If you’ve been around horses then you may have heard about thrush. Thrush is a type of fungus that can develop in a horse’s hoof due to the horse standing for long amounts of time in a wet paddock. Thrush can also happen in cows that stand for long periods of time in the same area. For instance, dairy cows tend to stand in close quarters in wet and moist conditions due to urine soaked ground. When these areas aren’t cleaned frequently, bacteria and fungus can spread causing hoof rot or thrush to develop in the cow’s hoof. Signs of thrush in cows may include lameness, inflammation of the area above the hoof, foul smelling discharge, and possible swelling of the hoof with separation of the toes. Treatments include antibiotics, time off of the infected hoof and being moved to a dryer area. For more information, talk with your Mt. Airy, MD veterinary clinic team.