How to Treat Thrush

"Thrush," another one of those "horse" terms that has nothing to do with accurate medical terminology, refers to infection in the hoof secondary to muddy and/or unsanitary conditions. Common sense treatment and control of the environment can prevent this condition from progressing to cellulitis, laminitis or permenant lameness.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Hoof pick
• Coppertox
• Pearing knife (for horse hoofs)
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Hoof nippers/rasp
• Hoof testers
• Penicillin, butazone

1. Clean out the hoof very well, and assess if there are any areas of the sole, frog or hoof wall that are abnormally soft, purulent (puss-emiting and foul smelling) or bleeding. Use hoof testers to assess all areas as well. Move animal to a dry, level surface to do this, and subsequent steps.
2. Trim foot according to normal methods, and identify problem areas.
3. Put generous amounts of hydrogen peroxide into any soft, infected or bleeding areas, followed by coppertox. The latter is green, stains everything, but also hardens feet and is very good as a long-term disinfectant. Wrap up severely infected feet in poltice, leave mildly "soft" feet alone. Repeat peroxoide and coppertox application for 3 days. Suppliment with penicillin injections into neck muscle for 5 days. Butazone can be given for pain but no more than 4 grams a day.
4. Clean up environment or move horse to another one. "Foot rot" due to muddy environments was the cause of more amputations of human feet in WWI than bullets. No doubt, numerous horses were subjected to the same fate during that War. Such situations today are not necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Preventative treatment for thrush is the best.
• Fast and effective treatment is okay if it is identified.
• Put things off and worse things happen.