Help Treating hooves, draftX

HawaiianPaint · 10-31-2006, 12:57 PM

Hey all, I have had my mare (5 y/o, 1/2 percheron) since June 2006, so about 5 months now. She's had her feet trimmed twice (by two different farriers) since then. I keep her feet barefoot as suggested by many draft owners since her feet grow pretty quickly and are relatively soft so she wears them down pretty well on her own. First farrier visit was 7/21 and 2nd was 9/27. To make a long story short both farriers pointed out that she has some white line issues, they both took off extra on her left front hoof both times and suggested I treat it. They didn't seem too concerned, but I am concerned about how to treat her hooves with the weather we have. She is in a stall with a run, I cannot close her in and she loves being outside. Every time we have a storm her pen (and the turnouts and the round pen) all turn into mud for a few days. Her stall stays relatively dry.

Most everything I've read about white line and thrush and hoof issues in general say to keep the feet as dry as possible because moist environments promote bacterial growth...but I cant help that her pen is mud. Should I look into getting boots for her front feet or is it enough that I try to clean her feet out as much as possible and medicate even though I'm not really getting all of the mud off of her and she's just going back into the mud? Would it be better to get her hooves looked at every 5-6 weeks, even though she really doesn't need a trim, but just so the farrier can take a look at her and take off the parts again to expose them to air/light again.

Also, I'm not sure whether I should be concerned or not but the last week or so whenever I clean her feet out there is a white substance, dont want to call it puss because its not liquid, it almost looks like chalk, deep in the V of her foot. I'm terrible with parts of the hoof, but the points of the v back towards the heel...ya know where I'm talking about right? Ideas what it could be? I dont have any pictures, but I can get some if it'd help.

For treatment I have, hydrogen peroxide, a liquid thrush treatment (absorbine maybe? says it also treats other stuff), white lightning and betadine. Should I just clean her feet and pour something on and let er go? Should I use the same product every day for a certain amount of time and see if its helping, if not try something else? The white lightning is kinda expensive (not too bad) but I am doubting its ability to work on a mud covered hoof, so I've been cleaning off as much as I can and squirting the absorbine thrush remedy on it when its really muddy, then whenever I feel like its dry enough I'll put the white lightning gel on. I really like the fizzing action of hydrogen peroxide, so I'm thinking that might help...or maybe it'll just make me feel better. Also, would betadine do anything? Whatever I do I can only do once a day unless its the weekends then I might be able to sqeeze in twice a day.

Thanks for any thoughts

HawaiianPaint · 11-01-2006, 08:50 AM

No thoughts?

wrightdanes · 11-01-2006, 09:09 AM

Souns like thrush - I use coppertox. Nonpolar, so it says on in muddy, wet conditions. It is rather toxic (contains formaldye) but it usually clears up the problem in two weeks with only 3 applications.

PaulaQHMax · 11-01-2006, 11:06 AM

A 50/50 soluition of Apple Cider Vinager sprayed on daily will help get rid of thrush and it is alot cheaper than most things. Don't worry about trying to keep her in she will be better off out and moving. As for when you need to trim her if the hoof looks like it needs trimming yo should have had it done a week or more ago. Regular trimms anywhere from 4-8 weeks is the norm over here.

loosie · 11-01-2006, 11:30 AM

Yes, pix would definitely help.

Thrush & WLD are essentially symptoms of a deeper problem. Keeping her in a drier area, giving her more exercise & getting her (well)trimmed more often will all help.

The chalky white stuff you describe sounds like just dead, exfoliating sole, indicating that at her heels at least, the walls are perhaps a little long. WLD is usually caused(esp. in flat footed drafties) from the walls being too long & causing leverage force as she walks to pull the wall away from the sole, seperating the laminae(tissue that connects the wall to the inside of the foot). This would be evident from above by flares. Thrush can also be an indication of a lack of copper in the diet.

