Abcess! It won't go away...

[MrsMozart]

Any suggestions folks?

TB. Ex racer. Three years old. Bought off the track via a short stint at the yard. Was in at night and out day, now in 24/7 due to abcess. Otherwise fit and well. Vet and farrier both involved but owner looking for suggestions as he's had it for eight weeks. It's hot poulticed daily. He's on full livery and the people are grand.

It's a fore, under foot near the front.

Farrier has dug as far as he dare.

Anyone had one go on this long? Anyone have some wonderful way of relieving the lad?

 

[ycbm]

He should have had x rays by now, have they been done?

After this length of time I'd be thinking infection/necrosis of the pedal bone at the toe, with or without a possible fracture.

 

[ester]

Xrays, poss keratoma to add to ycmbs list.

 

[Damnation]

Xray deffo.

I had a mare on trial with a recurring abscess, 6 weeks it went on and ended up giving the mare back.

A few years later I found out the mare had a severely rotated pedal bone..

 

[paddy555]

I don't have a wonderful way of relieving it but I had one go on that long and probably longer. Vet couldn't diagnose an abscess but did cut it out a bit, farrier couldn't either, X rayed and that was no answer. The next vet x raying thought it wasn't an abscess but left with the words "you can never be sure with an abscess". Horse eventually came sound and got him riding again. None the wiser until a couple of months later I looked at the tell tale horizontal split in the hoof wall. In my case I gave up on the poulticing and after having got the x rays I knew there was nothing further I could do so just let him get on with it.

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you folks.

I can't remember if he's been xrayed. I'll check.

 

[silv]

A few years ago my old gelding had an abcess for around 3/4 months, it had underrun the sole and eventually broke out at the bulbs of his heel. He would come sound only to go lame again as it flared up. He had xrays, etc to make sure there was nothing else going on. I asked the vet about the possibility of the pedal bone becoming infected but he said for this to happen the abcess needs to break into the hoof capsule and this is unlikely as it will always go towards to point of least resistance of which the hoof capsule is not.

Is there any reason for the horse to be kept in, I was under the impression that they are much better moving around.

 

[MrsMozart]

I'll check why he's in. Maybe because he's lame. I don't know. Will ask!

 

[MrsMozart]

Vet says no X-rays as he's not lame (my mistake that he was) and it's draining, and he's well other than the abcess.

Vet says he can go out. Farrier says he should stay in. His owner has bought boots to wear and be turned out.

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine had an abcess, he became sound, then lame again. First vet gave bute, my horse is a complete whimp and was looking VERY sorry for himselft. After the lame/sound went on for a bit, i.e. 3-4 weeks second vet came and wanted to do X rays, wondering if it was a broken pedal bone. X rays showed that the abscess had tracked round the hoof and hadn't "popped"
While under sedation for the X ray the vet had a bit more of a dig, as far as she was able, we poulticed a bit more and then I spent a fortune on duck tape and vetwrap as it needed good bandaging every day. He was sound.

Hot poulticing usually is one for no longer than 3-4 days. Have you tried tubbing with epsom salts? If the horse will put his foot in a bucket? I would protect wound and turn out, and see what happens.

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you

No idea but will put it to her.

She's spending a fortune on vetwrap and stuff. Yard is being grand and doing it every day.

 

[ester]

vet is right, he needs to go out to help it drain with movement.

silv I am a little confused as to what you mean by hoof capsule?

 

[ycbm]

Vet says no X-rays as he's not lame (my mistake that he was) and it's draining, and he's well other than the abcess.

Vet says he can go out. Farrier says he should stay in. His owner has bought boots to wear and be turned out.

Change the vet! An open abscess draining for that long i would call a sinus, not just an abscess. X rays essential, imo.

 

[MrsMozart]

Apparently he hoons and kills the duct tape that's over the vetwrap, hence the boots. Only the boots are too small and she needs to order more. This is proving to be an expensive abcess!

 

[MrsMozart]

Change the vet! An open abscess draining for that long is a sinus, not just an abscess. X rays essential, imo.

I believe is second opinion vet. Says the same. I'll tell her though.

 

[ycbm]

I believe is second opinion vet. Says the same. I'll tell her though.

