Abscess has under run the sole, heels now soft....

[Laura1985]

Hi
My horse has an abscess that has underrun the sole. Vet and farrier put a hole in the sole, but not alot came out of it. Now, following 3 days of dry poultice, there is now white lumps on both heel bulbs. I'm not sure if this is due to rubbing from the vet wrap/duct tape, or if the abscess is now going to blow out the heels. The pulse and heat in her leg has gone down, and she walked out sound so I hoped it might be on the mend.
I've very little experience with abscesses, is it normal that the heels get raised white lumps from rubbing? Or, am I likely to arrive to a right mess tomorrow? Any Ideas?
I will speak to vet/farrier tomorrow, but would appreciate others experiences.

 

[ycbm]

Whichever it is, there is nothing much you can do now but wait. Ime, it's unusual to have both heel bulbs go, so I think that with the increased soundness, it's probably just rubbing. But if it is coming out of the heels, it will pop tomorrow probably. There is no point poulticing a heel exit wound, it's uphill from the abscess. Your best best is to get a syringe and shoot hydrogen peroxide at 3% strength into it as hard as you can, twice a day for at least a week. It needs to stay open while it dries up.

I don't think you have much to worry about

 

[Cortez]

Quite probably the whiteness you see at the heels is the cleansing effect of the poultice and has nothing to do with the abscess itself, nor is it rubbing. It is usual for the surrounding tissue to look like this; the coronary band can also appear white and soft after poulticing/bandaging.

 

[paddy555]

I would suspect the lumps on the heel bulbs are from the vet wrap and dressings. It sounds as if it may have drained out of the hole in the sole. I would keep it clean and open and get her walking on a clean surface(not mud)
If your vet and farrier have dealt with the horse and she is sound it doesn't seem as if you have too much of a problem you just have to keep it draining. I also don't think you have too much to worry about.

 

[Peggs]

I've had multiple issues with abscesses this winter and think I know what you mean by the white lumps. I wont reiterate what the others have said but I didn't have any abscesses burst through them.