Soft Frogs!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tashamarie]

Thanks everyone for your help so far..........

Went up to check on my horsi last night and when I checked his feet, I noticed that his frogs were just a little bit soft at the back towards the bone........one or two of them had thin flaps where they were peeling....
He has been out on wet grass for the last two weeks and he isn't shod............could this be the reason, or does it sound a bit more like Lamenitus maybe???
Please help.........first horse and a bit outa my depth!!!!

[AJB]

No its normal for the frogs to peel!-I too was first horse last Summer and was horrified when this happened but my farrier said that it was fine -sometimes the farrier will trim the shaggy bits off-hope this helps!

[Tashamarie]

oh thanks - thats put my mind at rest....Im getting a farrier to see him within the next couple of weeks anyway, but I was just panicking a bit.....

[Catherine]

It's absolutely normal for bits to peel off the frog, especially if they are not on a surface that's abrading the frog away, i.e. the damp grass you're talking about rather than concrete/roads etc. The frog's made of a rubbery-type material that is constantly growing out of the foot, so needs either roughing away or will eventually try to shed itself, hence the peeling. You don't need to worry about it unless the bits get very "frilly", in which case they should come off with a blunt pair of scissors, or as AJB says, ask your farrier to trim them with a foot knife.

At this time of year, when it's either warm or damp, it's easy for thrush to take hold - we all know how lovely that is to deal with - so be careful not to let the flappy bits get too long or allow anything like soil or droppings to be trapped underneath.

If you get get thrush problems, a simple spray like Septiclens (anti-bacterial and antifungal, with a gentian violet stain) will dry it up in record time.

[Tashamarie]

should I get an anti fungal spray as a way to prevent thrush taking hold, or is it best to just keep an eye on them and make sure, like you said, that they don't go frilly?

[Catherine]

If the feet are perfectly dry and not smelly, then I wouldn't worry about putting anything on them for now, as you don't want to dry them out too much by dressing them with chemicals. However, if you have any doubts, then it would be wise to apply something as spot-treatment. That said, even if you're having no problems at the moment, there's no harm in having some on hand, as thrush can take hold quickly.

Septiclens is pretty cheap - about £6 for a chunky 8" aerosol can (bright orange label) from SCATS, but I've also seen it in saddlers too. It's marketed more for cattle and sheep feet, as they can suffer from foot-rot, but used for three or four days twice a day, it is very effective on thrush. I've also used it for resolving mud fever. The spray button has a little nozzle on it that allows you to quite accurate with your aim, unless the foot itself is waving around like the last one I treated and I ended up with purple freckles for a day or two!

[Tashamarie]

thanks for the advice........just to recap then, is Thrush mainly detected by the flaps being a bit lacey and not nice clean straight flaps?? Any other signs?

[Catherine]

Sorry for delay replying - been busy mending horses!

Thrush isn't the state of the frogs themselves, but an infection that can get in and thrive in the nice warm anaerobic squishy environment that tatty frogs provide! It is diagnosed by the appearance of black, moist and crumbly matter in the clefts either side of the frog and in the frog itself, and sometimes on the sole itself anad round between the the rim of the shoe and the sole. This gunge is the breakdown of sole and frog tissue, and there is often a very unpleasant smell, which is indescribable but you'll know it when you smell it!

If this happens, scrape away as much of the loose material as you can, trim off excess frog tissue, scrub off, swab dry and then spray, and let the horse stand around fro a few minutes till the spray has dried off. Keep checking it over the next few days; if the infection is bad, then keep removing dead material and respraying; you might want to scrub again. Where possible, keep the horse off squishy ground conditions; damp grass is one thing but mud will only undo what you're doing.

PM me if you want more!

[western]

Its perfectly normal for the frogs to peel . My horse was doing that too. It happends more in spring in my area because of moisture . Now at my area it is preety much dry. things to worry about though are if you smell a foul smell to them or any other things.