How To Treat horse hoof thrush Infections With Banixx

What is Thrush and how do I treat it?

The Banixx Pet Care RemedyA nasty, rotten odor that is found when picking a horse’s hoof is a probable sign of a fungal infection called thrush. Thrush in horses hooves erodes the tissues of the frog, leaving a blackish ooze on the surface. Although the smell is quite foul, thrush usually does not cause lameness.  However, in more severe thrush cases a horse may be a little "off" or lame. When horses live in an unclean, confined area, such as a stall or small paddock, thrush in horses is more apt to thrive because of the accumulated manure that is warm and moist – a breeding ground for infection.  A horse who is exposed to "clean" mud that is free of manure and urine isn't as likely to develop thrush as one who stands in urine-soaked bedding for most of the day.  As a variety of bacteria penetrate the epidermis, or outer horn of the frog, the tissues deteriorate.  And because this is dead tissue, there is no blood supply or oxygen to help fight off the infection.  The whole area becomes a sort of incubator for the overgrowth of bacteria.  Horses whose feet are not well maintained, or who wear hoof pads are also more susceptible to thrush.

In these photos, this horse, a Fjord, had a long-standing history of deep central sulcus thrush (look at the center of his frog). The owner had tried to clear this up using several different products. Some products had a terrible clinical odor, some were risky (carcinogens), some were complicated and some stained her hands, horse & barn aisle. Some, even if they appeared to work, were damaging to healthy tissue because they contained products such as iodine. She then started using Banixx diligently on a daily basis. No more mess, smell or risky liquids! The thrush cleared up! The "after" photos are 12 weeks later. It should be noted, in cases of a long standing thrush infection, such as this, continued use of Banixx to prevent future thrush is a good idea. The Banixx liquid will penetrate the crevices and not just dust the surface of the hoof.  Dry hoof preparations will not penetrate to the source, but merely cauterize the surface.  Read below how Banixx banishes Thrush, simply by changing the pH of the hoof. Control of the pH gives control over infection!

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horse thrush
horse thrush treated with Banixx
Photos courtesy of Miranda of SB HoofCare

How to get rid of and treat Thrush in horses

Dealing with thrush requires developing a routine. You need to eliminate the invading fungus and bacteria. Fungus simply cannot grow in an environment rich in Banixx. The unique pH of Banixx causes the thrush organisms to die (Banixx provides an acidic environment) while causing zero harm to healthy tissue, unlike many other thrush treatments that contain, for example, iodine or bleach. It's a simple concept! If you can control the pH (via Banixx applications) ...you can control the infection! Repeated iodine treatments will eventually burn your horse’s tissue and make him difficult or overly sensitive to treat. Bleach will dry out the tissue and is not generally recommended. An application of Banixx, twice a day, will serve as the best thrush treatment for your horse and the best time to treat, is immediately after your farrier has trimmed out the foot.

Once your horse’s thrush is cleared up, follow these steps to keep thrush at bay:

  • Daily attention to hoof cleanliness and health is important. If you can’t do this, make a back-up plan with a friend who can assist. Early recognition will go a long way in preventing or containing a festering infection.
  • Your horse NEEDS regular motion to properly circulate blood to keep healthy, which includes the hooves. Regular exercise and turnout are essential – so get your horse outside and moving.
  • The frogs should be trimmed in a manner that while clefts may remain somewhat deep, the frog isn’t allowed to grow to a point where it is overlapping. This promotes self-cleaning of the clefts during a horse’s outside activities, including walking, exercising, playing, working, etc.
  • Keep your horse’s environment clean - the object being to limit your horse access to areas of potential contamination. This includes providing good drainage for all living spaces, including turnout pastures and daily mucking of paddocks and stalls. Buy Banixx or buy online. 

Preventing Thrush in Horses - Controlling Thrush in Horses

Even with good management, some horses are prone to chronic thrush and may have recurrent episodes no matter how clean their environment is kept. In these cases, management of the problem with Banixx spray, several times a week, is a must to control the problem. These horses often have some hoof abnormality, such as, excessive heel growth that provides a very deep cleft between the heel bulbs. This makes it impossible to keep this cleft clean with a hoof pick without making the horse sore. In this type of situation, a syringe (without the needle!!) or a plastic curved tip syringe may be useful for reaching deep places with Banixx, such as, between deep heel bulbs. An alternative is to place the hoof in a medicine boot or substitute, with 3-4 ounces of Banixx, once or twice a week while your horse eats. Consistency is the key.

long curved-tip syringe

Long Curved-tip Syringe can be used as a tool when treating your horse for thrush.