Blimey, they aren't normally shy of spending people's money! Personally, I would insist. It's two months, after all.

 

[ester]

what boots is she using?/planning to use? crocz might do the job if struggling given weather fairly dry atm.

 

[TBmum]

Apparently he hoons and kills the duct tape that's over the vetwrap, hence the boots. Only the boots are too small and she needs to order more. This is proving to be an expensive abcess!

Poultice using a nappy, cover with duct tape, cover with industrial (very thick) doubled up binliner, again duct tape over to secure and also add another layer for him to get through.

If it breaks it breaks, just tub his foot when he comes back in. He is better off being out as it will help drain the abscess.

My mare had this last year and went on for what felt like forever. Good Luck

 

[MrsMozart]

Blimey, they aren't normally shy of spending people's money! Personally, I would insist. It's two months, after all.

True. Will update if it changes.

Ta for input folks

 

[MrsMozart]

what boots is she using?/planning to use? crocz might do the job if struggling given weather fairly dry atm.

Don't know. Will ask ta

 

[Lanky Loll]

If possible scan as well. My TB had an ongoing issue with abcesses and footiness. Turned out that at some point one of them had damaged the ddft over the pedal bone - no infection left (subsequent courses of AB's had cured that) but it weakened the ddft and we ended up with a hole only visible on scanning we're now 8 months into being off games and waiting the next scan to see if we can start work again.

 

[paddi22]

theres a product called 'blackdraw' equine america make it. I found it great. You stick it on, then cling film over it.

I've a tb who gets long running abcesses as a hobby, and it was costing me a fortune. He also hates duct tape and would immediately start to pull it off with his teeth. Found the blackdraw stuff great and much cheaper and easier to use.

 

[Spottyappy]

any abscess going on so long needs to be X rayed. My vet was going to do our mare after 10 days of it, and I would have totally agreed had it not improved.
We use these boots on her,so she can go out as long as it's dry enough:
https://www.leonardcoombe.co.uk/products/shoof-hoof-boot?variant=441578873

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you folks

Have told her.

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Is it an equine vet? If not I would be seeking the opinion of an equine only practice.

 

[AandK]

Poultice using a nappy, cover with duct tape, cover with industrial (very thick) doubled up binliner, again duct tape over to secure and also add another layer for him to get through.

This! My boy had a bad run of abscesses a few years ago, two winters in a row and he lives out 24/7/365. I became a policiting expert, vet said I should give training on them! I used 3 nappies, then a layer vetwrap, then a layer of ductape, cover in thick plastic sack up to fetlock (I used feedbags) and then final layer of ductape. They stayed on in the field and all the mud!

 

[Stacy_W]

This! My boy had a bad run of abscesses a few years ago, two winters in a row and he lives out 24/7/365. I became a policiting expert, vet said I should give training on them! I used 3 nappies, then a layer vetwrap, then a layer of ductape, cover in thick plastic sack up to fetlock (I used feedbags) and then final layer of ductape. They stayed on in the field and all the mud!

We also used a section of an old canvas style turnout under the final plastic cover for extra protection. We also used feedbags!

 

[MrsMozart]

Is it an equine vet? If not I would be seeking the opinion of an equine only practice.

Yep. Both equine practices.

Loving the images of the poultices

 

[frannieuk]

My mare had something similar (there's a recent thread with some gory pics on here somewhere) and as it wouldn't heal after 6 weeks or so, the vet and farrier both attended and resected most of the sole of the hoof. Instant relief for the mare, and then it's been a case of putting copper sulphate granules in and the whole lot is covered with a hospital plate. She's going out as normal and the hole has pretty much entirely dried up. It gets another week to be 100% sure, and then the farrier is coming back to pack the sole with an airtight epoxy and a leather pad and we'll see how she goes.

Also, regarding poulticing, when she kept ripping the tape off, I found the best thing was to poultice and vetwrap as normal, then cover that lot in duct tape. Then, I had a piece of old 1200denier rug folded in half and wrapped around the hoof and a full layer of duct tape over that. That was good enough to survive 2 days hooning in the field...albeit fairly expensive on duct tape!

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you I know vet and farrier have been out together over it once before, but that was back near the beginning if I remember right. I'll tell her