Treponemes-infected canker in a Japanese racehorse: efficacy of maggot debridement therapy.
A 3-year-old thoroughbred colt presented with canker on its left hind foot. Subsequent development of cottage cheese-like horns and dermatitis disturbed healing, despite the use of miscellaneous orthodox treatment approaches to the lesions. Histological examination revealed exudative and suppurative dermatitis, and proliferatively suppurative epidermitis infected with helically coiled treponemes. Total debridement under general anesthesia led to a temporary improvement, but the ground surface regenerated abnormal epidermis similar to that observed initially after surgery. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) was attempted, which removed all the abnormal tissue. After MDT, general farriery trimming helped to correct the distorted ground surface, and the horse returned to constant training and eventually raced. This case shows that MDT was successfully used for treatment of an intractable and treponemes-infected canker.
Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 321-4 Tokami-cho, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi 320-0856, Japan.
Atsutoshi
A
Kuwano
Equine Research Institute, Epizootic Research Center, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke‑shi, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
Hidekazu
H
Niwa
Hidaka Agriculture Mutual Aid Association, 200 Higashihourai, Mitsuishi, Shinhidaka-cho, Hidaka-gun, Hokkaido 059-3105, Japan.
Tohru
T
Higuchi
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tsukazaki Hospital, 68-1, Waku, Aboshi-ku, Himeji, Hyogo 671-1227, Japan.
Hideya
H
Mitsui
Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, 150 Georgetown Road & Lexington, Kentucky 40511, U.S.A.
Robert A
RA
Agne
canker; horse; maggot debridement; treponemes