Whiteline Woes

[Nynx]

Hey all,
I just need some shoulders right now...
Two of our horses have whiteline and it's really depressing me. Looking into it and seeing that horses get retired for good because of it doesn't make me feel better.

We're using the medicine the farrier suggested which is Hoof Freeze (racehorses use it too) and I also bought some strong Equine iodine.

My horse is sore and trippy (and his knee was hurt) and my sister's horse is real sore because of his feet. It is going to take at least a year to grow back healthy. And I'm just so upset, if he has to be retired I can't really afford two horses and going out there just makes me sad and irritable. But I wouldn't want to sell him.

I'm hoping to do low impact work with him in the arena (with sand for footing) which I need to do anyways but I don't want to do anything to make him worse obviously. I just need a little support I guess.

[Just_Another_Love007]

I have never heard of whiteline but it sure does sound painful. I hope that both of the horses come out happy and sound.

((((HUGS)))) & Prayers

[Kingpin]

I have never had horse with whiteline, have heard of it but hope someone says more about it on here so we can all learn. I learn so much from reading other peoples posts.

[Nynx]

Whiteline is caused by fungus and bacteria (EVIL fungus and bacteria) that weasel into the hoof through a crack, hole or puncture that's not normally there. It can cause "bubbles" of air to form between the inner hoof wall and the outer...which is bad. It makes a hollow noise when you tap it. You have to cut away the dead nonsense and keep it clean and dry while medicating it with something.

If you look at the old whiteline post, it mentions that different fungi can cause whiteline so different medicines will work on different cases which just makes it harder to treat.

Book learning is better when it comes to hoof disease, I'd really prefer to not have too much first hand experience. Urg

[Nor Cal Farrier]

When an area of separation occurs in the hoof wall, it provides a warm moist space that is ideal for the growth of hoof digesting organisms. This invasion of the inner horn structure by bacteria, fungus, or yeast, results in damage to structural integrity of the hoof. You can treat milder cases by digging out as much of the decomposed horn as possible and packing the hole with the CVP method. Also known as the Klemish CVP gasket method. CVP is an acronym for the three main ingredients: Copper sulfate powder, Venice terpintine, and polypropylene (poly) hoof felt. Poly felt, which does not readily absorb water, was developed specifically as a hoof packing material. The copper sulfate and Venice turpentine combine to make a medicated adhesive that binds the poly felt to the sole forming a gasket between the pad and the hoof. This gasket protects the hoof wall and sole from the invasion of sand, dirt, mud, water, manure and any other foreign matter for the entire 5-8 week shoeing period.
Three tablespoons of copper sulfate mixed with 1 pint of Turpentine is then spread onto the hoof or the felt. The copper sulfate migrates to the into the fissures in the hoof wall and sole, preventing the growth of undesirable organisms and eliminating the foul thrushy odor often associated with the use of pads.
Also fill the commissures of the frog with appropriate sized pieces of treated felt to prevent mud and debris from getting between the pad and the sole.
To treat extreme cases of white line disease, a resection of the undermined hoof wall is necessary. Topical applications of an antiseptic, such as Merthiolate, or the application of antibiotic treated hoof repair material work well. I have had a high degree of success using 1 gram of metronidazole powder added to each ounce of hoof acrylic. The added benefit of this is you can rebuild the weight bearing hoof wall to prevent further disruption of the hoof wall-coffin bone attachment.
Long story short, it's time consuming, expensive, and a general pain in the a$$. But treated aggressively, it does not mean retirement by any means and a large number of horse are returned to full duty fairly quickly.

Good luck with your horses and if you have any questions let me know.

[fishing_trex]

Try White Lightening or Clean Trax. Be sure to follow directions (for the White Lightening, you can put it into a small syringe and inject it into the hole in the white line -- they put a baggie on the foot and let the vapors work).

[morgan]

We use Copper Sulfate and Vinegar to treat white Line. Get a pair of soaking boots and put a !/4 cup in each boot the fill 3/4 of the boot with white vinegar. Soak for at least 20 min. This treatment works.Putting the horse on Power Horse also helps the hooves grow out faster and stronger.

[iris_surreal_euphoria]

I know all about white line. My nieghbor has a donkey with it. I take care of the donkey so I know how rough it is. (Try soaking a semi-wild donk in a bucket of epsom salt 2x day.)

My vet trimmed all the damaged hoof out... so the donk has some deformed looking feet but is moving around great.

Wish I could be some help with ideas about the animals usefulness... Vet said 8 months before she grows back right.. but she's only 34" tall... so no riding.

Best of luck! I know how hard it is to deal with.

[yellowhorsesinc]

I had a mare given to me that had whiteline disease and I got her cured up in 120 days by using mercurachrome alternated with bleach. We resectioned the hoof wall and I painted it 2x daily. She was good as new within 45 days and completely over it in 120.