Hoof Canker

HISTORY

Aged standardbred brood mare. Both front feet and the left hind were affected. The frog and sole were invaded with an exuberant extremely friable tissue that was slightly sensitive the touch. With standard shoes the mare was nearly 100% sound. Apparently the mares feet had been affected with this disease for approximately four months. The field that she was turned out in had a pond, and she had a habit of standing in the water for long period of time to cool off. The constant exposure to moisture and the bacteria seemed to be the cause of this condition.

DIAGNOSIS:

Canker of the affected feet, etiology unknown.

TREATMENT:

A bar shoe was made with it drilled and tapped to accept a hospital plate made of 1/2" high density polyurethane. After the shoe was applied the foot was blocked and the tissue was very aggressively debrided down to what appeared to be normal tissue. Care was taken to avoid invading the capsule of the coffin joint and the navicular bursa. After the surgery a single layer of iodine soaked gauze was placed on the surgery sites, and dental impression material was placed in the shoe with the plate bolted in place before the impression material hardened. The gauze was replaced every other day. The affected tissues were treated topically with a 50/50 mixture of Keratex Hoof Hardener and Fungidye; the gauze was also soaked in this mixture. Enough gauze was placed under the impression material and plate to keep moderate pressure on the tissue. When the tissue appeared to be proliferating it was debrided and chemically cauterized.

OUTCOME & COMMENTS:

As long as the plate and gauze was changed on a regular basis, the affected areas of the foot were drying up and being replaced with normal granulation tissue. The mare was making slow but consistent progress, unfortunately the owner was running low on funds and ran out of patience. He decided that he could treat her himself and took her home; so I couldn't keep track of her and I don't know the final outcome. This disease has a slow onset and responds to treatment even slower; it therefore requires persistence by the veterinarian, farrier and owner and a long term team effort. An important aspect of this treatment I believe is the use of the dental impression material. It served as a type of pressure bandage and kept the diseased tissues from proliferating unchecked.

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