Chalky frog

[Peaches]

I know occasional chalky soles are okay and just exfoliation for the new sole beneath. However today L has a chalky frogs. Is this normal? If not, is it likely to be caused by his wearing boots/pads a lot at the moment (every night all night, and alternate days, although gradually moving him out of them now), or alternatively use of AB's? And is it cause for concern or just something that will settle as he returns to a normal state?

The boots and pads and AB's are due to having suffered an infection around (but thankfully not into) the pedal bone in one foot, which we think has then triggered a stress/trauma laminitis as well as a flare in his arthritis. He's shown a massive improvement and is starting light work, but I am not removing pads faster as I don't want to change too much too soon and set him back. We're going in the right direction and seem to be nearing light at the end of the tunnel at the moment which is brilliant. Just wanted to check on the chalky frog as I've not come across it before 

[ParisDiamond]

Hello    I've seen this in horses that have been on the border of being laminitic, when caught and reversed it resolves itself very quickly.  If you're sure you've resolved the diet issues, then try using something a little drying inside the boot to harden the frog and stop infections.  I would be using good old nappies and an appropriate foot treatment to battle thrush infections, inside the boots.

cheers

[Peaches]

Cheers, that's good to know. He's definately improving, and his diet is better than it has been. I have to admit I had been religiously treating for infection because of the problems we were dealing with already but have been a little lax this week (partly due to the improvement and partly because a few big things have meant I've just not been able to be here constantly and so a friend has been doing him for me on those occasions, who was already getting him in, checking him, syringing his medicine (  ) and everything around whatever her work shifts were, her own horses and everything else...there's only so much I could expect her to do!), so this may not have helped.

Thanks, will get back on top of that side of things and see how things go.