Abcesses in Feet

[whitewood]

This year, most of my horses, who live out seem to be getting abcesses. I have a friend also, who lives locally who currently has four of her eight horses in with abcesses. Hers also live out.

I know it has been exceptionally wet this year, but has anyone got any good ideas for animals living out to prevent the regular occurences of this very painful condition for the horses.

It is heartbreaking to see them so lame and anything to help prevent this would be good

 

[Nailed]

if they are unshod, sumtimes having shoes on can make a horse less prone to abcesses. But to be honest, unless you bring them in over night or such.. your going to get sbcess if they are prone as the sole will be very soft and wet and will allow routes for infections to get to..

I suppose you could try vasaline on the sole but i doubt it would work.

Lou x

 

[air78]

We've also had lots of abcesses this year; I think the best thing is prevention. Can you install a large hard core area and feed hay there, or let them come up into the yard so they are off the wet/ mud for a few hours a day? I know it seems expensive, but I've just had a £600 vets bill for a bad, persistant abcess..... £600 would buy you a lot of hardcore

 

[gothdolly]

The advice I was given from my vet is that shoeing can protect the white line so make them less prone to abcesses but this was in my old pony with a history of laminitis and separation of the white line.

 

[Morgan123]

My horse is barefoot and has had two ulcers in the past year, and i've read up a lot on it and consulted many vets and farriers to try adn work out how to prevent it (not sure there really is a way, but still...) - i reckon the best thing is that, if they;re going to be in mud, to make sure their feet are carefully picked out every day (i.e., making absolutely sure that even tiny stones haven't got into white lines, and removing immediately if they have). i also wash my horse's feet once a week with salt water to keep an eye on this, and if there are any dodgy looking holes use Stockholm tar immediately on them. Seems to have worked so far, but i'm sure it won't prevent everything - but still, better than nothing!