Abscess with no sole drainage

[Myotto]

I’m posting a lot lately but has anyone experienced a situation where an abscess has burst through the heel bulb and damaged the coronary band but a drainage track lower down cannot be found? The farrier is confused by it but the vet said it seems to have fully drained.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Yes! My pony has just had one. Vet was as flummoxed as yours. We poulticed and tubbed with Epsom salts and it went after 4 or 5 days. We have no idea where it came from.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I’m posting a lot lately but has anyone experienced a situation where an abscess has burst through the heel bulb and damaged the coronary band but a drainage track lower down cannot be found? The farrier is confused by it but the vet said it seems to have fully drained.

Yesss , mine eventually came out the band but tried and tried the sole but no joy, i have an abscess right now and you dont want it out the sole its a frikking nightmare. His abscess ended up looking underrun and heading for the toe!!

 

[ycbm]

I'm not sure why anyone's vet is surprised, I've seen plenty of abscesses exit through the heel bulb and not come out anywhere else. It's pretty normal if you don't go digging a hole in the sole. It was always my preference that they did come out the back because then there was no hole in the sole to have to protect as it grows out. I used to pump 3% peroxide into the exit hole as hard as I could twice a day until it wasn't possible to get it in any more.
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[FFAQ]

Every abscess my horses have had have blown at the coronet. No ongoing problems thankfully!

 

[Myotto]

This was my boys on 'abscess burst day'. It stank!

I can see why the farrier thought it was an overreach injury but he had boots on and he has EMS and a history of abscesses. Plus he'd been off for a couple of weeks before, e.g. not wanting to stand at the mounting block or go out on the lunge etc.

 

[Myotto]

Does it take a while for a horse to be comfortable after coronary band damage? Y horse has perked up since having a heart bar shoe put on but is not totally sound up in trot. Although the wound is healing well, I suppose it could still be sore.

 

[Reacher]

I'm not sure why anyone's vet is surprised, I've seen plenty of abscesses exit through the heel bulb and not come out anywhere else. It's pretty normal if you don't go digging a hole in the sole. It was always my preference that they did come out the back because then there was no hole in the sole to have to protect as it grows out. I used to pump 3% peroxide into the exit hole as hard as I could twice a day until it wasn't possible to get it in any more.
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It’s my trimmer’s preference for them to come out the back and dislikes digging holes in the sole to drain it. She says the pressure forces the puss up not down.

(I have to admit I was a bit surprised as I’d prefer it to come out the shortest route, but she is the pro.)

 

[ycbm]

It’s my trimmer’s preference for them to come out the back and dislikes digging holes in the sole to drain it. She says the pressure forces the puss up not down.

(I have to admit I was a bit surprised as I’d prefer it to come out the shortest route, but she is the pro.)

My preference too, I always found the horse sound more quickly if it came out the back and you don't need to worry about the hole in the sole.
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[ycbm]

This was my boys on 'abscess burst day'. It stank!

I can see why the farrier thought it was an overreach injury but he had boots on and he has EMS and a history of abscesses. Plus he'd been off for a couple of weeks before, e.g. not wanting to stand at the mounting block or go out on the lunge etc.

Does it take a while for a horse to be comfortable after coronary band damage? Y horse has perked up since having a heart bar shoe put on but is not totally sound up in trot. Although the wound is healing well, I suppose it could still be sore.

That's a big exit wound, I would expect it to be sore for a while yet. But I'm worried about your wording, the wound should not be healing. You have no idea how deep inside the foot the abscess was, and if the top heals it can seal it back in. That hole should be kept open until it has healed from the bottom up. My preference is to flush hard with peroxide in a syringe until the day it just won't go in any more. That split will eventually drop off the bottom of the heel as it grows down.

 

[Myotto]

That's a big exit wound, I would expect it to be sore for a while yet. But I'm worried about your wording, the wound should not be healing. You have no idea how deep inside the foot the abscess was, and if the top heals it can seal it back in. That hole should be kept open until it has healed from the bottom up. My preference is to flush hard with peroxide in a syringe until the day it just won't go in any more. That split will eventually drop off the bottom of the heel as it grows down.

It’s been over two weeks since the abscess burst and the vet is confident that the pus has all come out the top. The wound slit is still open but looking much less angry. The smell has also gone now.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Does it take a while for a horse to be comfortable after coronary band damage? Y horse has perked up since having a heart bar shoe put on but is not totally sound up in trot. Although the wound is healing well, I suppose it could still be sore.

It does take a while are you putting anything on the band? Is it actually healing?

 

[Myotto]

It does take a while are you putting anything on the band? Is it actually healing?

Even though the coronary band is damaged, the wound itself is on the heel bulb and is starting to close up. He’s still a bit tender when you touch it. Not putting anything on the band. Just has overreach boots on when he goes in the field for a couple of hours.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Even though the coronary band is damaged, the wound itself is on the heel bulb and is starting to close up. He’s still a bit tender when you touch it. Not putting anything on the band. Just has overreach boots on when he goes in the field for a couple of hours.

Yeah they will be sensitive for a while , how about some silver spray or protective stuff for the bulb itself

 

[ycbm]

It’s been over two weeks since the abscess burst and the vet is confident that the pus has all come out the top. The wound slit is still open but looking much less angry. The smell has also gone now.

It's my experience that the split in the heel will not heal in the sense of a cut healing, it will gradually drop down the back of the foot until it reaches the floor. When the coronary band splits, the hoof will normally grow with the split in it until it wears off the bottom of the foot.

ETA when the coronary band has split and there is also an exit wound at the white line, there will be a hole from top to bottom . That hole should be kept thoroughly disinfected to prevent seedy toe until the top split has dropped off the bottom of the foot. Normally it will break off when it's about half an inch from the floor.
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