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  Discussion on Crack started at the toe not healing
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Member:
Fpony

Posted on Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 - 7:04 pm:

My pony who had a bout with laminitis last fall developed a crack that started at the toe and keeps continueing even with reg trims and he now has had shoes for 16 weeks. The farrier at the last visit "cut the crack out" by making a triangle cut and getting all the infected tissue out.She had been having me pour thrush-x on it twice a week prior to her finally cutting the stuff out. She now has me soaking his foot daily with betidine. We have been doing this for a week. How much long do I need to soak the foot? Can I return to using Thrush-x? I searched through the hoof section and didn't come across anything.
Thanks Kim
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Aug 13, 2004 - 9:07 am:

Why are you soaking the foot in antiseptic Kim? Does the farrier there is infection in the horn (thrush or white line disease)?
DrO
Member:
Fpony

Posted on Friday, Aug 13, 2004 - 7:04 pm:

I'm not sure, he is not lame and the tissue that is exposed (lamina) didn't seem sensative while she cut away the black tissue(infected?). She thought the infection wasn't clearing up as the bacteria was anarobic in nature and exposing it to air would help to kill it. My concerns: aren't Trush-x and betadine for different kinds of infection? The exposed portion is getting fill with dirt from the paddock everyday. Is this counter productive?

I will give her a call to ask what she thinks we are dealing with, I just wanted more info before asking her questions. She will be coming at the end of next week to see another horse and planned to check on Foxy and put something to close up the hole.

Kim
Member:
Fpony

Posted on Saturday, Aug 14, 2004 - 6:50 am:

Dr. O,
Thank you for directing me to white line disease.
I didn't notice it being chaulky but black although this could be from dirt?

It was Thrush Buster that I was using before the betadine but i have had the bottle for years. Does it expire? I couldn't find a date.

It sounds like I should be covering the foot to keep it clean. We have added some clay to our paddock to help keep the moisure and decrease dust so now his feet are packed in clay all the time! It would be easier to treat him with Thrush Buster do you think that would be more effective than soaking in betadine esp if i use the thrush buster daily. She had me using it(TB) twice a week as she said it was very strong stuff.

Thanks fo your support.Kim
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 14, 2004 - 9:10 am:

Yes they are used for different problems. The thrush buster contains formaldehde which should only be used on horn and nonsensitive tissue. Betadine can safely be used on exposed sensitive tissue. As long as the thrush buster has been tightly capped and kept at room temperature, the formaldehyde does not go bad. It will evaporate if not handled so.
DrO
Member:
Fpony

Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2004 - 6:36 am:

Hi again,
The toe crack seemed to have grown down and then we removed the shoes this Oct. In two weeks the crack was starting again. We have started natural trim on bith my horses. The other feet look great and this one is shaping up nicely (had a lot of flare-but not anymore) the white line is wide. He had laminitis last year but the line has completely grown down.

WEll, the crack has migrated up the toe and 3 weeks agao when I had a natural trim person come to check us, she said it was white line disease and cut the crack out. We continue to trim it so the wall isn't weight bear in that spot. She also said that my horse's white line had "white line disease" because it was black. I knew this was a bit of an over reaction so i didn't panic about the pony's toe crack.
Well, now I feel panicked. He seems to stand funny with his front feet close together. What is the best treatment for white line. I was told that if you kill the thrush the white line lives off of dead thrush. Is it bacterial or yeast/fungus? Will one treatment with Clean Trax due the trick? My vet is coming on Tuesday for my other horse should we have an x-ray?
Thanks Kim
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2004 - 7:48 am:

Hello Kim,
3 deep breaths first. The odd stance is not related to the disease of the white line unless there is lameness present so it should be evaluated separately: perhaps the trim changed the balance of the feet. However trimming the foot so there is no stress on the crack is logical and unless the odd stance remains a mystery I don't see why radiographs are indicated.

No, white line disease does not live off of dead thrush and I don't know of any one treatment cure. You will find your questions on White Line Disease answered at, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » White Line Disease or Onchyomycosis.
DrO
Member:
Fpony

Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2004 - 8:51 am:

Thanks Dr. O! I will start breathing again! I just felt very guilty for not taking this more seriously.
I thought x-rays could show if there was separation of the lamina due to disease. I will slow down and go back to read up on White Line.

Kim
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2004 - 9:32 am:

This something we have had to deal with twice in the past two years. Two different mares we bought came to us with cracks in their feet. One was here in Washington and the other was out of a Ky Boarding facility for broodmares. The first was just deep cracks and dry. The farrier trimmed, put bondo on them, shoes and we fed Horseman's Secret until they grew out. The second one, from Ky was so bad when she got here she was lame. Her front hooves were just about split apart. We trimmed, shod her and kept her on Horseman's Secret. We finally put clips on and then about a month ago the new shoer put bondo on the worst one and they are now holding together. This has been a long drawn out process. According to the previous owner of the second one, the farm told her they had been working on them for a year. I doubt that as she had no shoes on when she got here and that would have been the first thing to do, I would think.EO
Member:
Eoeo

Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2004 - 9:34 am:

Another thing, we have had good luck putting tea tree oil on the cracks to kill any bacteria that might be in there. It really works. Worked on a couple cases of laminitis on some race track horses we got for R&R. EO.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 14, 2004 - 6:59 am:

While a radiograph would show separation, if very carefully taken, it is unneccesary. The seperation of WLD starts at the bottom, is easily seen with careful cleaning, and should be completely pared out along with any overlying horn and treated as per the article.

We do not suggest the use of tea tree oil for laminitis and while tea tree oil does have some antibacterial activity I think there are better proven and much cheaper treatments available for either WLD or thrush.
DrO
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