Thrush Med Questions

[rennyben]

I have a unique situation and thought I’d ask the “collective” if they had any advice –

I am doing a partial lease on a fantastic horse. He has mild thrush in the crevices on either side of his frogs that won’t go away.

Here’s the problem: I can only get to the barn on Saturdays. The owner is recovering from surgery and will not be able to get to the barn for several months. I have no control over his care, feeding or farrier work. I have been treating him with Koppertox before I ride him - but this is only once a week. I’ve been using Koppertox because that is what is in the barn’s medicine cabinet. I’ve told the owner and he is concerned. What can we do?

Is there a better product out there? I have been out of horses for a couple years and I think I remember some product’s ad saying it cures thrush in one treatment? Am I crazy? I’m hoping someone will say Koppertox stinks and won’t cure it – so use xxxyyzzz instead and results will be instantaneous.

Background info: he is a draft cross, barefoot, ridden only on weekends, turned out every day in a paddock that has muddy spots. His stall has mats and he is bedded in straw, it is cleaned every day.

Thanks in advance! He is a truly great horse.

[elio]

I am in the process of treating an ongoing thrush issue. Since you are only there once per week might I suggest a heftier product…Thrush Buster. More costly than Kopertox but seems more effective in the short term. The long term involves…soaking (in either bleach & water or Lysol & water) than drying and than applying peroxide (as a drying agent)…drying and than applying the medication of either kopertox or thrush buster. good luck!

[Rodeio]

I recently used CleanTrax on a neglected pony I picked up. This stuff is unbelievable! It cleaned up the nastiest thrush in one treatment.

[LetsRide]

THE best thrush treatment is Dry Cow Today or Dry Cow Tomorrow (mastitis treatment) followed by sugardine (Betadine and sugar mixture).

[luvmywalkers]

If not severe, try the Today or Tomorrow (I’ve used it successfully without the sugardine); for really bad cases, go with the Clean Trax.

[rennyben]

awesome! Thanks guys!

I hope this can get the old guy’s feet cleared up.

:yes::yes:

[rennyben]

more questions!!!

ok, I just did a search for the dry cow today or tomorrow… is that the whole name? Where do I get this and how do I apply it?
Is the dry cow stuff that much better than thrush buster?

I also did a search for the cleartrax – This looked really involved, I’d have to buy the soaking boots, etc… while I’ll do this if necessary I think I’d rather try a simpler solution first.

[luvmywalkers]

You can buy the Today and/or Tomorrow at Tractor Supply.

Pick the feet, squirt the stuff in the sulci. If you find any tears or holes in the frog, push the tip of the tube in as far as possible. If there’s a crack between the heelbulbs, squirt it in there as well.

If indeed a mild case, often one treatment is enough. Some people have elaborate schemes such as 3 days on/one day off for 3 weeks, or every other day for so many weeks. I’d say, play it by ear (or nose). Buy a couple of tubes, it’s not expensive. Use it once and see what happens.

If you’re dealing with a bad case of thrush, Clean Trax is absolutely worth the expense and time involved.

[rennyben]

luvmywalkers – you are fantastic. Thank you!

It’s not a severe case, I just don’t like the fact that it’s not going away. This probably has more to do with not getting his feet picked and kopertox used but maybe 1-2 a week. I may hang a hoofpick by his door and ask the BM if she can pick his feet out daily for a while.

If it still doesn’t clear up I’ll certainly try the cleartracks.

Thanks again!

[jaimebaker]

Thrushbuster gets my vote since you only apply it once a week in dry conditions, twice a week in wet. It knocks it out quick. Instead of Cleantrax I would recommend White Lightning. Easier to deal with in application. They have a pump bottle, that’s the one you want. Still expensive though and I only use that on nasty cases. For light thrush, bleach water (10% bleach, 90% water). But still, I’ll go with the Thrushbuster 95% of the time. I apply it and its gone the next day. Just make sure and dig out as much as you can with the hoof pick.

[JetsBuddy]

I second the Tomorrow paste. It works wonders!!

[GallopingGrape]

Today and Tomorrow works WONDERS, and more importantly, it will not harm good tissue like Thrush Buster will…

[JetsBuddy]

My farrier is actually the person who recommended the Tomorrow paste. He told me that Thrush Buster is caustic and can burn like GallopingGrape said. At $2 a tube it’s worth a try. The stuff is super easy to use and it really gets into the nooks and crannys.

[rennyben]

holy smokes at $2/a tube! That’s the best news this broker-than-broke woman has gotten all day!
Thanks to everyone for their input!
:):)

[JetsBuddy]

I comes in a 10 cc tube with a long narrow plastic tip (kind of like a regular syringe without the sharp end). You can buy it by the case or by the single tube. I buy it at Agway or at the grain mill. It was $23 for the case (12 tubes) or $2/tube at the grain mill. It worked so well on Jet last year that his frog actually completely peeled and fresh healthy frog was underneath. He was in a pasture that tended to be muddy and had contracted heels before we got him. Good luck!!!

[jaimebaker]

[QUOTE=JetsBuddy;4093530]
My farrier is actually the person who recommended the Tomorrow paste. He told me that Thrush Buster is caustic and can burn like GallopingGrape said. At $2 a tube it’s worth a try. The stuff is super easy to use and it really gets into the nooks and crannys.[/QUOTE]

It IS caustic. There’s warnings on the bottle to make sure you are out of kick range when you apply it. It’s got iodine in it. Iodine burns (unless it’s some low percentage). If it’s a mild case of thrush, the horse won’t even feel it. If it’s a bit deeper you might get a stomp out of them. But I’d rather hit it with it once and just be done with it. The Tomorrow works fine but it’s always taken me several days to knock it out with that. But if it was a bad case of thrush I’d definitely go with Tomorrow and once most was knocked out hit it with Thrushbuster for more punch. I fought thrush a lot when we were during a drought two years ago (farrier said it was way worse than if it had been wet all year). I got tired of the Kopertox, bleach water, tea tree oil and other crap I tried. One hit of the Thrushbuster and it was gone.

[Pippin]

[QUOTE=LetsRide;4089978]
THE best thrush treatment is Dry Cow Today or Dry Cow Tomorrow (mastitis treatment) followed by sugardine (Betadine and sugar mixture). :)[/QUOTE]

will second / third this product … it is amazing stuff… and comes with a handy applicator too…

ALSO good on Scratches… amazing stuff and cheap…

P~