~ Combating Fungus ~
By Tara Kraushaar

This month’s blog is focused on Equine Fungus. As we approach the winter months the rainy season is now upon us. The importance of a clean stall and well groomed horse are even more pertinent to maintain the health and sanitation of your horse. This article will focus on two types of fungus, Thrush and rainrot.  These types of bacteria attach the skin and hoofs.
Thrush which can also be called “the black hearted monster” is a bacteria that when trapped in moisture begins to grow.  These bacteria will slowly eat at the soft tissue of the hoof mainly the frog. The common misdiagnosis of thrush is when the horse’s frog peals or flakes off. This is not a symptom of thrush just a sign that the hooves need to be trimmed. Thush is a foul smelling black puss that oozes from the frog which creates a tender footed horse. If your horse has thrush, cleaning the hooves may be difficult do to the pain and sensitivity of the frog.  Thrush is commonly seen in filthy stables with a moist environment or where the horses are standing in manure or mud. If you notice signs of thrush in your horses hooves the first step is to fix the conditions of the stable. The next step is to treat the symptoms by cleaning the horses’ hooves daily and treating with product 3 times a week. The following are a list of products recommended to use: Thrush Buster, Kopertox, Hooflex, Sore no more sauce, and Thrush-XX. Follow these simple tips and you will be rid of any dirty smelly business this rainy season.

Rainrot is caused by an organism more like a bacterium with fungal properties. The name has been derived partly from the cause of this condition. The moist and wet environments are the primary causes of rainrot. Horses that our left out to pasture with no shelter or that urinate in a way that wets their legs.  It is also said that un cleaned tack and insects can also transmit this bacteria. Rainrot takes on many different forms. These forms usually are hot tender bumps or crusty patches on the skin with lifeless hair attached. The affected areas should be cleansed carefully with medicated shampoos such as Eqyss Microteck. Make sure to keep the skin dry after cleaning so that bacteria growth will not be further promoted. Nolvasan ointment can then be applied to soften the remaining crusts and kill the infective organism. It is important to remember to use the proper products to treat each bacteria or fungus. Some products if not properly used may increase the growth of the bacteria or have little to no affect. Just remember the easiest way to treat any condition is to do everything possible to avoid its occurrence.

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