26 August 2008 17:07
My horse is lame with thrush. I had been using cedar extract, which seemed to hold things in check, but now I’m looking for anything else that could help – he’s had this problem for a year. I’m going to try a foot supplement and have also been advised to try a hoof antiseptic. My vet wants him to have formalin and copper sulphate but I’ve read some material advising against it. How can I get things under control?
Answer
By Your Horse
Vet Stephen Ashdown advises:
As the situation has got worse, the infection must have spread to the underlying sensitive tissue beneath the horn. This will make it more difficult to treat.
I’d agree that formalin and copper sulphate may make the situation worse, but equally they can also be very effective in serious situations.
I’m interested to hear you’ve used cedar extract, which can work very well in such situations.
Since the infection has gone deeper, I’d suggest you treat it from the inside, using a cedar-based product. I’d recommend a formula called AnbioFlam and an immune-system boosting product called ImmuPlus.
Strengthening up horn growth can also be effective and you can try supplements such as Farrier’s Formula or Bone & Hoof Supplement.