Treating The White Line Hoof Disease In Ponies
The white line illness that troubles horse hoofs appears to have become something of an epidemic. White line disease causes corrosion of the inner hoof wall. Unless early action is taken, white line disease builds up until it brings about a full break between the hoof wall and the laminae, which ends in coffin bone rotation.
This illness is not connected to stable or hoof conditions like cleanliness. Cracked hooves are far more liable to develop the illness, as are hooves that have gone through a traumatic experience, are unbalanced or suffer from deep-rooted conditions like abscesses. All kinds of pony are susceptible, and the disease can manifest in just one hoof or more.
White line illness is caused by a mix of bacteria and fungi that are generally commonplace in the pasture or the barn. They turn pathogenic when they find their way into a cracked hoof, and they flourish in symbiotic partnership in anaerobic conditions.
In its initial days, the diseased does not lame a pony. In fact when the pony becomes lame, the disease will have inflicted major damage.
Initial symptoms include abnormal bulges in the hoof, hollow sounds when tapped and a soft, chalky white line along the roof. You need to suspect white line disease if your pony loses a bit of hoof together with a shoe.
You can determine the ideal treatment by consulting a veterinarian and a farrier. You’re going to need to get the inside hoof and the coffin bone x-rayed to determine the quantity of disease spread and damage. These x-rays will be needed by the farrier if he has to do some therapeutic shoeing.
The outer hoof wall must be resectioned to permit access to the affected inner hoof wall and damaged tissue. If needed, using therapeutic shoeing measures like a heart bar shoe will help support the weakened hoof. Areas affected need to be kept open to air and light. Merthiolate, betadine and 2% iodine are the major medicine that are used on the affected area.
The extent of damage should establish the quantum of post-resection exercise the horse is allowed.
Care must be taken to keep the affected hoof area dry and dirt free. There should be absolutely no traces of dung or mud. In summer, if the horse is given a bath anytime soon after resection, the hoof and the affected area should be made totally dry with a towel; extended moisture isn’t at all sensible.
The horse may develop abscesses after resections. This susceptibility will continue until the resection has grown out. If horses have had white line resection, drawing hoof poultices and packing should be kept at hand. Abscesses can be indicated by “broken leg lameness”, when the horse shows absolute lameness in the leg that had a resection done.
Treatment of abscesses can create a catch-22 situation: the best treatment is soaking in warmed water with Epsom salt. However , the hooves of horses afflicted with white line illness must be kept dry. It is better to consult a veterinarian and a farrier. They may advocate poultices or alternatively heated bandage pads.
A pony owner with a pony which has undergone a resection has no option but to let the cure run its course till the damaged hoof has grown back entirely and ensure his horse’s affected hoof is kept clean and dry. The farrier should be making routine check up visits post- resection.
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