Treat and Prevent Hoof Infections with Oxine AH

(updated 08-02-14) Oxine AH is a powerful and economical weapon against topical fungal and bacterial infections of the hoof and lower leg – such as thrush, white line disease, and scratches. Use the supplies and instructions listed below to treat your horse’s feet with Oxine AH. The active ingredient in Oxine AH is chlorine dioxide, an antifungal and antibacterial treatment which has a long history of use in human medicine as a topical disinfectant.  As the prescription medication Clorpactin WCS-90, chlorine dioxide is used in different solution strengths for various topical disinfecting jobs – to clean burn wounds, to disinfect surgical incision sites, and to cleanse the abdominal cavity during surgery, for example. (1)

Chlorine dioxide is also the active ingredient in the hoof treatments White Lightning and CleanTrax, and the wound spray Vetericyn, but Oxine AH costs far less per treatment. Note: Oxine AH is labeled for use to sanitize and disinfect animal confinement facilities, to disinfect water storage systems, and to help remove odors and tastes from municipal well waters. The procedure described here is an off-label use. What supplies will I need? For cleaning your horse’s feet:

• Hoof knife
• Horseshoe nail
• Water
• Liquid dish soap
• Stiff-bristled brush
• Trigger spray bottle

For mixing and measuring the soaking solution (Use glass or plastic containers and utensils, not metal, for measuring and mixing.):

• Clean, empty 20 oz, or one- or two-liter plastic soda bottles
• Plastic measuring cup and spoons
• Plastic kitchen funnel
• Oxine AH
• Citric acid, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

For soaking your horse’s feet:

• Timer
• Hoof soaking boots such as Davis Hoof Saver boots or EasyCare EasySoaker boots
• or empty IV bags (ask your vet)
• or buckets or rubber pans for holding soaking solution

How do I treat my horse’s hooves with Oxine AH? 1. Clean your horse’s hooves thoroughly. Prepare your horse’s hooves for soaking by cleaning them thoroughly, top and bottom.  Scrape away packed-in and caked-on mud and dirt with a hoof pick.  Use a hoof knife to trim away flaps of loose tissue from the frog, and to open up cracks and crevices in the white line and hoof wall.  Curry and brush the legs below the fetlock to remove dirt and caked-on mud.

It’s important to clean thoroughly so soaking solution can reach affected tissue.

Add a bit of dish soap to the spray bottle and fill with water.  Use the spray bottle to blast dirt and debris out of the central sulcus of the frog if it’s closed up into a crevice from heel bulb contraction.  Use the spray bottle and horseshoe nail to blast and pick dirt and debris out of cracks and crevices in the white line and hoof wall.  Run the nail all the way around the frog to clean out the dirt line and collateral grooves of the frog.  Remove as much packed-in dirt and loose tissue as you can, so the soaking solution can flow easily to areas affected by fungal or bacterial growth. Finally, use the brush and spray bottle to scrub feet thoroughly top and bottom with liquid dish soap and water.  Put a soaking boot on each foot as you finish scrubbing, so that it stays clean. If your horse is not used to wearing soaking boots, let him wear them for a bit before adding any liquid.  You can add plain or soapy water to the boots and let him wear them for a while before soaking, to help clean his hooves and get him used to the feeling of liquid inside the boots.  Pour the water out of the boots before mixing the solution in the next step. Park your horse in a stall or small paddock with plenty of grass or hay to keep him quiet and happy.  If needed to keep your horse calm, have a buddy horse in the next stall or tied nearby. 2. Prepare the soaking solution.

Oxine turns yellowish when activated by mixing with a mild acid.

Choose which soaking solution to mix from the recipes given below.  Activated Oxine AH solutions (with citric acid or vinegar added) act more quickly, but may bleach and discolor hair and may irritate open wounds or sensitive tissue if mixing instructions are not followed carefully. Note: Use activated solutions of Oxine in a well-ventilated area. Read and understand label information and cautions about activated Oxine solutions. A 20 oz. soda bottle holds just the right amount of solution to fill two average-size soaking boots, and the bottle’s small opening makes it easy to pour soaking solution into a boot while your horse is wearing it.  You’ll want to mix a bigger batch of solution if you’re using buckets or pans instead of soaking boots – one and two liter soda bottles work well. Table 1: Directions for mixing 20 fl oz of Oxine AH solution

. Table 2: Directions for mixing 2 liters of Oxine AH solution (about 1/2 gallon)

. Mix an Oxine AH solution, following the directions above. Your horse should already be wearing soaking boots over clean feet, and be standing quietly eating hay or grass before you begin this step. 3. Soak those feet! Pour the solution into the soaking boots, or pans or buckets.  Set the timer and soak your horse’s feet for 20 minutes if using Oxine activated with citric acid or vinegar, 30-45 minutes if using an unactivated solution.

Soaking boots make it much easier to treat hooves using medicated solutions!

Success Tips You can pour the liquid out of soaking boots without removing them from your horse’s foot. Pick up your horse’s booted foot, then curl the foot up and back toward the horse’s belly to drain the liquid. EasyCare EasySoakers come in larger (draft) sizes than Davis soaking boots. For an extra power boost, empty the soaking boots halfway through the soaking time and refill with a second batch of fresh solution.  To maximize the effectiveness of the treatment, you need to supply copious amounts of fresh solution to the affected areas. Do not use metal utensils or containers for mixing, measuring, or storing Oxine solutions. Remove horseshoes before soaking your horse’s hooves in an Oxine solution.  Chlorine dioxide corrodes most metals, becoming deactivated as it corrodes. Sunlight breaks down chlorine dioxide, the active ingredient in Oxine. Store Oxine and Oxine solutions out of direct sunlight. Can I use Oxine AH  for anything else besides soaking horse feet?

You can use an Oxine solution to remove skunk odor from pets and surfaces.

Yes. If you search the internet, you’ll find references to using Oxine and chlorine dioxide in an amazing variety of applications:

• cleaning and disinfecting wounds
• treating respiratory infections as a vaporized inhalant
• preventing algae growth in water troughs
• removing skunk odor from pets and surfaces
• killing mold in carpets, fabrics, and ductwork
• removing stains from carpets and fabrics
• sanitizing brewing equipment

If you have questions about how to use Oxine AH for a specific application, contact the manufacturer, Bio-Cide International. Where can I find more information about Oxine AH? Contact the manufacturer: Bio-Cide International 1-800-323-1398 Oxine AH Technical Data Sheet Oxine AH Applications Brochure Where can I buy Oxine AH? How much does it cost? Oxine AH is around $25 plus shipping per gallon from: Amazon.com Revival Animal Health A to Z Vet Supply Where can I buy citric acid? Food-grade citric acid is available from the Oxine distributors listed above, or you may substitute an equal amount of Fruit-Fresh, sold in the home canning supplies section at most grocery stores. Where can I buy Davis soaking boots? How much do they cost? Davis soaking boots are around $25 each from: Jeffersequine.com KVequine.com Where can I buy EasyCare Easysoakers soaking boots? How much do they cost? Easycare soaking boots are around $25 each from: Amazon.com Easycareinc.com