| Author |
Barnyard Buddies:  Donkey Hoof Fungus  |
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 10:31:25 AM
|
The farrier came out yesterday to trim my donkeys' hooves. One of the donkeys has an ongoing problem with fungus on the front hooves. The farrier cuts up into the hoof to let it air out and I have been cleaning the hoofs and squirting iodine up in them. The farrier suggested putting down lime in their stable. There's still the problem of mucky ground around the pond area where they drink. Anyone else had a problem like this? Does lime work? What else can I do to help my poor donkey?
Thanks,Karen
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 11:31:03 AM
|
You just had it trimmed and that should help a lot. There is medicine you can buy at the feed store and apply daily that helps with keeping them disinfected. The muck by the pond shouldn't really be an issue unless he is standing around in it for extended periods of time. I don't know where you live so can't really guess on if you need to apply lime or not. Lime can be caustic. Here in NM we have the opposite problem of the hooves being too dry unless the equine is standing around in a pen that isnt clean and dry. We put sandy gravel in out pens to help with the footing. One has to be careful not to feed them on the loose sand before it packs though or they can get sand colic. I bet the trim will do the trick for you though. Just keep his hooves clean and dry. It's the excess hoof material that traps the bacteria and rot.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
 |
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 4:57:36 PM
|
Hey Laura,
Thanks for the info. This has been an ongoing problem with this donkey. The farrier said that she probably had weak hooves (don't know how to explain this, but she showed me, comparing it to another donkey's healthy hoof) when she arrived at my farm, making her susceptible to the fungus. The farrier has cut her hooves several times and I have tried my best to keep her hooves clean. We have had lots of rain here in NC, so that does not help. You said that lime can be caustic. What exactly do you mean? I bought a bag of lime at my local farm center today and when the lady learned why I was buying it she said that I must get hydrated lime and that should do the trick. Like I said, I have been applying iodine (not religiously) and I tried soaking her hooves but she wouldn't have any part of that. Can you tell me the name of the medicine you are talking about? Thanks much!
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 8:07:21 PM
|
Well the medicine I am talking about is for thrush really. I think it might do the same as the iodine except a little stronger. It basically kills germs. May or may not be what you are needing. As far as lime being caustic honestly I was just wondering if it might be. Sorry I might be wrong about that. It seems there was something in the back of my head about that. My Dad was a well driller and they sometimes used lime for some reason and I remember him telling me as a child to stay away from it cause it would sort of burn my skin and eyes. It might be a different type, who knows. My daughter uses some stuff to strengthen the hooves that smells like barbque sauce. I will find out more about it. I think she uses it after she trims their hooves to seal them. I wonder if your donkey would benefit from some sort of supplement. There are a lot of supplements on the market that work real well to strengthen the hooves. It sounds like his hooves might be sort of porous maybe. That is a problem a lot of Thoroughbreds have also. They arent really bred for longevity. It's sad really. We call them crumbly hooves. If they get a little long they start to crumble. Do you have a lot of rocks where you live. Would he benefit from some shoes? Maybe with pads too. Shoes could do more harm though. But I really think that a supplement might help a lot. There is a product called shohoof . The link is below its about halfway down the first page. There are a lot of other good supplements too. I will talk to my daughter about it some more. She used to have a horse that came to us foundered and she taught herself a lot about hoof care. She used to come up with some pretty good products and ideas.
http://www.horse.com/Search.aspx?path=cHORSEp601&page=1&hits=24&sort=bestselling
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
|
|
|
KathyC
True Blue Farmgirl
583 Posts
Kathy
Gastonia
NC
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 11:24:47 PM
|
Karen,
I had a horse that had a fungus problem that we had a hard time clearing up. Tried lots of different remedies and then I think it was the vet that advised a product called Tomorrow. Its a treatment for mastitis in cows but really worked for the fungus problem. Its been several years so I don't remember exactly how long we used it but here is web site that is discussing its use. http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-234714.html
Also used lime in his stall occasionally. When he had to be stalled for whatever reason and it would get that pee smell or when I was putting in all new bedding. I would sprinkle the lime on his pee spot and then cover well with bedding. Lime can be irritating.
