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Hoof thrush in horses

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24
Jan

Thrush – Know more about thrush in horses. Read about why thrush occurs, as well as how to most easily prevent and treat the disease.

Thrush is an infection of the hoof, which appears mainly in the frog area. Thrush is typically caused by a bacterial attack or a fungus.

Functional Anatomy of the Equine Hoof - Scoot Boots

Thrush treatment

There are a myriad of thrush treatment methods on the market. Among other things powdered aspirin, mix of sugar and betadine, borax, or diluted bleach.

Regardless of which treatment you choose, you should always contact your veterinarian, who can cut out the frog, so it is clean as possible until a new healthy frog emerges.

At EQUUS CURA, we always recommend PREVENT for thrush. The fine powder finds its way into the deepest corners of the hoof, and helps with drying out from the inside. Without stopping the hoof with cotton wool, or closing it with tar. This provides a dry and breathable hoof, free of bacteria and fungus, which can then begin a natural healing.

PREVENT is applied daily until the odor has disappeared (typically within 2-5 days), after which it can be used 2-3 times a week to maintain a dry and strong hoof.

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Read here what one of our customers writes about the product. Her horse has been struggling with thrush for several years. It has given long periods of lameness. Now she uses PREVENT every week for protection. 

“I was recommended PREVENT, but I must admit I was very skeptical as nothing has helped my horse before. After a week of daily use of PREVENT there was no more sour jet. After a week more the jet started to heal.
 
Now I use it 1-2 times a week to prevent and I have not seen the shadow of sour ray since ” (translated to English)
 
– Barbara, customer

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Barbara’s horse, See the review on Facebook

How to avoid thrush 

You can do a lot yourself to prevent your horse from getting thrush. Here are some tips and tricks.

  1. If your horse is standing on a box, make sure the box is dry.
  2. Regular trimming of the hoof.
  3. Use PREVENT 1-2 times a week for protection. This dries out the area and prevents fungi, bacteria and organisms from propagating. It gives a healthy and strong hoof.

The vast majority of organisms thrive only in humid environments. Therefore, drying out the area is enough. Avoid applying unnecessary chemicals that could damage the frog or hoof unnecessarily. Avoid closing the frog with tar or cotton wool as this provides a warm climate that bacteria and fungi love!

Why does horse get thrush?

Mud fever and thrush is very similar to each other. Thrush, however, is more prevalent throughout the year, where mud fever hits more in the fall and winter. Thrush is more frequent due to the deep gap in the frog, which is often wet. The humid environment provides the ideal conditions for bacteria and fungi.

It is virtually impossible to keep the hoof dry, which means that all horses are exposed to thrush. However, there is a difference in how deep the frog is, the deeper the gap, the greater the risk.

What are the symptoms of thrush?

The most common symptoms of thrush are:

  1. Characteristic sour smell from the hoof
  2. The frog is black, foul-smelling and porous 

In more serious cases you can experience:

  1. Lameness 
  2. Inflammation of the dermis, which can cause abscesses
  3. Pastern and lower parts of the leg are swollen due to infection
  4. Rear constriction of the hoof

 

Read more about thrush here.