What really caught my eye listening was the history of how difficult it’s been to treat and he mentioned one case where the owner spent $200k at a year at the clinic! And how doxycycline was the game changer in reversing it. Like 60 days and it’s resolved. I knew somebody would need to hear this.
I’ve never dealt w canker nor known of anyone but it sounds awful.
I have never had to deal with cankers either (thank goodness!) but when we were training in NC, there was a gentleman who had a 4 in hand of Shires and they all had cankers. I remember them all having to stay inside for months as they battled with it. They couldn’t go out in the wet or rain and their stalls had to be cleaned several times a day to keep their feet dry. They were rebandaging daily and used diapers to cover their massive feet. At the time they were trying out Banixx to see if it would help, but it was relatively new, so I’m not sure if it helped them or not. Poor horses as it looked painful and I couldn’t imagine being on stall rest for so long and having issues walking.
For whatever reason, it’s more common to Draft breeds.
I’d see Belgians at the Shipshewana auction - generally in the Killpen 
- & the stench was unmistakable.
Major reason I haven’t gone near the auction barn in decades.
& When I did go (with friends looking to buy), NEVER anywhere near the killpens.
Yeah I heard that about drafts and wondered why. My mustang is 36% European Heavy Horse and has the bone to back that up. What he also has is that Mallenders and Sallendars - hyperkerarotosis on the back of his RR between the fetlock and hock - 4 inches or so. I can keep it backed off with that Equiderma shampoo and cream.
It made me think of the whole draft thing and wondering why???
I had a mare with hoof canker. We ended up having to PTS. It was that bad.
I’m so sorry. He mentioned that happening.
Thank you. It was a long time ago, but I’m happy to hear that there are folks studying treatments.
Interestingly, my horse was AQHA so not at all a draft type.
I finished the podcast on the way home. Interesting the vet said they see more canker in rescue horses and with a better diet and Vitamin E you help prevent it.
I need to find time to listen to this (or ask the owner of THH) about the doxy. I have one who had surgery in June for canker that sprouted out of a cut in his frog during a very wet period (and if that ever happens again, I will spend the time and $$ wrapping the snot out of something like that). About 2 months ago my 34yo developed a canker lump on one of his feet, so obviously the organism is in the soil here. But at 34, unable to eat any sort of hay, regular or chopped, unwilling to eat enough of any food, he is not remotely a candidate for the stall rest that would be required to some degree to cut that thing out. And, his arthritis makes it such that he may not be here much longer anyway, so I just keep topically “medicating” with desitin and copper sulfate which seems to do a pretty good job keeping it in check and dried out
I can see how the elderly would be more vulnerable. I’m so sorry JB, like you need this going on and your poor boy. Yeah, my cliff note summary was that doxy is key.
My pet farrier/gentleman friend swears that doxy is a miracle drug when it comes to hooves, especially trying to regrow healthy hoof tissue. It’s strictly anecdotal (I’m a science gal and pressed for details without success), he can’t really explain what exactly it does or why, but I saved this for future listening because I’m really interested
I was able to listen to this on my walk today, and I’ve asked Alicia for clarification, but to your recollection, did Reilly really say he likes to put these horses on oral Thyro powder for the 30 days? I swear I llistened to that part 4 times and could never be 100% sure that’s what he said LOL My 34 cannot afford any sped up metabolism, he’s tooo thin as it is 
Ok, I found the transcript part of that episode - he really did say “thyroid powder” but it seems to be in the context of “we got rid of the canker, but 6-12 months later it’s back”.
However, he also referred to that “thyroid powder” as both an immune stimulant, and a vaso-dilater, which is not something I’ve ever heard any of that referred to.
Back a few decades ago there was an article in Equus in their medical section about treating a horse with stubborn canker. Nothing worked until the vet used a drug that was used for pythiosis infections. I can’t remember which drug it was since I read it so long ago but whatever it was - it got rid of the canker.
Cool - amphotericin B maybe? That’s the abx I found for treatment of early pythiosis
Yeah, I wondered too and interesting you found the transcript. I’d never heard that either about Thyro L being an immune stimulant. Maybe you are going to reach out to him? 
Interesting. I’ve never hear of pythiosis. What is that?
So interesting. Isn’t it doxy that is used for EPM?
Doxycycline is used for Lyme. Not used in EPM treatment.
It’s a terrible fungal/protozoa disease
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