08/14/08

Thrush

Treat it - NO EXCUSES!!!

I know it is a BAD word among horse owners. Let me start by saying thrush is VERY PAINFUL for your horse and MUST be treated like the crippling disease it is. If you have ever had athlete's foot you should understand that is mild compared to what your horse is going through. Imagine someone scraping the first few layers of skin off between your toes to make a nice open wound although not bleeding...(yet), pouring peroxide and dirt on the new wound and then asking you to move. THIS is the amount of PAIN your horse is experiencing! This is why he will be LAME!

For whatever reason; environmentally or otherwise your horse has wound up with a bacterial of fungal infection literally eating away at his frog tissue. This is further weakening the hoof structure. If your horse has pain in his heels from thrush and you do nothing you will be setting him up for Navicular syndrome. When your horses heels hurt he does not want to land on them so he begins to try to walk on his toes. When he tries to do this both the Extensor tendon and the deep digital flexor tendon are in tension. the extensor tendon is not strong enough to bear the weight of the horse and he winces as his heels eventually make it to the ground. Moving like this is NOT HEALTHY it actually causes friction in the deep digital flexor tendon which has been proven to lead to Navicular disease and tendon adhesions.

Treatment

Be careful here most over the feed store counter products will kill the bacteria & fungus but also kill tissue. this means you use the product for a while see an improvement and think you've nailed it only to have it come back with a vengeance in a few weeks/months. It comes back because it feeds on dead tissue in a warm moist environment. If your thrush medication is too strong and kills tissue you won't necessarily know until it's too late. I Use and recommend the following products in the following order:

• Epona's Cure Wicked Magic Salve. This wonderful salve is made from all natural ingredients to not harm tissue, you can actually use it on wounds. Olive oil carries the herbs deep into the tissue to minimize scar tissue. While beeswax covers the area with a breathable, protective waterproof barrier that repels flies. Pascalite clay helps to draw out unwanted bacteria as well as herbs from nature to kill fungus & bacteria. available in 60 cc syringe with a catheter tip so you can put it deep into the central Cleft.    To Use: Pick out horses foot thoroughly. Insert Syringe tip deep into central Cleft, or deep crease in the center of the frog back to the heel bulbs. Push syringe plunger until salve begins to squish out of frog. Move syringe tip back towards the heel bulbs and repeat until entire crevice is filled with salve. Repeat DAILY  Ingredients: Olive Oil, Pascalite Clay Powder, Calendula*, Chamomile*, Chickweed*, Comfrey*, Lavender*, Plantain*, Shavegrass*, St. Johns Wort*, Raw Honey*, Beeswax, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Tea Tree Oil ~ *indicates organic. Available from ThreeSistersHerbals.com or Amy Sheehy

• Epona's Cure Tincture. This tincture is used to treat deep thrush along with Epona's Cure Wicked Magic Salve or to treat white line disease/hoof wall infections. White line disease is an anaerobic bacteria/fungus eating away at your horses hoof wall or white line area. This should also be taken very very seriously!!! To Use: Put 15-20 drops of tincture in the bottom of a wet soaking boot (sized large enough to be easily put on your horse). Put soaking boot on your horse (with the tincture in the bottom) then add water (warm enough so your horse is comfortable) up to his coronet band. If he won't freak out you can ask him to move a step or to to mix the solution, if he will freak out let him be the solution is at the bottom of the foot where we want it anyway. Groom him or let him hang out for 15-20 minutes. Repeat daily Until infection subsides completely may be used as a preventative measure by soaking less frequently. Ingredients: Calendula officinalis,Chamomile Flowers, Chickweed, Comfrey Leaf, Plantain, ShaveGrass aka Horsetail, St. John's Wort all certified Organic ingredients. Available from ThreeSistersHerbals.com or Amy Sheehy

• White Lightning This product will dry out any infection. Amy uses it in severe cases. Available online from Grand Circuit Inc.

• Antibiotic ointment and Athlete's foot cream.  use a 50/50 mix of Triple Antibiotic Ointment and Athletes Foot Cream (1% Clotrimazole) (for humans; over the counter at any pharmacy). I mix it thoroughly and put it in a 60cc catheter-tip syringe (available from any vet) (The syringe may well be more important than the cream, as it allows deep penetration to the core of the problem). Mix the products in a Tupperware bowl, then spoon in or 'top load' 15cc with a butter knife. Repeat Daily until central cleft is grown out.

• Lysol Soak. This soak is 2oz Lysol All purpose cleaner (the yellow stuff) to about 1 gallon water. Mix it up in a gallon container then pour into soaking boots once they are applied. Soak for 15-20 minutes. I find this  has helped with Thrush & White line disease in some cases.

• Apple Cider Vinegar. This soak is 50% Apple cider vinegar & 50% water. Mix it up in a gallon container then pour into soaking boots once they are applied. Soak for 15-20 minutes. I find this best used as a preventative but it has helped with Thrush & White line disease in a few cases.

As a closing thought - Thrush & White Line disease are infections. If you have an infected wound you would seek treatment Be certain to treat your horses infection It won't cure itself and could lead to further complications down the road. Take this VERY SERIOUSLY. Treat it using the methods described above.