Thrush In Feet......

[K9Fran]

Every hoof I've ever picked out has had that 'aroma' - I'd always assumed it was normal horse foot smell, kind of inevitable when you think of the gunk that gets in there and the anerobic environment.

 

I over heard somebody today telling some one else that it was thrush! Now ofcourse I knew horses get thrush, and that it's not pleasant, but is that what I've been smelling all these years and nobody's told me?

 

Help

[JACKYSIAN]

Kane has thrush pretty much year round (can't imagine why in this warm dry country we live in ) but I think you'd know if your horse had it, your farrier for 1 would of commented on it and if you'd left it untreated you'd certainly know!!

 

I am very careful about the management of Kanes hooves but I've yet to completely get rid of it! He has a strong smell but also a thin black line around the area of the frog, sort of tar looking.

 

I use FreshFrog daily which is fab stuff and if in the winter he gets a really bad attack I'll ask my farrier to cut as much frog as is safe and then use Hydrochloric acid in a one off treatment (very very carefully!!!) using a shringe (sp!!) and only on the infected area. Then he has to have his feet scrubed for around a week daily with hibiscrub or some other antiseptic cleaner.

 

Are your's kept with other animals?? Only ask cos the other day one of the girls on the yard was in a right panic cos her horses feet were absolutely stinking to high heaven...turns out it was a lovely lump of sheep pooh!!!

[reds]

I asked my farrier about this not long ago because Squeak's feet have always got a smell and a little bit of blackness around the frog. Farrier said, as Jacky said, that you'd know if it was thrush as it'd be a whole lot worse!

[K9Fran]

Thanks, sounds like a degree of thrush (and the accompanying smell) is normal, but it's problematic when you get to the discharge and lameness stage? Good managment being the key to keeping it under control.