CHAPTER VI. 

 Thrush, Its Cause and Treatment. 



Thrush is a foul disease of the frog and is 

 caused by neglect. It is more prevalent in the 

 hind feet than in the front ones. Unclean stalls, 

 yards or paddocks are chiefly responsible for 

 its presence, and if the colt or aged horse hap- 

 pens to be in a poor physical condition also, the 

 disease is aggravated. Dress the foot down all 

 it will stand, cut away the ragged and diseased 

 frog, and wash of? with warm water and an an- 

 tiseptic soap. Take a piece of hard cord about 

 eighteen inches long and a quarter of an inch 

 thick and tie a series of knots in it about an 

 inch apart ; a half dozen will do. Dip the cord 

 in creolin or any strong antiseptic solution 

 and draw it back and forth through the cleft of 

 the frog, washing it off occasionally in hot 

 water. When all of the foreign substance has 

 been raked out of the cleft pack it full of bor- 

 acic acid or powdered borax, wedging in a 

 pledget of cotton to hold it in place. Repeat 

 this every other morning for a few days and 

 keep soap, grease and ointments away from it 

 until the frog has "dried out" and the foul odor 

 has disappeared. A\'hen the disease is of long 

 standing the frog will have perished, or nearly 

 so. AMien the disease is cured care should be 

 exercised that the heels do not fall in — con- 

 tract — before the new frog grows down. The 

 foot — especially if it is a front foot — will be 

 very tender and if left exposed on the bottom 

 serious or at least painful injury is liable to 

 occur should the horse step on a cobble-stone 

 or any rough substance while exercising. 



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