White line disease in my opinion is not so much a disease in it's own right.

I believe it is the result of oportunistic pathogens that invade the compromised epidermal layer of the hoofwall. This compromised tissue is quite often the result of laminitis, poor hoofcare and poor environment.

after the tissue is infected and left untreated the pathogens can and often do invade living tissue as well. That is why WLD is often very difficult to treat.

In the following series of photos you will be able to see the damage done to a hoof that started out with stretched lamina due to laminitis and severe flares.

With time and adjusted dietary factors this horse has been able to heal all of his hooves except one.

This hoof has had a very stubborn infection that the owner and I have tried to head off for the past year.

On the last trim appointment I found a hoofwall that had broken away more than half an inch above the ground level. Upon investigating the broken wall in the toe quarter and the flare that was left in the heel quarter area, I discovered that we had not managed to conquer the infection at all.

More drastic measures were called for....  I hate to do wall resections. But, This is the action that must be taken to stop an infection of this magnitude.

The brownish tract is infected epidermal laminae. This area is very thin, and could bleed if I remove more, a move I am not willing to make without the vet.

Soaking in antifungal and subsequent treatment application of medication should now stop the infection.

The exposed innerhoofwall tissue is also very thin and weak. This leaves the edge of the coffin bone exposed to excessive weightbearing and possible fracture.

Here , I have added glue-on shoe epoxy to the wall to provide support to the hoof and stimulation to the hoof at the coronary band.

The purple stuff is SBS - Save a Hoof Gel. Applie to the damaged epidermal laminae and infection tract.

Prior to applying the epoxy and gel, the hoof was soaked in 3% hydrogen peroxide.

This has been a usefull tool when I am working close to vascular tissue. I know it won't hurt the animal or damage more tissue.

It does kill pathogens and helps in a drying manner.

  I have applied "Equi-cast" TM  a hoof casting material. This has been done to provide protection to the exposed inner hoofwall and prevent coffin bone fracture.

The horse can now be turned out with his buddies.

I also applied a size 3 Easyboot Bare, which the owner removed to soak the hoof and could not get back on.

The owner also removed a portion of the casting material to soak and drain the hoof.

I will check on this horse again in a few days. More pictures to come.

This is the second cast applied. The owner had cut away the opening of the first cast to soak and drain the hoof.

The remaining cast slipped off because the top had been removed as well.

On this cast I left a strip of material at the top to help hold the cast boot in place.

I also built a 1/2 inch fibergalss plate for the bottom of the foot to stabilize the exposed wall area beneath the coffin bone.

I filled the sole of the hoof with Coppertox soft pad material to hopefully aid in controling pathogens.

We'll see  how this works ....