Another aspect of treating thrush is to provide some changes in the affected horse's living arrangements. Resolve to keep cleaner, drier stalls and increase your horse's exercise/turnout time. Better yet, try for a longer turnout in a clean field. Not only will these changes help clear up a case of thrush, but it will help prevent its return. Naturally, we all would like our horses to live in a perfect world with large green pastures and a lovely, large clean stall. However, we do understand that this is often difficult to achieve and that we are all doing our best for our horses but, these efforts are often limited.

METHOD OF BANIXX APPLICATION FOR HORSE HOOF THRUSH
Pick the horse's feet; you may need a pick with a brush for hidden areas. Preferably, Banixx should be applied twice a day, am and pm and the best time to treat is immediately after your professional (farrier or vet) has trimmed the hoof. This is because your professional will trim away any dead or diseased tissue so you will be able to easily access any infection with Banixx. This will allow Banixx to do its best work. If possible, keep the hoof in the “boot” for an hour or so, then remove it and tape up the hoof with gauze and vet wrap or duct tape, before returning the horse to his environment, to try to keep the hoof as clean as possible. For chronic cases, repeat this process 3-4 days after each trim. 

How to Treat Severe Thrush with Banixx

A deep, severe thrush infection had penetrated deep into the sensitive Plantar cushion within the horse's hoof, and this horse was lame.

The hole caused by the thrush infection, seen in the picture at left, was 1/2" deep before treatment. After 3 days of Banixx application with a medicine boot, there was a huge reduction in both the size and depth of the horse's thrush infection (see photo above, at right).

Thrush is a common anaerobic bacterial infection of the horse’s hoof tissue characterized by a black, necrotic (dead), foul-smelling material. This condition typically affects the central or collateral sulci, but in severe cases thrush can also invade the white line, sole, and sensitive layers of the foot, potentially resulting in permanent lameness.

The medication boot was important for maintaining the foot in the Banixx solution and keeping the foot in a clean environment. Learn more about the reason for using a medicine boot.

Banixx is documented to produce "fast results even with painful severe thrush, with pain markedly decreased within one to two days" (Horse Journal, Dec 2009).

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Chronic Thrush - BEFORE Banixx
Chronic Thrush - BEFORE Banixx
Chronic Thrush - Day 3 WITH Banixx
Chronic Thrush - Day 3 WITH Banixx
As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By "prevention" we mean being proactive and involved in your pet's welfare.  For example, if you are using Banixx for a particular problem and results are not seen in a few days or, if the situation seems worse--don't hesitate---it's time to consult with your local veterinarian!

Customers 5-star Comments Saying Banixx is the Best Treatment for Thrush in horses
"My vet told me that he had heard positive things about Banixx. He further recommended that I use it on a particularly aggressive case of thrush that I had been battling for 8 months. After a week of treatment with Banixxt, the thrush cleared up in both of my horses. My farrier came two weeks later and declared it... Official....absolutely no sign of thrush! I am now using your product as a preventative against any more thrush. I am so happy and pleased that i wanted to let you know that my nightmare is over! The hooves look normal, the frogs are healthy and my horses are happy. Thank You!"By Susan H (Banixx Customer)
"Banished rainrot - We had a pony who had developed hives, which ended up contributing to the worst case of rainrot ever! This product cleared up the rainrot in a matter of days. Additionally we had 2 horses with thrush. Our farrier loved this product. It also cleared up thrush amazingly quickly"By Lazyfilly (Smartpaq Customer)
"Love it, especially to treat hoof infections or thrush"By wetarezon (Amazon Customer)
"Banixx is an effective, painless thrush remedy for horses hooves. Cleared up the thrush in a week with daily application! I would definitely recommend this product."By Debbie (Chewy Customer)
"Gets the job done! Banixx is great for use on cuts and abrasions & to treat rain rot. I also use it daily to prevent thrush and hoof abscesses. I love this stuff!!"By Theia (Amazon Customer)