Abscess advice please

[Georgiec94]

I have a NF pony who developed a hoof abscess. She went slightly lame over the weekend, the farrier came out on Wednesday and it’s been draining since. I kept her in for two days (She does settle eventually but stresses in a stable) managed to get two soaks with Epsom salts and two poultices on before she decided she had enough of me touching her foot. She has now resorted to rearing and/or stamping down whenever I pick her foot up. Despite mine and other liveries efforts we cannot get to it for long enough to poultice it.

I turned her out in the outside school to blow off some steam..tried again the next day but she’s still not having any of it. Is there anything else I can be doing or is it just a case of hoping it doesn’t get infected? She is no longer lame, but not ideal that I can’t clean it! I plan to keep her in the outside school for a few more days...

Advice please!

 

[soloequestrian]

Keratex hoof putty is great once you get past the initial drain. It plugs the hole and has some sort of antibacterial properties I think. As long as you soften it up before use you can apply it very quickly.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Agree with the hoof putty, but it does need to be applied to a clean hole.

I’d bring in, hose off affected foot, good clean bed, do what you can to pick out the hole and get it as clean as possible (but dry) and whack a bit of putty in there.

Top trick- warm hands for the putty, it’s ROCK hard to start!

 

[Mule]

I'd leave it open. If you block it up the there won't be any place for the pus to exit the hoof. Even if you think it's fully drained, it may not be. The hoof isn't going to get reinfected once you allow it to drain and allow air to get at it. If you block up the drainage hole you will create an environment that allows bacteria to multiply. If you're worried you can use a syringe with iodine and squirt around the drainage hole. The syringe allows you to disinfect it without touching the hoof.

 

[ycbm]

I'd leave it open and turn her out in mud, it's a great poultice.


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