Hope you find something that works, it can be very frustrating trying to get that stuff cleared.
Kathy |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
|
|
KathyC
True Blue Farmgirl
583 Posts
Kathy
Gastonia
NC
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 10:19:16 AM
|
Just to be clear, this is NOT used orally for this purpose but is put on the sole of the foot. It comes in a tube with a long thin applicator tip so you can get into all the nooks and crannies of the sole. I don't know how this is used for cow purposes. We had to get the horses feet in shape with proper trimming and I also believe that diet can contribute to fungus problems in horses feet.
Kathy |
|
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 1:27:33 PM
|
Thanks Laura and Kathy. I will check into all those things you mentioned. Also going to call the vet and ask some questions. There's a good tack shop not too far from where I live and they may have some of those hoof products. Donkeys are very different from horses, so I know I have to be careful. Laura, my husband is an environmental scientist and I just asked him about lime being caustic. He said that it is alkaline and that it raises the pH of the soil. Perhaps your father used lye? That would be very irritating and dangerous. Hydrated lime, as you probably know, has water attached to it. Anyway, he has no idea if the lime would be irritating, but I'm going with what Kathy said and will be sure to put bedding down on top of the lime whenever I clean out the stable. It's raining like crazy here today and the same is called for tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until the weekend to start on the stable. Will let you know what I find out from the vet. Thanks again!
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 2:22:55 PM
|
I don't know it was so long ago.
Kathy, The tip on the mastitis applicator is to insert into the cow or goats teat. It sounds horrid but in reality it doesn't cause them any pain at all. I was just thinking there might be an oral antibiotic or maybe even something injectable like pen G that would help. If it is a fungus then maybe approaching it systematically would be an option. I think you are right though that building up the immune system with herbs is the best way. Horses can sometimes colic if they are given antibiotics because it kills the good bacteria in their gut, probably the same with donkeys. I lost a beautiful filly to that one time. If antibiotics are given to horses especially babies it is wise to also give a probiotic at the same time, or some active yogurt.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
|
|
|
oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 3:25:37 PM
|
the type of lime you want to get is called "sweet lime", sprinkle in the stall or where ever the problem is, then scratch in with a hard rake...I have for many years used liquid lysol and blueing for thrush/fungus problems in all my hoofed livestock, normaly we are dry here (high desert) but every 6-7 years we will get monsoons from arizona area, and we stay damp and muggy , so it can cause hoof problems
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 5:56:08 PM
|
The fungus you are talking about may be different than what many of us think of as fungus in horse hooves. Since you live in NC, I recall when I was training for natural hoofcare with Pete Ramey in Georgia, he said they have a terrible problem in that area with a type of fungus that travels up the hoof wall. He didn't know if it was something in the soil, or what it was, but it runs in channels up the length of the wall. We visited one of his clients where the horses had problems with it really bad. The horse were sound, but they just had pretty ugly hooves from all of the grooves made from the fungus. One of his articles on his website addresses this kind of issue, just scroll a little ways down the page on this web page to the "fungal complications" heading.
http://www.hoofrehab.com/wallcracks.htm
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 4:18:56 PM
|
We are still battling my donkeys' white line hoof disease. It seems to be prevalent in the area where I live because of the wet conditions. The farrier finally suggested I call the vet and he made up a solution of equal parts of formaldehyde, iodine, and water. This hardens up their hooves and seems to be working. I've had to clean their hooves daily and apply the solution, which hasn't been easy. After I clean the hooves, I put on disposable gloves and dab the solution into the affected areas. Seven days of this, then two or three times a week until it's cleared up. Just thought I'd post this formula in case anyone else has encountered the same problem with their equines.
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2013 : 5:21:43 PM
|
Laura,
Wish I could send some rain your way. It rains here just about every day. We are lucky that we haven't had severe thunderstorms. Seems that they are all around us and have caused damage in nearby towns. I'm sure if it were dry I would be praying for rain.
