Iodine and horse hoof?

A warning about the use of iodine on the outside of the hoof...should ANY of the iodine run over and go down the side of the hoof and contact the coronet band, it will burn the heck out of it. DON'T make that mistake!!

Iodine...mixed with suger into a paste(sugardine)will knock thrush OUT.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/hoof_...

A link with general info on thrush.

http://www.lesspub.com/s3/site/pdf/afj/_Sugar_dine...

Edit: Am sorry that the thumbs downers are unable to read...

http://www.horsekeeping.com/hoof_care_and_lameness...

Another link by Cherry Hill on the treatment of thrush(sugardine)....don't worry thumbers down...there's hope for you yet. Just do your "research".....lol

Edit: Just looked up Jim Rickens..it's the real deal.

I have a stallion that got a very bad case of lamminitis. After he was finally healed thanking God, he had a series of abceses for about a year on and off. I used iodine post hoof cleaning and it worked wonderfully.

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RE:

Iodine and horse hoof?

okay I used iodine on my horse's hoofs (her sole and frog area) I heard it helps with thrush (kills thrush) but that it also makes their hoofs stronger? anyone else heard this... my horse is barefoot and want her hoofs strong but no SUPPLEMENT suggestions or hoof dressing uses.

I do not use a...

I have used iodine on my horses' feet for at least 12 years without any ill effect. It does dry the hoof tissue, and I don't use it all the time, mostly during the wet season. It is important to use "strong" iodine (I think that is 5-7%) rather than weak iodine or betadine to get the benefit. I use a condiment bottle (like a squeeze bottle) with a small hole in the nozzle to direct the iodine to the cleft of the frog, rather than spilling it all over the hoof, and to keep it off my clothes.

I have used the commercial thrush products, and really don't see a difference in results. My vet recommended it originally to help help prevent recurrence of canker in my Standardbred, but it seems to work well to prevent and/or treat thrush as well.

I have never heard of using iodine as a method for thrush treatment and nor would I trust that advice. (see edit below...I've been corrected!)

Iodine/betadine is a drying agent. You are doing more harm than good if you use it to 'strengthen' your horses hooves.

For thrush you use a diluted bleach or an actual thrush remedy like thrush buster or kopertox.

To toughen a horses sole you can use Venice Turpentine.

Warnings? Must not be much, if at all since I have had 5 farriers and all 5 mentioned, as did 4 of my vets.

I have to admit, you are the first person I have ever seen denounce a hoof supplement which is nothing but minerals and vitamins that the hoof craves. Odd

As for the water statement:

If a person lives in a dry area, such as myself, it is crucial to provide a muddy area in front of the water trough so that the horses are forced to get their feet soaking and wet. It's not long enough to cause thrush since it's not constant..but it's enough moisture to help the hooves from becoming dry and brittle.

Just as using a hoof oil/conditioner.

You use hand lotion? Same idea.

EDIT:

Thanks Sov for that info! I truly have NEVER heard of iodine for thrush! Thanks for the link too! Now I can trust that advice!

The sole of the hoof transpires, or "breathes". Applying iodine , which is a very harsh chemical that will indeed be absorbed into the hoof through the sole, is not a good idea. It is as bad an idea as applying formaldahyde or any of the other nonsense people have used over time.

If you want the sole to harden, then don't pare it away, and let it harden and thicken and do its job. Chemicals like iodine damage healthy tissue. Damaged healthy tissue becomes food for bacteria. Beneath the horn cells of the sole is healthy tissue that the iodine will contact because the sole will allow it through. There is no chemical that has been found that will harden the sole or frog, without negative consequences that outweigh any potential benefits. You are on the right track already.....add iodine to the list of "does more harm than good" hoof treatments to avoid. If you want healthy hooves, and hard soles, get him out of the wet and mud, get rid of the shoes, and give him lots of exercise and good nutrition.

Add turpentine to the list of things you may not want absorbed into your horse's healthy, living tissues. As an RN, I am aware of how things work.....there is no such thing as applying toxic products to transpiring tissue and doing so "correctly".

Add...sugardine, which is iodine mixed with sugar, was very popular in the 70s. Unfortunately, some vets who graduated back then haven't bothered to keep up with the research over the next 30 years. Some have still found a valid place for it in deep ulcerations that respond to nothing else conventional. Many still treat thrush with it.

There are better choices for hoof treatment.

What are the conditions that your horse lives in? Mine are outside 24/7 unless I am boarding. As for hardening and strengthening, I don't think iodine is going to help you out.

If you are boarding, make sure that your horse gets lots of turnout during the day and make sure that you apply water to the hooves everyday. I just use a small dishwashing detergent bottle of water and spray the whole hoof, underside and all, especially in the heel and bulb area (this is the area that dries out the most).

My other horse which is at home on the farm, is on full turnout and free choice hay. There is a fair amount of snow on the ground so I don't have to apply water daily. The snow is doing a great job.

Lots of movement is recommended. A horse that stands around all day in a stall will not develop strong hooves.

Don't waste your money on hoof hardeners and such. They seal what moisture the hoof already has in and but prevents any outside moisture from entering the hoof. Hooves need moisture.

Hopefully I have helped you out a bit.

You should really look into a product called Jim Rickens. It will cure thrush and white line in as little as 1 day. However, it must be handled with gloves and I prefer to use a kids toothbrush to apply.

Go to this website and click Horse Health Care and then go to hoof care and you should find it.

http://www.greenhawk.net/

I also agree with Sovreign on sugardine being perfectly safe and healthy for hooves.

Because living conditions have changed from horse's going from living in the wild to being domesticated- we are having to help the horse in the healing process. Leaving thrush or white line alone can lead to the spreading and even cause lameness in horses. I know there are a lot of the "natural" people that say leave it alone out there. But you aren't going to leave your horse unprotected to WNV if there's an outbreak in your area now are you? Part of taking responsibility in the domestication of horses is caring and curing to make the horse stronger.

If you have good feet, why put chemicals on your horse? Doesn't make sense. A proper barefoot trim, good overall hoof care, and a healthy environment is key. I would never put extraneous chemicals on my horse's healthy feet. Iodine is damaging to the hoof. If, by chance, there is an opening somewhere, even if it is minute, iodine kills healthy tissue and is therefore detrimental. I agree with you that topicals and dressings are useless and harmful. If you horse has good nutrition, supplements are also useless and can be harmful because they cause an imbalance. However, iodine and 99.9% of all commercial "thrush" medications, while they may kill some of the thrush, they also kill healthy tissue, leaving an available food supply of dead tissue just waiting for the next opportunity for a breakout. It becomes self perpetuating with these products. They are so harmful. Hope your luck holds.

Iodine isn't really something you'd want to use on hooves because it is so drying and can cause cracking. Your best bet is to just buy a commercial thrush treatment. Anytime you go from wet to dry weather or vise versa theres a chance for cracks and the iodine might increase the chances.

Iodine/formaldehyde mix is fantastic for hardening the sole. You can get the proper mix from a vet. Paint on the sole NOT the frog, but in the crevice along the frog. Do not let it get on the hair. Use it no more than 2 times a week, if the soles are kinda soft, until hard, and 2-3 times a month for preventative. ( like you are ). This mix works great if you have any sort of founder / laminitis problems. Also, if you have sandcracks, you can paint the cracks and it will prevent infection from gravel, etc.