Thrush woes. :(

[Michelle Bradford]

Applejack has thrush. The farrier said that he is prone to it, we started out with thrush buster and it seemed to be getting better, and then a relapse. My farrier said to switch to something they give lactating cows ( can't think of the name of it off of the top of my head) He is shedding his frogs now and it looks healthy underneath as far as I can tell, but now what is worrying me is the sole of his hoof around the frog is coming off in little chunks and is white and sometimes chalky? is this normal? I know I have alot to learn, I have cried a river worrying about him. Bella seems fine, but he has been a real challenge. also the rim of his hoof seems to be growing longer than the white sole..does any of this make sense? HELP

Michelle

 

[Michelle Bradford]

Oh, and the whole back of his hoof by the hair is mushy and on one hoof the groove on one side of the frog seems to have disapeared?? like something is growing over it...I feel so lost.

Michelle

 

[Jean_B]

Thrush is hard to combat but not impossible.

Most importantly, keep him out of manure and mud where manure could be mixed in. Clean his feet several times a day. If you stall him, clean the stall several times a day. If he is outside, try to keep him out of the mud. Clean, dry shavings will help to draw the moisture out of his feet. Regular trimming by a farrier so that his feet are level and not too much heel, so that eventually he will be putting pressure on his frog, which stimulates blood flow and healthy growth. And you need to kill the bacteria. If the thrushy area is really sore, dilute some vet grade iodine and spray it on his feet twice a day AFTER carefully cleaning them. Once he isn't in any pain from that (may take several weeks), you could use straight bleach (I would use a 12 cc syringe minus the needle) and flush the foot with it. If he is ouchy while cleaning his feet - don't give up....just be as gentle as possible but it is ESSENTIAL to get those feet totally cleaned out.

 

[Michelle Bradford]

Thank you! I have been told to wash them out with apple cider vinegar and water, dry them and then put the treatment. have you ever heard of that?

 

[jyuukai]

I can't say Ive heard to use apple cider vinegar before, but it makes sense. ACV will really put a hurtin on bacteria and fungi, and I don't think it could really hurt the hoof.

 

[disneyhorse]

I would personally try a hot water/ Epsom salt soak (1 cup per gallon) and then apply the dry cow mastitis ointment syringe.

The Epsom salt will clean and dry the entire hoof and the cow udder stuff will treat it.

Also be sure your horse is in zero mud.

Andrea

 

[Jean A]

Our farriers suggest using a 50% bleach/water spray..would be similar to vinegar I suppose,( bleach kills the fungus). I also have mini-donkeys, and they get thrush very easily..a night on a wet pasture and there it is. The mediterranean donkeys do best in a dry climate.

So it goes like this..keep the feet as clean as possible, and if you get a whiff of something "off", treat with iodine or thrush buster. Gotta love that purple..gloves help! Then we use the bleach mix after we pick. Then we forget. We get busy. And it's back. <sigh>

Someone mentioned a powder that sticks well, and doesn't need to dry, though I have never seen it locally. Would be helpful for those who don't like their feet handled. Donks, for example....I beg, I plead, I reward for being good..and those feet remain stuck to the ground, no matter what.

On a side note..

I have 7 kids..6 are boys. Well..men, the oldest is now 30+. When they were young, we had horses..and one day the youngest came in the house holding something. He said that "Gene's hoof just, fell off. I found it in the field next to where he is laying down'. I looked at the son, at the thing in his hand, and nearly passed out. Then I realized he had found a chunk of wood while playing in the woods, the exact shape and color of Gene's hooves. Boy, was I relieved.! The wood is a doorstop now, referred to as Gene's Hoof, which raises a lot of eyebrows..

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

WHEN MY FARRIER SEES THRUSH WHILE TRIMMING WE USE BLEACH WATER SPRAY TO TREAT IT. DOING IT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My trimmer uses the udder syringe thing on her stubborn thrush clients. The syringe works well because the medication can be inserted up under the frog.

I have had very good luck using peroxide. Clean out the hoof well then hold it up level and pour on some peroxide. Hold the hoof up for about a minute so it can fizz. I do it once a day.

One of my boys has rather upright feet and he usually has a bout of the ugly stuff once a year. Peroxide has never failed me.

 

[AshleyNicole]

WHEN MY FARRIER SEES THRUSH WHILE TRIMMING WE USE BLEACH WATER SPRAY TO TREAT IT. DOING IT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

This is what was suggested to us for our big horse

 

[Never2Mini]

I also used the Bleach for my big horses and my farrier suggests when you clean there stall to sprinkle lime down under the bedding and to sprinkle it on wet spots outside. Something about it helps change the PH and helps lessen the thursh.