Take care, Karen
quote:
Originally posted by crittergranny
Too bad your donkey can't come live out here for a while. NO self respecting fungus could live through this horrid drought we are having.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2013 : 11:21:40 AM
|
Coppertox comes to mind when dealing with thrush. See if the vet can get a culture and have it analyzed microscopically and tested for bacteria. It maybe more than just fungus.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2013 : 08:01:29 AM
|
Karen, That is a frustrating ordeal to put up with for your donkey. Pete Ramey used to talk about using a similar solution for hooves in his area of Georgia where it is very wet all of the time.
I'm trying to think of any other thing you can do for your donkey other than keeping those hooves trimmed as much as possible. The longer they are, the more area there is for stuff to get caught up on the grooves and crevices. Think about your own hands and how much easier is to keep them clean when you keep your nails short, than when they are long and hang over the edges of your fingers. So, the hooves kind of self-clean when they are kept trimmed up regularly. Maybe your farrier can show you how to rasp the hooves in between trims, to keep any extra hoof wall from growing in.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
|
|
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2013 : 1:27:00 PM
|
Thanks so much. I'll definitely ask my vet and farrier about that.
quote:
Originally posted by queenmushroom
Coppertox comes to mind when dealing with thrush. See if the vet can get a culture and have it analyzed microscopically and tested for bacteria. It maybe more than just fungus.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2013 : 7:16:50 PM
|
Hi Paula,
The farrier is coming out every four weeks now, so the hooves don't ever get very long. And, she's been notching their hooves so the problem areas can get air. Also, I'm cleaning those areas and the sole and applying solution in the cut out sections. They seem to be doing better. It will be interesting to see what she says when she comes back in two weeks.
Karen
quote:
Originally posted by StrawHouseRanch
Karen, That is a frustrating ordeal to put up with for your donkey. Pete Ramey used to talk about using a similar solution for hooves in his area of Georgia where it is very wet all of the time.
I'm trying to think of any other thing you can do for your donkey other than keeping those hooves trimmed as much as possible. The longer they are, the more area there is for stuff to get caught up on the grooves and crevices. Think about your own hands and how much easier is to keep them clean when you keep your nails short, than when they are long and hang over the edges of your fingers. So, the hooves kind of self-clean when they are kept trimmed up regularly. Maybe your farrier can show you how to rasp the hooves in between trims, to keep any extra hoof wall from growing in.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 07:09:50 AM
|
Hi Karen,
It sounds like you have a solid handle on the situation. Some things just take longer to get better, but I'll bet you start seeing some positive results before you know it! Keep us posted.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
|
|
|
|
Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2013 : 1:45:06 PM
|
Cleaning my donkeys' hooves two or three times a week and applying the formaldehyde/iodine/water mixture has worked wonders. Not only does the application kill the fungus, it also hardens the hooves. The farrier has noticed a marked improvement and said she will start carrying the solution with her, as she often sees white line disease in the horses and donkeys she trims. She said that all of the large animal vets she's spoken with recommend it.
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
|
|
|
will2farm
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
57 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2013 : 10:57:19 AM
|
| Hey Karen. Just read your post. So glad your donkeys hoof is healing. Kinda late and not sure it's much help but I'm a dairy farmer and have had trouble with the cows hooves similar as to what you're explaining. The vets refer to it as hairy heel wart. We have used formeldahyde with good results but at the risk of embalming ourselves:) we switched to oxytetracycline. It comes in a powder or liquid and is easy to apply. It really kills the bacteria quickly. While I'm sure I have been called an ass at times:) I'm not very knowledgeable about donkeys so may wanna check with your vet. Good Luck |
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2013 : 07:34:31 AM
|
Great news Karen! So glad to hear your donkey is doing better. What are your plans for your furry kid? Are you planning on training, driving, etc? I have a 15hh black bay saddle mule who has been languishing as a pasture pet for awhile, and I need to get back to doing some fun training with her. I've been glued to all of the Meredith Hodges, Lucky Three Ranch website and facebook pages lately to get some ideas about where to begin again.
Love those longears!!
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
|
|
|
| |
Barnyard Buddies: Donkey Hoof Fungus |
|
Donkey Hoof Fungus
