It is not as likely, but mules are susceptible to all foot problems that horses are: navicular, ringbone, laminitis and founder.
How do you treat pedal osteitis?
Common treatment of pedal osteitis in horses involves remediate shoeing, sometimes with a pad inserted to protect the sole of the hoof from concussion. Although this might lift the sore foot off the ground but does not treat the cause of the soreness. In fact, the hoof needs to be used, if it is to regain its health.
How is whiteline treated?
The mainstay of white line disease treatment is hoof-wall resection, where a skilled farrier cuts away all three layers of the hoof wall to remove the infected material. A hoof knife or Dremel tool can clear out the powdery hoof wall.
Do mules need to be shoed?
Your mule needs shoes to keep their hooves protected and healthy. This is what your mule is doing when not wearing shoes, but weighing 400 or 600 pounds puts a lot more pressure on their feet. They need those shoes to protect their hooves.
Do mules need their hooves trimmed?
They may wear their feet down, but they would still need to be trimmed for balance. Failure to have your mule’s hooves regularly trimmed in order to maintain their balance and shape can result in an imbalance in your mule’s feet, which will then cause an imbalance throughout his entire body, inhibiting his performance.
How is pedal osteitis transmitted?
Pedal osteitis is usually caused by concussive trauma from routinely jumping or being worked or ridden on a hard surface. Thoroughbreds, racing quarter horses, jumpers, and horses driven routinely on hard road surfaces are at a high risk of sole bruising that can lead to long-term inflammation and pedal osteitis.
How long does a fractured pedal bone take to heal?
The fracture usually heals in 4–6 months but the fracture line remains visible for longer. Some fractures heal by a fibrous union and remain radiographically visible even though clinically they have healed satisfactorily.
How long does it take to cure white line disease?
In general, resolution takes as long as the hoof wall takes to grow down and fill in the void. If you consider a full hoof wall at the toe requires nine to 10 months to grow, then resection halfway up the hoof means it’ll take four to five months to recover.
What does white line disease look like in horses?
The white line of the foot can be seen by looking at the sole of your horse’s hoof. The area (that looks whitish) between the outside hoof wall and where it meets the sole is the white line. When this becomes damaged, it allows fungus and/or bacteria to invade and separate the layers of the hoof wall.
How often do mules need shoes?
Most equines will need to be trimmed or shod every 6-8 weeks whether horse, mule or donkey.
