Horse hoof rot? Thrush?

Question

My 7 yr old Gypsy mare (draft) has poor frogs and soles. Her hoof wall is fine, thanks to biotin, but I need to work on her undersides. Every definition I see of thrush includes a horrible strong stench and black pus. Chynna's feet are just rotting away in parts, especially in the V and the middle of her frog. I can pull out chunks of white and black shredded something from that area. The area around her hoof has it occasionally, but not that bad. I have never smelt an abnormal odor or seen pus. She is prone to hoof abcesses (usually from knocking her feet on rocks) and is barefoot. She is in clean conditions. Stalled at night, cleaned every morning, and in a mostly sand pasture during the day, Is this thrush? I have heard of the success of thrush buster but don't want to buy it unless she has thrush. Thanks in advance, Danielle

Answer 1

I have a mare that often gets a bit thrushy, and sometimes thrush doesn't have to smell foul, it can just smell like a dirty hoof and it does not always oose puss, it depends on how bad the case is. The term "thrush" refers to a general condition of infection in the foot. It is a general term like "colic" (any form of stomach distress)or "anemia"(any range of a blood disorder) they are not specific to one ailment they cover a wide range of disorders, thrush is not one spcefic infection, it means that your horse has a bacterial invasion in the underside of the hoof, but it could be a wide range of different bacterums. The absolutely best thing for it is good old hydrogen peroxide! Bleach is bad because it can easily burn the soft tissue in the foot and if it splashes back up at you it can burn you too. The bacteria in your horses foot are anerobic, meaning they do not like a high level of oxygen, that is why they thrive in the dark warm and damp part of your horses foot. The bacteria are always there, and ther are bith harmful and beneficial bacteria in the foot at all times, wet conditions or muddy turn out can cause the levels of bacteria to get out of whack and allow an infection to thrive. Either pouring or spraying peroxide on her feet twice a day after picking and brushing them clean will make thrush go away. Thrush buster has formalin in it (a derivitive of formaldahide) and can leave scar tissue. It is for really bad thrush cases and for preventing thrush in muddy wet conditions, you don't need it, and other thrush medicines will kill all of the bacteria as will bleach, wether it is good or bad bacteria and will further imbalance the bacteria in the foot, you do not need to spend the money. The over the counter products are for really bad thrush infections that will not go away on their own with just routine foot cleaning, and your mare's feet do not sound any where near this bad so you do not need to buy them, and the chemicals in many products will stain your hands and horses feathers an ugly purple color. Peroxide is rediculiously cheap and works magic, good luck!

Answer 2

A gross aroma doesn't mean that the horse has thrush. I have brought in my horse from the paddock when it was muddy and her hooves smelled just because the mud smelled bad. Thrush has a distinct smell. So if your not sure then ask someone more experienced to tell. A flaky hoof is normal. It takes one year for a horse's hooves to grow out completely. So as new frog growth comes in the old flakes or sheds. If the area is a little mushy that is a sign. But if he was standing in mud then that may be the source and not actual thrush. So have someone more experienced come an look at it. Thrush is a bacteria infection. This type of bacteria likes dark and damp places and they are anaerobic meaning they thrive in environments that have little to no oxygen. The sulci and central sulcus (grooves in and around the frog - also commonly called the cleft and collateral grooves) are the darkest places and they hold the most moisture and have the least amount of oxygen compared to the other areas of the hoof. So the bacteria tend to grow in this area. The bacteria eats the hoof essentially which allows it to multiply quicker. A wet hoof is softer so the bacteria can digest the hoof better. When the bacteria digests the hoof it gives off a gas that makes it smell. That's where the odor comes from. If it turns out your horse does have thrush then get Thrush Stop. All other thrush products have horrid side effects. They warn "don't get on your skin (can cause cancer with some products like ThrushBuster), don't get on clothes, don't inhale" etc etc. And if they don't have any of these warnings or only a few warnings then they don't work well enough. Thrush Stop is the only one proven to work well on mild to severe thrush and not have any warnings. Along with treating the area with Thrush Stop have the farrier come out and take off the infected tissue.

Answer 3

I have had my share of thrush and white line disease. From what your describing here sounds more like moisture and not thrush. Thrush would have an odor. There are drying agents out there. I use kopertox which will dry and kill any bacteria. Works well. I forget the name of this stuff but it comes in a spray bottle and has green liquid in it that is good for every day use. Oh its called Farriers Hoof, I use it and it does work. I kept treating my horses for thrush since I was seeing what you say your mare has but never smelled an odor but my farrier said it was thrush,,,I disagreed w/him so I got a new farrier and he said no thrush just too moist so to dry the hoof up. Good luck...hope this helps.

Answer 4

I'd say that if you can't smell a very strong odour that it wouldn't be thrush. Also, if you still want to be on the safe side, you can use regular toothpaste, squirted into the tight areas between the V shapes ( possibly with a syringe without the needle of course ) every day for a week. This will dry things up and help clear the rot,plus it's a lot cheaper than thrush buster.

Answer 5

Hard to give you an accurate answer without photos... What you describe might or might not be the first stages of thrush. Why are you asking here, instead of your blacksmith?

Thrush is a nasty condition that can get out of hand easily. The $13 you'll spend for Thrushbuster is a small investment in preventing unnecessary suffering for your horse. And it should last years, if you use it correctly.

Answer 6

She defiantly has thrush. You can make your own thrush buster by mixing water and bleach together. But it in a spray bottle and spray it on her hooves. Obviously pick her hooves before you spray. Now if I am wrong and she does not have thrush this mixture will not harm her. It may take two weeks or more, but just keep the treatment up and it will eventually go away. Best of luck to both of you.

Answer 7

ok i'm not sure what it is i would have to see it..but it sounds liek thrush..what i would do (not telling you to do it) i would get some black save and put that on it and leave it for about 2 hours than take it off it will be sick looking because if there is a infection it will pull it out.. and than i would put thrush busters on it.. and wrap it up keep her in a stall for a few day but repeat the process about 2 times a day.. that is what i do with my mare and gelding when they get it.. and it works great..

Answer 8

normal for the frog to shed the black/white stuff it's part of the frog that is live. the black pus you are talking about sounds like an abcess esp since you say she is prone to them. the will smell bad too. do you have her feet trimmed regularly by your farrier? cuz if you do then the shedding of the frog wouldn't be so frequent. and horses are never in clean conditions since they walk and step in their poop and pee!!! cleaner than most for sure. I would call your farrier out to take a peak at her feet and he can look for the source of the pus and start getting them soaked in warm water and epsom salt. there is some product at petsmart, if you have an equine one around you. it's by 3M and you soak it in warm water and then use duct tape to tape it to the foot and do this daily and help to draw and dry up abcesses quickly. just cut small square to fit the under side of hoof. good luck and hope this helps

Answer 9

Maybe not thrush. I read some were about this. I would try the trush busters and hope for the best. Call the vet & farrier for move advice! Good Luck!

Answer 10

I just wanted to mention that if you decide to try the bleach suggestion to be careful because if the bleach isn't diluted properly you can burn the horses feet.

And I use thrush buster every few weeks or so (just as a preventive) with no problems.