Abscess & weight loss

[Birker2020]

So poor Lari has had a horrendous abscess which retirement have been dressing everyday.

The farrier and vet came today and the vet rang me for my permission to sedate as he was so painful prior to digging for the abscess and he was kicking out with the pain, the vet said he was very sore on it. Apparently when they opened the hole some more there was lots of blood and pus so it seems it was a very deep seated abscess which the vet felt had been brewing for a while.

They took bloods because he's lost so much weight very quickly, fortunately as we were driving to see him tonight the vet rang to say the bloods are showing nothing abnormal. The vet thinks he's lost weight because of the pain he's been in, he actually looked a lot worse when we saw him on Sunday, he looked a lot better today. I'm so relieved the bloods were okay as we lost one recently at the livery yard with cancer. His weight went downhill quickly like Lari.

So they've redressed the foot and given some bute. We went to see him and he's kicking the ground stamping his hoof so it must be sore still. They said they'd had to dig into the sensitive tissue so it will be sore for a while yet. Poor lad.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Poor Lari,

 

[tda]

He should feel better soon, hopefully they've got to the bottom of it

 

[AmyMay]

Poor guy. Has he been stabled?

 

[Birker2020]

Poor guy. Has he been stabled?

No it was felt better to have him out with a friend in a paddock with a poultice on. That way he has plenty of grass and hay and moving will help it drain.

 

[meleeka]

I had a mare that lost loads of weight from abscess pain, so yes I think that’s perfectly possible.

 

[Lady Jane]

If its not muddy keeping him out is the best thing, I hope he recovers quickly

 

[PurBee]

Poor Lari, hopefully the vet drain will have alleviated pressure in the hoof and it can resolve quicker. Sounds like its being a stubborn abscess.
Lari’s had a change in lifestyle so it’s natural for there to be changes in how his body responds to the new environment. My gelding responds to stress and pain with weight loss, despite no appetite change. Its like their body uses the calories differently when the nervous system is wired with discomfort/pain.

If our brains use a hefty percentage of our daily calories just thinking, and more when wired and worried, then it stands to reason an animal in perceptive discomfort from an abscess would potentially uses more calories too.
My gelding can lose weight quickly when stressed/abscess discomfort, and when resolved bounces back quickly to original average weight.

Its interesting you mentioned in another post a few horses of the herd have had abscesses at the same time - i wonder if the weather has been unusual than norm at this time of year, or overall due to the wetter summer we’ve had, hay and grass nutritional values will be different causing a wobbling of nutrition and subsequent health niggles?

Hopefully we have a ‘normal’ autumn/winter and Lari and kin recover well

 

[Birker2020]

Poor Lari, hopefully the vet drain will have alleviated pressure in the hoof and it can resolve quicker. Sounds like its being a stubborn abscess.
Lari’s had a change in lifestyle so it’s natural for there to be changes in how his body responds to the new environment. My gelding responds to stress and pain with weight loss, despite no appetite change. Its like their body uses the calories differently when the nervous system is wired with discomfort/pain.

If our brains use a hefty percentage of our daily calories just thinking, and more when wired and worried, then it stands to reason an animal in perceptive discomfort from an abscess would potentially uses more calories too.
My gelding can lose weight quickly when stressed/abscess discomfort, and when resolved bounces back quickly to original average weight.

Its interesting you mentioned in another post a few horses of the herd have had abscesses at the same time - i wonder if the weather has been unusual than norm at this time of year, or overall due to the wetter summer we’ve had, hay and grass nutritional values will be different causing a wobbling of nutrition and subsequent health niggles?

Hopefully we have a ‘normal’ autumn/winter and Lari and kin recover well

Thank you for your comprehensive answer as usual! I can tell you are a touch typist PurBee, I do like reading your replies. x

Yes the YO last night said that a lot of horses coming from a similar situation to Lari where they have been 'pampered', in at night in the winter, lots of hay, feet picked out/scrubbed that kind of thing struggle for the first year, they get ailments they don't normally have and then they settle down the following year as their body aclimatises. She is hoping that by next year he will have grown a good coat and he can get by without a rug but at the moment she is going to molly coddle him a bit until he recovers. She really is very good with him, and with all the horses really. We have a new on coming on Friday, its a little pony, very shy and gentle so it will be nice if he paired up with that, but she said he's doing a lot of mutual grooming of others so he seems to have settled in really well at last. I hate to think how much the vet bill will be so I might not be able to save as much as I was hoping this month, but I'm glad I had the vet and farrier see him.

I do feel that the abnormal weather we have had have contributed to the abscesses. The field aren't too muddy at all, there is plenty of area for them to move, they just get muddy in certain areas, but they stand on hardstanding overnight in the winter. Its a weird one, but then saying that there's been a few abscesses at the livery yard where Lari has come from where my stable is.

