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  Discussion on White Line Disease in Foundered Horse
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Member:
Johnsonl

Posted on Friday, Mar 25, 2005 - 10:51 am:

Dr O, I've read the info on White Line Disease that's on this site (as well as on others) and still have questions I'm hoping you can help me with. I have an excellent farrier who's saved my Buckeye's life (laminitis, founder with 8 and 12 degree rotation and sinking). He no longer has any rotation in the 8 degree coffin bone, and just a mild rotation left in the 12 degree. He's got excellent sole now too. I'm pleased with all that, but now my vet said she thinks he may have WLD, based on his last x-rays taken about 8 weeks ago. She said it could be gas cracks too. I'm unclear what that is?? My farrier just came out to retrim and shoe him, and having looked at the x-rays he says he can't be certain if it's WLD at this point. So, he says we won't do anything different right now, and that if Buckeye does have WLD, it looks minor and in a position to grow downward to attack it from there. In other words, he said doing a hoof resection on a horse that's foundered and already has compromised laminae, is a last resort as it removes support and further destabilizes the horse. Also, in Florida with our very wet climate (we fight thrush constantly here), keeping a re-sected hoof clean and dry is almost impossible. Buckeye is not limping, although not wanting to bear weight on the affected leg while I clean the other front hoof, so I know he's uncomfortable. He will run around in pasture, but he's not been comfortable when I ride so he's only pasture-sound. Is waiting the right thing to do right now? I have lots of confidence in my farrier, but I'm nervous with this latest hitch in Buckeye's recovery. Also, he recommends copper sulfate to treat the thrush he also has. I've tried to find this per his recommendation at a hardware store, and all I could find is a pool cleaning product with 1.5% copper sulfate. The mixture the farrier gave me before looks like blue liquid and stains my horse's feet blue when applied. It has worked wonders and I'm trying to find some more of the right thing. Lots of questions, but help you can provide would be so appreciated. Thank you, Lori J.
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Friday, Mar 25, 2005 - 11:22 am:

Lori,

Call your farrier and ask for the specific topical lotion he recommends. Coppertox, which is usually available at the feed stores and tack shopes is green. The blue may be Thrush Buster which comes in a tiny squeeze bottle. Blue Coat is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, but I don't know if it has copper sulfate.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 - 8:41 am:

Hello Lori,
WLD is not a radiographic diagnosis (though there are some radiographic charactetistics) and I have never seen it start high in the white line and grow down to the ground. It is the other way around, WLD starts at the ground surface and works its way up the white line. For more on what it looks like and proper treatment see, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » White Line Disease or Onchyomycosis.

I suspect the radiograph is showing a defect in the laminae left over from the founder and with the progress you have made so far it sounds like this is being well treated. For our ideas on correcting rotation in a past founder see, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Founder & Laminitis » Rehabilitation and Derotation of Foundered Horses.
DrO
Member:
Jchadola

Posted on Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 - 12:30 pm:

Lori - what your farrier used may be Fungidye - it is a dark blue liquid - my farrier uses it. One of my horses has white line disease in both front feet. They have been resected and I use Fungidye on the part that has been cut out and Sav a Hoof spray on the sole and the rest of the outside of the hoof a few times a week. The cut-out area has gone from being soft and powdery to very hard so something is working. Our climate is wet too (I am in Abbotsford near Vancouver in British columbia). Both products are available online at:

https://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/
Member:
Christos

Posted on Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 - 6:56 pm:

It's Onychomycosis, DrO, not Onchyomycosis.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Mar 27, 2005 - 9:53 am:

Never argue with a Greek about a greek word, thanks Christos, I will fix the articles title.
DrO
Member:
Johnsonl

Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2005 - 8:10 am:

Holly Wood,
My farrier is soooo busy, I'm trying to figure this out for myself, and I may have to go to Coppertox as a fall-back position if I can't find the copper sulfate. It is something he mixes up that he said it is the same as Coppertox and a lot cheaper! I looked on the net and found that a farrier wrote the same thing. He said to mix copper sulfate crystals with a gallon of distilled white vinegar. He also says to alternate soaking the hooves with that mixture, with iodine every other day. I know the mixture comes out blue. Now, does anyone out there know where I can get copper sulfate (blue crystals)? BTW...My farrier told me not to use Thrush Buster on exposed sensitve tissue...it's too strong because of the formaldehyde and will only aggravate tissue that's trying to heal. Thrush Buster is great for early stages of thursh, though. Thanks to all! Lori J.
Member:
Johnsonl

Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2005 - 8:18 am:

Janice, Thanks for the info! I'll look up the products, for sure. I'll bet the Fungidye has copper sulfate in it. Did you see my post to Holly? My farrier's mixture is much cheaper than any products you can buy, he said. So, if I can't reach him soon and figure out the home-mix, I will use the Fungidye and/or the Coppertox. So glad you are having success with your horse's WLD! With the wet weather, are you having to keep him/her totally cooped up and dry in a stall all the time? I've been erring on the side of caution with Buckeye, keeping him in..we've had lots of thunderstorms lately (feels like hurrican season is back already!). But, I hate that he can't move around much since I know circulation is good for his healing from founder. Sigh....Thanks again for your suggestions! Lori J.
Member:
Johnsonl

Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2005 - 8:37 am:

Dr. O,
Thanks for your reply! Your suspicions regarding a defect left-over from the founder make sense. Perhaps this is why my farrier said he wasn't convinced when he looked at the x-rays that it was, in fact, WLD. He's a sharp guy and I trust him, I just hate the waiting game. But, this may be why he said we'll not do anything different right now, and just keep any eye on his feet for anything apparent in the white line, as nothing presents itself right now. Two questions please: (1) Do you know where I can get copper sulfate crystals to make my own hoof diseases (WLD, and thrush) treatment as my farrier suggested? (2) The owners at my barn are getting ready to put mulch made from Florida pines in the horses runs. This has been occasionally over the past 3 years with no problems. But, with Buckeye's laminitis, founder, etc. I'm especially cautious about footing/bedding. Right now there's dirt, but lots has washed away, hence the need for some fill. Do you see any problems with the pine mulch? I know I read black walnut bedding can cause laminitis, and I want to make sure the pine mulch is okay with you. Thanks very much, Lori J.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005 - 7:08 am:

1) The only place I know you could buy the crystals would be a chemical supply house but don't have any names. Maybe check your yellow pages or the internet.
2) Pine mulch would be fine.
DrO
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