Thrush in Horses

See also my Lameness article
Thrush (Merck Vet Manual)

Most every horse owner has seen thrush at one time or another. You pick up your horse's foot to pick the hoof and you see it and smell it!

Thrush is a bacterial or fungal infection that can thrive in the region of the frog, cleft and sole of the hoof. Some horses are more prone to thrush. If the hoof has deep clefts or contracted heels they are more prone to get the infection. That type of conformation traps mud, tends to hold moisture, is not open to the air and provides an environment that makes thrush happy. Thrush is an anaerobic bacteria. That means the bacteria thrives without oxygen. Predisposition or not any horse can get thrush. If left untreated the thrush can get into the sensitive tissues of the hoof and cause great pain. Your horse might present with lameness, react when you pick his hoof, or you might notice an ooze or even blood, along with a nasty odor. Call the vet immediately.

Symptoms

• Foul Odor
• Black yuck on underside of hoof
• Dark stain after removing black substance
• Horse sensitive when hoof is picked
• Sometimes lameness

Treatment

When treating thrush you must be careful because you can get thrush, as well. Always use plastic gloves. Always wash up after treatment with soap and water. I also would use some sort of anti-bacterial on my hands, as well. It is also important to know that thrush can survive in the environment for many months. Other horses in the stable or pasture can contract thrush from an infected horse. There are a number of products that can be purchased over-the-counter. Among them are Thrush Relief Gel, Well-Horse Thrush Treatment, Thrush Buster, Thrush XX, Thrush Remedy, Thrush Antisep Huuf Magic, Thrush XXT, Kopertox, and others. My farrier suggested White Lightning regularly to prevent white line disease. I use it and this does double duty and also prevents thrush. If the thrush gets really bad, pack cotton soaked in the treatment into the affected area. I purchased a horse that had bad thrush and the vet used flagel pounded into a powder and mixed in utter cream. I used that mixture and packed the affected tissues with the soaked cotton. That is a severe remedy for bad thrush, but it did the trick. Sometimes people will suggest bleach. I stay away from bleach because it can burn the tissues and parts around the hoof. There are other home remedies such as sugardine which is made by mixing sugar and betadine or iodine. It is then packed in the clefs of the feet with soaked cotton. Always consult your vet before using these remedies.

• Consult your vet first
• Use protective plastic gloves
• Pick the horse's feet
• Clean the clefts carefully
• Use disinfectant and warm water to clean the feet
• Dry the feet and hooves
• Apply the product your vet suggests

Prognosis

Thrush should respond to treatment. It takes time to kill it, but the outcome is usually good. Unless the case is severe there generally are not any long term problems.

Prevention

• Have regular farrier appointments
• Keep horse's environment dry
• Keep horse's environment clean
• Do not let your horse stand in urine or manure
• Keep horse's bedding clean
• Pick your horse's feet at least two times a day if possible

Excellent images of thrush
Thrush