Description
Don’t let rain, mud and stabling conditions lead to damaged hooves. NT-Dry thrush treatment for horses is the first ever DRY approach to treating unhealthy frogs & soles in the hoof. The ingredients have been ground into a fine powder & this safe, natural formula is dusted on with a thin tipped squeeze bottle. This provides excellent coverage of the unhealthy area. It coats the area of the infection just as flour coats and stays on your hands when baking.
NT-Dry finds the damp, deep-in places that wet products can’t find. In fact, the developer asked: “Why put a “Wet” product on a “Wet” condition? Isn’t that counter-productive?”
HOW DOES IT WORK? (OVERVIEW)
NT-Dry® attacks the bacteria that cause thrush and related fungal infections with a combination of naturally occurring mineral salts that do not burn or harm the tender areas of the hoof.
Meanwhile a proprietary blend of moisture-bonding clays absorb and dry the excess moisture in the hoof, destroying potential breeding grounds that would allow thrush to return. (The “drawing” action of the specialized clays pull thrush and excess moisture from the deepest areas of the sulcus). Reducing this moisture also minimizes the offensive odour associated with thrush.
Finally, a combination of healing, refined ingredients, including Oregano Powder and Diatomaceous Earth, soothe the inner hoof and promotes healthy hoof regeneration. With the easy dust-on application, which finds all the dark places thrush thrives, results are obvious in just a few days.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Thrush is “an infection.”
In most cases 4-7 days of NT use is all that is needed to treat “active” thrush. (ie: no more black goo., no smell) But please note….. If you have been “chasing thrush” for an extended period of time, (months, years?) and you’ve tried every product out there yet thrush return 2-3 times per year, that is indication that the bacteria is lodged deep in the tissue of the foot. In these cases you will nearly always find a deep crack between the heel bulbs. (look at photo to the right. This is not healthy. That area should be a “dimple” not a “crack.” There should be no access for bacteria to enter.
This crack can not be left alone.
To prove this, look at this photo:
If this horse had a heel crack that hoof pick would literally be “inside” the heel. tissue That means that a heel crack is an actual wound. And if we leave it unattended, we are guarenteed that the area will continually become infected. IE: Thrush.
Now lets look at a couple of real-world heel cracks – and how NT-Dry® makes a difference.
Look at the photo above: This is Canker, which is much worse than thrush. NT has just been applied. Notice how much moisture the powder is drawing out of that heel crack? That moisture is the bacterial breeding ground. We MUST attack and eliminate that breeding ground. Once done, the inner tissue can begin to regenerate and heal.
Here is how you will Use NT:
Apply N.T. aggressively into the grooves. Use the edge of your hoof pick to get it inside those cracks! The point: You can’t overuse NT-Dry ®. (it won’t burn/harm tissue) so in these cases, be patient. Don’t stop at five days because you assume the product hasn’t worked. It’s working. Keep dusting. Check for moisture. If you don’t find it, the “thrush” is most likely gone and now the “healing” phase has kicked in. Think about it… your horse’s tissue has been invaded by thrush, then treated, invaded, treated – countless times. It may take some time, a few weeks even, for it to regroup before normal regrowth can begin. So… if it takes a few weeks, your horse is worth it, and you WILL see exciting results. Stick with it… you won’t be sorry.
Now.. here are some more before/after pictures and commentary.
Most horse owners know what a “bad” case of thrush looks like. It’s hard to mistake. It’s black and runny and smells. Quite awful, really. When you find those cases, trim away the worst of the mess, try to keep the stabling area dry and clean, and dust away with NT-Dry ®. You will see excellent results in 4-7 days.
BUT… True “Thrush Treatment” is not complete until the heel cracks are healed, closed, and regrown!
Thrush is a tough bacteria. It will dig in deep and lie-in-wait for a re-invasion. It’s always best to take the offensive. Be persistent until you have healed those cracks. The cracks give DIRECT access INTO the tissue.
In order to prevent getting to the “bad” case in the first place, which often sends owners into a flurry of panic and creates substantial farrier and vet bills, we want to focus on the less recognized, yet far more “destructive” thrush cases. It’s destructive because it so often goes unnoticed.
(Pic below) At quick glance this overall hoof looks dry and rather normal. Yet…….
…..look closer. Even though this horse had been on a dusty trail ride most of the day, the cleft between the heel pads is damp and deep. Generally this area should be connected, otherwise grit and pebbles can enter, causing damage.
The image above shows how deep the crevice actually is. The nozzle is all the way inside. NT-Dry ® is being dusted into the thrushy breeding ground.
Here we are filling the entire crevice (recommended) with NT-Dry ® powder. Watch what happens next……
Not only is the tip of the bottle wet, but NT-Dry ® is literally “wicking” up the moisture inside. In seconds, the powder has bonded with the moisture and is clumping.
Simultaneously, of course, NT-Dry ® is attacking and cleansing the infection with its Proprietary blend of multiple and unique clays, mineral salts, diatomaceous earth, and oregano.
Results – The powder fights the bacteria and absorbs it along with the moisture until finally clumping and falling to the ground. Typically by the 3rd application, you will no longer notice the clumping. NT-Dry ® has done it’s work in that department. But as mentioned above, keep dusting whenever possible, especially in damp stabling situations. It’s easy and only takes seconds so don’t give the bacteria a place to regroup. Dust in all the grooves, crevices, and around the frog. During the healing and maintenance periods you will notice a bit of product loss when you dust the dry areas, but don’t fret. The powder covers the entire area with a fine-coating of active powder. (imagine tossing flour on your smooth and non-porous tile counter… You can blow away the excess flour, but there always remains a fine residue.)
This is the 3-day progression.
On day 1, prior to NT-Dry ® , the infection has created its own cavern. Literally. The heel pads are separating, and if not treated soon, this horse will become terribly lame.
By the end of day 3 the wetness is gone, the smell is gone, the area is dry, and the the foot is healing and closing.
NOTE: This horse stands in his “favorite” spot in the stall, and of course, it’s his wet spot (no need to get more graphic). So while he is stabled in Southern California, a locale not usually associated with thrush, this horse’s habits have contributed to his thrush problem.
The point here is: Just because a horse lives in a dry area – this does not mean it can’t suffer from thrush. Take a look. You’ll be surprised at the number of “open heel cracks” you find in your barn. An open sulcus is almost always a sign of thrush.
HOOF ROT Left you will find a long term test for Frog Disease. This horse had extensive disease in both hind feet. As you can see, there is literally no frog remaining. This is, of course, a BIG job and it took 2+ months. But by the end of treatment the frogs have fully rehab’d. In fact there is now good, healthy tissue and these feet are able to receive proper trimming. (Photos courtesy of Josephine Trott PhD, Animal Science)
Below you will find JACK. This poor guy has been suffering thrush for years. When we first began his treatment, he would not allow any foot touching whatsoever. Although pictures are difficult to see “texture,” just imagine that his frogs/sulcus were the consistency of pot roast. They would separate at any point, with the slightest touch. Jack is a good example of a case that will not magically “heal” in 5 days. We diligently treated every day for 20 days. At this point the thrush is long gone, he is no longer sore, and his feet look relatively normal. But it will still take a few months of regular maintenance dusting to ensure he stays thrush free while the frogs and sulci heal/close. If we quit treatment before that happens we are leaving the vulnerable sulcus open for a re-invasion.
See all the applications in this video – NT-Dry is such a versatile product for any first aid kit!