 

[Indy]

My horse is recovering (fingers crossed) from a very deep and very painful abscess. He lost a lot of weight. He's 23 so really could have done without it. From start to finish it's taken 3 months. I believe the weight he has lost is due to him having to put so much energy into holding himself differently because of the pain the abscess has caused- you could see how rigid in his muscles he was. Now he's pain free you can see how he is so much more relaxed in his body and that combined with the Copra feed he is putting weight back on.

 

[Birker2020]

My horse is recovering (fingers crossed) from a very deep and very painful abscess. He lost a lot of weight. He's 23 so really could have done without it. From start to finish it's taken 3 months. I believe the weight he has lost is due to him having to put so much energy into holding himself differently because of the pain the abscess has caused- you could see how rigid in his muscles he was. Now he's pain free you can see how he is so much more relaxed in his body and that combined with the Copra feed he is putting weight back on.

Gosh, I had no idea they could lose weight so quickly. He already has issues with that leg/SI related so its a bit of a nightmare. Despite being buted up he was banging his foot into the grass repeatedly last night presumably with the pain. I didn't get much sleep last night with worry but so glad his tests have come back clear. I hope your horse continues his improvement Indy.

 

[Indy]

Gosh, I had no idea they could lose weight so quickly. He already has issues with that leg/SI related so its a bit of a nightmare. Despite being buted up he was banging his foot into the grass repeatedly last night presumably with the pain. I didn't get much sleep last night with worry but so glad his tests have come back clear. I hope your horse continues his improvement Indy.

Thank you, once he's over this fully he's going to be tested for Cushings. I hope Lari starts to feel better, I think we underestimate how serious abscess can be for a horse. I know this one has been a wake up call for me.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Poor Lari.
Hope he feels better soon. Sounds like he's having the best possible chance to recover. This weather is just awful.

 

[Surbie]

Poor Lari. I hope this vet visit has got everything into draining and healing mode.

Mine lost a fair bit of weight with his abcess, and had to be stabled for a while too as his kept coming back. Out and moving gently would absolutely be my preference too, sounds like you have a very sensible YM.

 

[Birker2020]

Poor Lari. I hope this vet visit has got everything into draining and healing mode.

Mine lost a fair bit of weight with his abcess, and had to be stabled for a while too as his kept coming back. Out and moving gently would absolutely be my preference too, sounds like you have a very sensible YM.

Yes I am very lucky to have found this retirement yard. It's only 10 miles further than the livery yard he was on where I've been for the last 18 years with Lari for 18 months and Bailey before him. My stable is being held for my next boy but I've already said I'm not prepared to do anymore rehab with Lari so he won't be temporarily coming back again, the rehab I did in April was enough. He's had his chances, I need to move on but it's a constant mental fight sometimes, like now there's nothing I'd like more to bring him 'home' and look after him and take him back after he's better but I need to draw the line. He's getting fab care where he is!!

My friend recommended me to this yard as her horse who Bails used to share a paddock with was there, he's been there retired 8 years and has only just last week been pts as his arthritis could no longer be controlled. So he had a lovely long retirement, I'm hoping the same for Lari. He's really happy now.

Sorry to hear about your abscess troubles. They go on forever sometimes.

 

[Surbie]

Sorry to hear about your abscess troubles. They go on forever sometimes.

9 months from start to finish...but (touches wood frantically, chucks salt over left shoulder) not had a hint of one in the 5 years since. And it's the only one he's ever had.

 

[PurBee]

Thank you for your comprehensive answer as usual! I can tell you are a touch typist PurBee, I do like reading your replies. x

Yes the YO last night said that a lot of horses coming from a similar situation to Lari where they have been 'pampered', in at night in the winter, lots of hay, feet picked out/scrubbed that kind of thing struggle for the first year, they get ailments they don't normally have and then they settle down the following year as their body aclimatises. She is hoping that by next year he will have grown a good coat and he can get by without a rug but at the moment she is going to molly coddle him a bit until he recovers. She really is very good with him, and with all the horses really. We have a new on coming on Friday, its a little pony, very shy and gentle so it will be nice if he paired up with that, but she said he's doing a lot of mutual grooming of others so he seems to have settled in really well at last. I hate to think how much the vet bill will be so I might not be able to save as much as I was hoping this month, but I'm glad I had the vet and farrier see him.

I do feel that the abnormal weather we have had have contributed to the abscesses. The field aren't too muddy at all, there is plenty of area for them to move, they just get muddy in certain areas, but they stand on hardstanding overnight in the winter. Its a weird one, but then saying that there's been a few abscesses at the livery yard where Lari has come from where my stable is.

Your YO sounds fantastic - great of her to ease the ’pampered ponies’ into herd outdoor life It sounds like he’s got some buddies with mutual grooming, so it must be a relief to know that he’s enjoying herd-life.
The climate here and an outdoor life even have my usual fine-haired arab breeds growing a very wooly coat in winter, it’s amazing how they do adjust.

Fingers crossed this is the last vet bill so your savings can plump-up!