White Lightening Gel vs Liquid

[tipptoez]

Hello All,

I have a question about White Lightening. It looks like my gelding is now trying to get a case of WLD started. Nothing real dramatic at this point, but I would like to nip it in the bud so it doesn't become major. His shoes are on right now, due for trim next week and I have discussed treating him with my farrier. My farrier has heard about White lightening but hasn't used it. I have detailed instructions on how to use the liquid for the soaks, but I can't find any information on how the gel works.

Have any of you used the gel? Do I apply the gel to the affected area and then put a soaking boot or reinforced baggy over it for a specified period of time and then clean it off? Can I re-shoe immediately after the treatment? Does the gel work any differently (better, worse) than the liquid?

Any information you can provide on how to use this and your experiences with it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, a great big THANK YOU to all for being here. I have read every post since I first joined back in September, the amount of time and expertise you share to help us uninformed owners is absolutely phenominal.

Phil, Dave, Allison, Mike, Frank, RicK,and Katy----your work on that other board with the appropriately named "blistering wind" (my opinion is that it is a wind of the rectal variety!) has been outstanding. You all deserve a commendation for your efforts there!


Denise

[J.H. shoeing]

Denise

I use White Lighting on WLD alot and have used both the liquid and the gell. I use the gell on the smaller or less severe cases and the liquid on the worse. With the gell, I debride the affected area pump out the gell, it activates when you pump it out, onto 4X4 and place it into the debrided area and wrap the foot. The gell is susposed to have an active life of 8 hrs, so I tell or leave instructions of when to take the wrap off and to keep the area cleaned out if possible. I like to treat the WLD about once a week until it is under control. The liquid works good and has an active life of 12 hrs. Before the gell I would soak 4X4's in the liquid and wrap the foot. If I was going to use the liquid in a soak I would use a 5000 ml I.V. bag put the horses foot in it and pour in the White Lighting and vinegar solution wrap the top of the bag with duct tape and soak for 20 to 30 minutes. On a small footed horse you may have to pull the bag around the foot and add a small piece of tape so the solution will cover the affected area. You could use a smaller I.V. bag but I nail on more 4's than 00's so I use a big bag. After the soak I let the foot dry and apply Thimerosal to the debrided area. I like to use the soaks once a week and before the soaks I use a dremmel tool and "buff" off the debrided area. The Thimerosal will chase down any small tracts of the WLD that you may have missed when debriding the foot the first time. The thimerosal will stain the white line and when you are "buffing" off the stain in the debrided area you will notice any missed tracts as the stain won't "buff" out.

As far as shoeing and the White Lighting treatments I usually just keep shoeing unless it is a severe case and a large part of the hoof wall is resected and after the WLD is under control I would use the Vettec products and glue on a shoe or build a composite hoof if they needed to be shod. On some real bad cases you can get into some issues with the support of the bone structures of the foot but that is a lot different case than what you mentioned. I usually shoe, debride the affected area, soak it, thimerosal it, and leave instructions to soak once a week until the next appointment. That way I know the WLD is gone. Some of my clients have difficulty with the soaks and I ask them to use the gell once a week and leave the foot wrapped for the 8 hr active life of the gell. The gell is faster for me to use because I can stick it on, wrap it up, and leave. I have not noticed any difference in the effects of the gell versus the liquid in combating the WLD.

I have not had great success in treating WLD cases where I did not treat it aggressively or debride the affected area completely. Some others have posted that they have treated it with other things, with success, and did not have to resect any or much hoof wall.

Jeff

[tipptoez]

Jeff,

Thank you so much for the detailed information. I am going to get both the gell and the liquid and try rotating for the treatments. Since my horse is on a different shoeing schedule than our other two (he has ****py feet) I will have the farrier pull his shoes when he is out for the other two and leave them off. That way we can deal with the WLD and I can get to the vet and get some new lateral x-rays too. I have easy boots for him and can use them until we are ready to put the shoes back on again. I want to make sure we get this taken care of right away, don't want to have to go the resection route.

Thank you again!

Denise