Kvet Forum
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Sandcracks are vertical fissures or cracks in the wall of the claw. There is loss of continuity of horn fibers of the plantar hoof wall extending for a variable distance from the coronet toward the bottom of the hoof wall.
Aetiology:
Sandcracks result from damage to the periople and underlying coronary band.
Factors contributing to this condition may include:
- Excessive drying out of horn during dry seasons,
- Sudden excessive pressure from activities such as jumping/galloping, and
- Faulty nutrition.
Clinical Presentation:
The front feet are more often affected. The lesion varies from a small vertical crack near the coronet to a large jagged uneven fissure on the anterior wall. There is often sudden onset of severe lameness when impacted material leads to pus formation and pressure on the sensitive laminae of the wall.
Management:
Prompt treatment is necessary to prevent infection extending into the coronary band. Dirt is often packed deep into the sandcrack near the sensitive laminae. Sufficient underrun horn should be removed by cutting out a shallow ‘V’ to release / drain the pus.
In selected cases, a fissure can be immobilized with an application of methyl methacrylate after the two edges of the fissure have been laced together with steel wire.