A local vet told me to always check for thrush under the toe callus on drafts

I had a big Belgian with a clean looking foot, but she kept pointing that toe. He said 'lift that callus, it's a pocket,' and sure enough, found a nasty spot. Anyone else run into thrush hiding like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_johnson463d ago

Remember my friend's Percheron that kept getting lame on one front foot. Her farrier finally peeled back that thick callus and found a whole mess of black, smelly thrush packed in there. She felt so bad for missing it, but it's a sneaky spot for sure.

thompson.xena3d ago

That "thick callus" part is so true. I read an article about draft horses where a vet said that heavy feathering can trap moisture and hide thrush deep in the heel bulbs. You'd never see it until you really dig in there.