500 which included tack. As he was known and one of the liveries of my friend works at the yard he was brought from (he was full livery and livery is a groom), friend didn't bother with a vetting. Yes she is kicking herself as she always gets them vetted but thought for £500 when she's known him 4 years there wasn't a lot of point. Live and learn unfortunately. It's such a shame as he's a cracking pony that doesn't lay a foot wrong. She brought him as she sold her 4 year old after he fractured her pelvis so she wanted a nice safe pony to have fun on which her daughters could ride. Which is what she brought but it's all gone very wrong for her unfortunately. :-( he really is a sweetie so owner just wants to explore every avenue before booking him in to be PTS in a couple of weeks. :-(
 
Having also looked into it extensively canker is extremely rare. You'd expect to find growths and IIRC the pony didn't have any? One vet thought my horse had it ( think he was clutching at straws) despite not showing any canker symptoms. Three other vets have seen my horse since and found the idea it could have been/ is canker ridiculous. Perhaps worth a second opinion? I think it's fairly easy to diagnose with some tissue samples from the foot.

What is the routine for treating the foot just now?
 
it will be classed as a pre-existing condition after only 6 weeks which is why the insurance company wont cover it.

the treatment looks invasive/extensive/prolonged/painful and not always with a good outcome, I don't think I would continue in your friends shoes regardless of cost
 
This is the second third and fourth opinion unfortunately. Samples have been taken. Routine at the moment now it's been cut back as much as possible is tub in salt water, scrub with Milton then hibiscrub then tea tree oil put on and then septi cleanse twice daily. He's having his feet picked out four times a day, the other 2 times he's just having it rinsed with Milton and then septi cleanse. Because the prognosis is so bad now he's just being dosed up on Bute and is out in a dry flat field with her 2 year old so he can just have a good time. If it rains at all he's in to keep his feet clean and dry. She's ordered some of that purple mush (?) from USA that's supposed to be really good, but in the next case is as useless as a chocolate tea pot. Credit cards unfortunately are maxed out from previous treatment and insurance won't pay, and to top it off she's only just brought a house and the water tank burst and has killed all of upstairs electrics. Not really having much luck!
 
twiggy2 said:
it will be classed as a pre-existing condition after only 6 weeks which is why the insurance company wont cover it.

the treatment looks invasive/extensive/prolonged/painful and not always with a good outcome, I don't think I would continue in your friends shoes regardless of cost
Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't either if he was mine. But it's not my decision to take. She has asked I pass this on for her and that's what I've done. I definitely think it would be useful for him to be used for research into this very unheard of disease/illness/infection though.
 
budley95 said:
Routine at the moment now it's been cut back as much as possible is tub in salt water, scrub with Milton then hibiscrub then tea tree oil put on and then septi cleanse twice daily. He's having his feet picked out four times a day, the other 2 times he's just having it rinsed with Milton and then septi cleanse.
Click to expand...
If this is a prescribed treatment, suggest cleantrax soak to the vet. Its a long process so may require sedation for pony but it is very effective if severe infection is a factor. The other treatments he's having (milton etc.) can cause problems used daily and not diluted properly.

http://www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk/Hoof-Treatments/
 
Last edited:
Hi

Far from an expert but my thoughts would be to keep the foot dry rather than washing it so regularly.

I'm presuming if samples have been taken then it's 100% confirmed as canker?

As canker is relatively rare this may turn out to be a good thing... I've just read an article about it in an American magazine and they mention that successful treatment has been trialled in Scotland
 
All the article says is " veterinarians in Scotland recently reported encouraging results treating canker with topical cisplatin, which has also been used to treat sarcoids". The magazine is Practical Horseman and the article is by Elaine Pascoe. If your friend is serious about trying then it may be worth trying to contact the magazine for contact details of the " Scottish vets". Also worth speaking to her own vet and getting them to investigate. I'd imagine it would be either the Edinburgh or Glasgow vet school.
 
The pictures aren't clear so you'll know best but canker is a "cauliflower" type growth. Does that sound like the pony?

At the time that the last practice mentioned it to me I done a lot of online research and found a lot of papers so I'm sure you're friend will too.

The article startes that although their still not sure what causes it a papilloma virus ( also implicated in sarcoid tumors) and a certain bacteria.

" It may be that the virus produces the proliferative tissue, and the bacteria cause a secondary infection"

The article advises that it should be treated aggressively " like a tumour".

The program of the vet featuring in the articulate is:
Surgically remove the infected tissue and cauterize the site with a laser
After surgery paint site with topical antibacterial solution (tricide) and make a "canker paste" to pack it with. This is a mixture of the antibiotics tetracycline and metronidazole with most horses getting systemic anti biotics.

He said he's had good results with this approach but acknowledges it's not the only way and that leads on to the Scottish vet bit.

In your friends shoes, if it's 100% canker, then I'd be having a serious talk with the vet to discuss options and prices.

Although not canker my horse had a 3 day stay in a vet clinic for a foot resection, so similar, and it was around £500. The rest mounted up with weekly check ups but thankfully I was covered by insurance.
 
If it's not canker and is 'just' thrush then I'd treat it pretty aggressively too.

Either a vet/farrier/trimmer to remove the frog flaps that could be harboring infection.

Cleantrax to treat and then utmost hygiene. It would be worth phoning Justine from Equine Podiatry Supplies - link above- as she's a hoof care professional and obviously knows her products. There's also White Lightning gel.

It may be that the feet need dressed -poultice/nappies- to keep them dry and clean while being treated.

I'd also disinfect hoof picks so that there is no cross contamination or chance of reinfection.

Worth either getting mineral analysis done and/or feeding the highest spec of Forage Plus's balancer (hoof health).

Pretty much throw everything I could find at it if it's last chance saloon.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
TPO that is incredibly helpful. Thank you. It was suggested by the vet, but he thinks the best option is to have pony put to sleep. He does have funny white growths out of his foot. Biopsy has been taken and it is confirmed canker unfortunately. I can try and get a photo but he is being particularly hard work to pick his feet up at the moment.
 
budley95 said:
TPO that is incredibly helpful. Thank you. It was suggested by the vet, but he thinks the best option is to have pony put to sleep. He does have funny white growths out of his foot. Biopsy has been taken and it is confirmed canker unfortunately. I can try and get a photo but he is being particularly hard work to pick his feet up at the moment.
Click to expand...

No worries, just hope it's of some help.

Obviously the horse's quality of life has to come first. Only your friend will know if pts or continuing to pursue other options is in the animal's best interests. Nothing to lose by speaking to the other vets; one may be reluctant to treat but another may find it worth a shot. Although still with horses welfare as paramount and its understandable that cost is a factor.

The application of the topical cream doesnt sound too invasive and if there is still trials going on then the cost may be covered by the research grant/ fund?

While your friend is investigating options might it be worth discussing pain relief if the horse is uncomfortable and unhappy having feet handled?

Best of luck
 
he's dosed up on Bute at the moment and is happy pottering about in his flat dry field with his friend. But unfortunately it's not something that he can just be dosed up on pain relief and left as a field ornament. She's got 12 days left to decide now. She's looking into research but not many places are interested.
 
budley95 said:
he's dosed up on Bute at the moment and is happy pottering about in his flat dry field with his friend. But unfortunately it's not something that he can just be dosed up on pain relief and left as a field ornament. She's got 12 days left to decide now. She's looking into research but not many places are interested.
Click to expand...

Yes, can appreciate that's not a long term option.

I need to go out saddle fitting now but will try some googling later to see if I can find anything about the " Scottish vets" if you want
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top