Xiphias · 11-01-2006, 07:18 PM

Koppertox is what I would use, most vet catalogs have it, it is not that expensive, and it works for all kinds of hoof aliments...Cathy

10-31-2006, 12:57 PM	#1
HawaiianPaint Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Colorado Posts: 714 Images: 46 Blog Entries: 24	Help Treating hooves, draftX Hey all, I have had my mare (5 y/o, 1/2 percheron) since June 2006, so about 5 months now. She's had her feet trimmed twice (by two different farriers) since then. I keep her feet barefoot as suggested by many draft owners since her feet grow pretty quickly and are relatively soft so she wears them down pretty well on her own. First farrier visit was 7/21 and 2nd was 9/27. To make a long story short both farriers pointed out that she has some white line issues, they both took off extra on her left front hoof both times and suggested I treat it. They didn't seem too concerned, but I am concerned about how to treat her hooves with the weather we have. She is in a stall with a run, I cannot close her in and she loves being outside. Every time we have a storm her pen (and the turnouts and the round pen) all turn into mud for a few days. Her stall stays relatively dry. Most everything I've read about white line and thrush and hoof issues in general say to keep the feet as dry as possible because moist environments promote bacterial growth...but I cant help that her pen is mud. Should I look into getting boots for her front feet or is it enough that I try to clean her feet out as much as possible and medicate even though I'm not really getting all of the mud off of her and she's just going back into the mud? Would it be better to get her hooves looked at every 5-6 weeks, even though she really doesn't need a trim, but just so the farrier can take a look at her and take off the parts again to expose them to air/light again. Also, I'm not sure whether I should be concerned or not but the last week or so whenever I clean her feet out there is a white substance, dont want to call it puss because its not liquid, it almost looks like chalk, deep in the V of her foot. I'm terrible with parts of the hoof, but the points of the v back towards the heel...ya know where I'm talking about right? Ideas what it could be? I dont have any pictures, but I can get some if it'd help. For treatment I have, hydrogen peroxide, a liquid thrush treatment (absorbine maybe? says it also treats other stuff), white lightning and betadine. Should I just clean her feet and pour something on and let er go? Should I use the same product every day for a certain amount of time and see if its helping, if not try something else? The white lightning is kinda expensive (not too bad) but I am doubting its ability to work on a mud covered hoof, so I've been cleaning off as much as I can and squirting the absorbine thrush remedy on it when its really muddy, then whenever I feel like its dry enough I'll put the white lightning gel on. I really like the fizzing action of hydrogen peroxide, so I'm thinking that might help...or maybe it'll just make me feel better. Also, would betadine do anything? Whatever I do I can only do once a day unless its the weekends then I might be able to sqeeze in twice a day. Thanks for any thoughts __________________ There's nothing better for the soul of a [wo]man than the outside of a horse... ~Ronald Reagen

11-01-2006, 08:50 AM	#2
HawaiianPaint Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Colorado Posts: 714 Images: 46 Blog Entries: 24	No thoughts? __________________ There's nothing better for the soul of a [wo]man than the outside of a horse... ~Ronald Reagen

11-01-2006, 07:18 PM	#6
Xiphias Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Maryland, horse country USA Posts: 18,546 Images: 647 Blog Entries: 29	Koppertox is what I would use, most vet catalogs have it, it is not that expensive, and it works for all kinds of hoof aliments...Cathy __________________ Member COL Club- hand over the Oil of Olay and nobody gets hurt! I was on HGS when we hit 2 & 3 million posts Proud owner of Xiphias 23 yr old ottb and Mikey aka Little Kadittlehopper 5 yr old overgrown mini app.

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11-01-2006, 09:09 AM	#3
wrightdanes Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 921 Images: 1	Souns like thrush - I use coppertox. Nonpolar, so it says on in muddy, wet conditions. It is rather toxic (contains formaldye) but it usually clears up the problem in two weeks with only 3 applications.

11-01-2006, 11:06 AM	#4
PaulaQHMax Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Devon, UK Posts: 422 Images: 53	A 50/50 soluition of Apple Cider Vinager sprayed on daily will help get rid of thrush and it is alot cheaper than most things. Don't worry about trying to keep her in she will be better off out and moving. As for when you need to trim her if the hoof looks like it needs trimming yo should have had it done a week or more ago. Regular trimms anywhere from 4-8 weeks is the norm over here.

11-01-2006, 11:30 AM	#5
loosie Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 806 Images: 6	Yes, pix would definitely help. Thrush & WLD are essentially symptoms of a deeper problem. Keeping her in a drier area, giving her more exercise & getting her (well)trimmed more often will all help. The chalky white stuff you describe sounds like just dead, exfoliating sole, indicating that at her heels at least, the walls are perhaps a little long. WLD is usually caused(esp. in flat footed drafties) from the walls being too long & causing leverage force as she walks to pull the wall away from the sole, seperating the laminae(tissue that connects the wall to the inside of the foot). This would be evident from above by flares. Thrush can also be an indication of a lack of copper in the diet.