Seek veterinary advice if you suspect this disease.
Your veterinary surgeon will thoroughly clean the sole, sulci and frog, debriding and curetting (removing) all abnormal, dead and infected tissues, under general anaesthesia, if necessary. The clean wound is then packed with sterile gauze soaked in an antiseptic solution (e.g. dilute povidone-iodine) and the foot is bandaged.
The horse will often require treatment with antibiotics. Tetanus antitoxin must be given, if the horse is not fully vaccinated up to date or if vaccination status cannot be confirmed.
Afterwards, you must ensure clean, dry stable conditions and the bandage and antiseptic gauze pack must be changed every 2-3 days until there is no more discharge and the tissues appear healthy and healing. The horse must be kept out of wet and muddy conditions until the wound is completely healed.
Treatment for canker may be prolonged and in some cases, a total resolution is extremely difficult to achieve.
Canker can be avoided by good stable management, and regular foot care and inspection. You should stable your horse in clean dry conditions and you should exercise your horse regularly. Horses’ feet should be picked out before and after exercise and when brought in from a muddy field. Your horses’ hooves should be regularly trimmed and shod to avoid the development of long heel conformation and to keep the frog healthy.
Seek veterinary advice if you suspect this disease.
A bruised sole in horses is a condition where the horse’s sole becomes tender and painful due to trauma or injury, often resulting in inflammation and discomfort.
Contracted Heels in Horses Seek veterinary advice before applying any treatment. Contracted heels are characterized by a narrowing of the
Nail Prick Seek veterinary advice before applying any treatment. Nail prick is the term used when the nail of the
