12/12/2017
"No hoof, no horse."
I'm not sure who said it first, but I grew up hearing that phrase! I came across the photos of thrush below a little over a year ago.
So what is thrush?
Ever been picking out feet and wrinkled your nose at the noxious smell wafting up from your horse's foot? This is definitely a hallmark of thrush, which thrives in the collateral grooves of the frog and the heel cleft. There is a common misconception that thrush is a fungal infection of the foot. While it is true that it can be caused by a fungus, it is much more commonly caused by bacteria attacking an unhealthy frog. We see it more often in wet conditions; however, frog health and anatomy are the real determining factors in whether or not a horse gets thrush (O'Grady). This is why you will see some horses who live in a foot of mud and muck never get thrush while also seeing a $300,000 racehorse living in pristine conditions get it all the time.
Because of the common misconception about it being a fungal infection, some of the most common treatments won't in fact cure thrush in the majority of horses. Kopertox (copper napthenate) is an example of an anti-fungal used in thrush treatment. One of my first jobs was a standardbred groom in high school. I cared for a horse who just could not get sound due to his thrush. I diligently applied copper to his foot twice a day to no avail. Now I wish I could go back in time and get him sound! He had thrush deep into his heel, which can go all the way to the inner dermis and cause significant pain.
Another common treatment that can do more harm than good is hydrogen peroxide. Yes, it will kill the bacteria causing thrush, but it will also damage even the healthy tissue in the foot, prolonging healing. The same goes for using straight betadine or straight bleach.
So what to use?
Both dilute bleach and dilute betadine solutions (2%) work well. The great thing about these is that they have both antibacterial and antifungal properties so all the bases are covered. I've also used a betadine sugar paste with really good results (sugar inhibits bacterial and fungal growth). Surprisingly one of my favorite things is a widely available commercial treatment with the active ingredients chloroxylenol and alcloxa. It is gentle and I have found using it speeds healing faster than using solutions of bleach or betadine. It is also an effective preventive in a horse prone to thrush. Here is the post that inspired me! Before seeing this, I always considered thrush to be a minor annoyance, now I see it as an extremely important part of horse health and management. See for yourself the unseen damage thrush causes in the hoof.
https://www.facebook.com/RussKatiesFarrierService/posts/843022922494598
