The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Thrush

5K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  its lbs not miles 
#1 ·
The frustrating battle, one which I haven't had for a little while.

My boy Riley has been tender on his left front foot, one which he has always had problems off and on (aka "navicular"). I knew he was thrushy the moment he started showing sensitivity in the back of the foot over harder surfaces - so I started doing regular cleanings, and began treatment with Thrush Stop ... then Thrush Buster when I ran out of my previous treatment.

It's still pretty bad. He is still tender, the central culcus on the left front looks pretty icky and he fights me when I try to clean the gunk out so I know it's senstive.

Commercial treatments are just not enough. I read about Oxine Soaks being effective but cannot get the chemicals here (I might be able to get them shipped but it'll cost me ~$100 or more). I will do so if needed, but I would like to try a more affordable option first.

Does anyone have suggestions? I was reading about Pete's Goo a creation by Pete Ramey, a combination of triple antibiotic cream (such as Neosporin) and athletes foot cream which is mixed in a syringe and injected into the sulcus and any cracks of a thrushy frog.

I have also read Zinc Oxide can help protect the frog from thrush after being treated.

I am all ears to suggestions anyone might have - this needs to be treated and rid-of once and for all and what I know isn't quite enough!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
US Vet® Go-Dry™, Pack of 12 - 2221490 | Tractor Supply Company

If it's sulcus thrush, (you can stick a hoof pick into the heel bulb) rinse it out really well, squirt some of this stuff in there once every other day, and keep the opening exposed to air by stuffing cotton balls in it. Sulcus thrush cannot survive oxygen, so it's important to not give it a nice dark airless environment. Depending on how bad it is, this stuff will clear it up on a matter of weeks.
 
#9 ·
US Vet® Go-Dry™, Pack of 12 - 2221490 | Tractor Supply Company

If it's sulcus thrush, (you can stick a hoof pick into the heel bulb) rinse it out really well, squirt some of this stuff in there once every other day, and keep the opening exposed to air by stuffing cotton balls in it. Sulcus thrush cannot survive oxygen, so it's important to not give it a nice dark airless environment. Depending on how bad it is, this stuff will clear it up on a matter of weeks.
I used that on a new horse who had very deep thrush in one foot. It worked wonders & is not painful.
 
#3 ·
I will look to see if I am able to get that here, TSC is just around the corner from me, the trouble is if its a veterinary product I am likely not able to have it shipped to Canada (not through TSC anyhow) or purchase it over the counter. I am willing to take a look through. I can even check the order books at work tomorrow.

This is why I am finding this problem a tough one to crack. The products I WANT to use are ones I can't get my hands on ... FRUSTRATING!
 
#4 ·
Oh, that must stink not being able to get things you need. If nothing else, get some air into that opening. Clean it out well and pack it with guaze or cotton balls. That Pete Ramey idea is worth trying.
 
#5 ·
Oh believe me it can be quite frustrating.

In the mean time I have been cleaning his feet out as often as I can and using thrush buster as its directed but it just doesn't seem to be enough. He has been tender off and on so I'm thinking its a deep routed infection to begin with.
 
#6 ·
My donkey has thrush and I asked my trimmer about what she would recommend to treat it(she doesn't trim him as he's at a different barn) and she suggested this stuff https://www.zephyrsgarden.com/store...ypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=39&category_id=4 I've only used it today so far so I can't speak of the results just yet, but she swears by it and I can tell you it smells a hell of a lot better then the chemical stuff lol. There is a "buy locally" link on the right side of the page, I don't know if there is anybody close to you on there tho. It may be cheaper also, I only paid 18 for a bottle and they have it listed at 29.
 
#10 ·
I would use Pete's goo, but also add to the mix equal amounts of an over the counter yeast infection medication and maybe even some tea tree oil.

I would also soak this horses feet in a warm lysol soak and scrub the foot well and clean a couple times a week for the first week or two and any time it gets gross and dirty. About a cup of lysol to a couple gallons water...make it sudsy. It wont harm the foot as it is made for humans to use to hand scrub floors.

After the soak and every day, Squirt the goo in the fissure as deep as you can get it and pack a cotton ball in behind it to help hold the meds in and also open the fissure. Do that till it is no longer sore when you pick the cotton out of it.

Once the infection is under control and the fissure is no longer painful when you pick it, squirt iodine or thrushbuster into the fissue and follow with a cottonball which you will also soak after its in place and pack it into the fissure till you can no longer get a cotton ball to stay in there. Once you reach that point, regular maintenance watching for thrush and cleaning the feet will be sufficuant but be aware, it may take a good deal of time to get to that point.

If it ever returns to being painful after you change over to the TB or iodine, use the goo again for awhile instead of iodine or thrushbuster as they can be irritating...... but once it isnt sensitive again, change back over.

This may take time but it will work. You must be vigilant and make sure your horse is not in alot of muck or wet.
 
#11 ·
My favorite recipe for hoof greebles(whatever kind) was always a betadine scrub and epsom salts paste. Apply to sole/pack it in as needed then lay a piece of 4" gauze or something. Vetwrap the hoof then apply a duct tape boot. Or you can use a hoof boot if you have one. I like the duct tape boot for this. To make one lay strips overlapping each other to a size that will cover the sole and wall pretty much.. Wrap more around it to hold on and leave it for a day or 3.. The paste will draw out and dry up greebles.. *greebles are whatever is bugging the hoof, thrush, abscesses etc..
 
#12 ·
My farrier swears by tea tree oil and used it to treat my mares hind foot with good results. Have also seen it used successfully on another horse for white line separation. Not sure what about it does the trick, but it does seem to work and you can pick it up at the local drug store.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top