Description
Black Healer Instructions for use
Black healer contains KmNo4 (Potassium permanganate). This has been used for centuries to successfully treat skin conditions. At the concentration in Black Healer, Potassium permanganate is safe to use to treat horses’ hooves.
Caution:
Do not mix with peroxide or other chemicals. Keep away from naked flame. Do not swallow or put in your eyes. Keep out of reach of children. It is safe to handle but will stain your hands, so you may prefer to use gloves.
Directions for use:
- Where possible fully resect the hoof wall around the affected area back to good healthy tissue. This should be carried out by a professional hoof care practitioner or veterinarian. Work up the wall and do not go into sensitive tissue.
- Scrub the affected area daily with hydrogen peroxide cream or liquid (3-6%) using an old toothbrush. Leave on for 2 mins then rinse with 50/50 Methylated spirits and water in a spray bottle. If the area is particularly bad, scrub and rinse a few times to clean more effectively. Continue for about the first 3-10 days (time depends on severity of infection). Cease using hydrogen peroxide scrub when you are satisfied the area is clean and dried out- often showing some cracks on larger areas.
- Towel dry the area and smear black healer like a paste or putty using a finger (gloved if you are worried about a stain), icy pole stick or spoon.
- If cavities exist in a wet environment, pack with black healer, then plug with greasy wool and tape or bandage on. A hoof boot could even be used in some circumstances if ensure everything is clean and dry before applying the boot. The boot can help to keep the affected area clean and dry and prevent re infection from the mud.
- Continue to clean affected area and apply black healer regularly, every 2-4 days depending on individual case and environment, until the damaged area has grown out.
Handy Hints:
- Keep your horses’ feet as dry and as clean as possible whilst treating seedy toe to prevent chances of re infection. Remove horses from paddocks with dams, septic or mud.
- If conditions are wet, consider moving your horse or soaking the affected foot in strong salt water to dry it out and keep your horse in a dry stable or shed for at least 12 hours a day. When turning out into damp paddocks you can treat, wrap and boot the foot to keep it as dry as possible.
- In cold weather black healer can be quite stiff. Warm in hands before applying to soften a little.
Storage: Keep the lid on, store out of direct sunlight in a cool place.
Reminder: Severely affected past seedy toe cases will scar and this weakens the area making it more prone to future infection.
Check resected area for signs of spread or missed areas using a hoof knife at each four week trim.
Example of Treatment summary:
Day 1: Resect hoof wall back to healthy hoof tissue.
Day 1-3: Scrub area with hydrogen peroxide, rinse with 50/50 methylated spirits and water. Keep affected area open to the air and keep the horse in a dry environment.
Day 4-7: Flush area with 50/50 methylated spirits and water, towel dry and apply black healer as a thick smear.
Day 7- onwards: clean and reapply black healer as needed to keep the area covered against re infection until the cavity grows out.
