Abscess won't discharge

[Orangehorse]

Saturday evening - Horse horribly lame, poulticed Sat night, Sunday am and pm and Monday morning and vet came on Monday. He said to keep soaking/poulticing, but still not better this morning.
Horse is not very good at keeping his foot in the soaking water, so it couldn't be described as a really good soak although I am using a wet warm animalintex. The vet said he cut down quite a long way and was surprised there wasn't a big "pop." 'considering how lame he is' !!!!!

Any ideas for getting the thing to discharge? He has a digital pulse, so I hope me and the vet are right about the diagnosis and it is is an abscess and not a broken bone in his foot.

 

[AmyMay]

Have you had the farrier to have a little look as well?

Sometimes these things can go on for bloomin ages, with the horse ocassionally comming sound, and then lame again until the gravel 'finishes'.

Keep the horse out on wet ground as much as possible, and be careful not to overpoultice. I would consider tubbing pm and putting a dry poultice on afterthat overnight.

Other than that it's a waiting game quite often.

 

[Orangehorse]

I was a bit concerned about the over poulticing thing, as I know it isn't a good idea. I suppose the vet thought it might soften up the hoof a bit.

 

[AmyMay]

Wasn't questioning the vet in any way.

 

[Maesfen]

It could be that the abscess is travelling upwards (they take the path of least resistance) and might surface at the coronet band so you could try poulticing that as well. Horse will be sound again virtually in minutes once it has burst!

 

[ihatework]

just trying to read between the lines here ... I'm assuming the vet did cut away a bit of foot?
If he didn't, and it may have been because he couldn't localise it, I'd get the farrier up for a second attampt.

 

[Orangehorse]

The vet did cut into his foot, quite deep, he didn't want to go any deeper. That is why he said keep poulticing!

I wondered if it was travelling upwards, as his feet are very hard.
Trouble is, it was practically dark by the time he arrived, so he was having to look at his foot by torchlight.

Last time (2 years ago) the vet arrived at about the same time as the abscess burst with a neat little hole. Although that wasn't the end of the story, as it turned out to be a long one.

 

[Dovorian]

Hi - this sounds a carbon copy of a problem my horse had! I was rather 'frustrated' that veterinary intervention did not seems to work as quickly as expected and called the farrier - he managed what the vet could not. I would try a good farrier.

 

[kerilli]

if you have any faith at all in homeopathics, try Silicea. it pushes foreign bodies out of the body, and worked a charm on one of mine - saved him having an op, actually.
Ainsworth's Homeopathic Pharmacy in London is the place to get the strong stuff, they're used to dealing with people who want stuff for horses. it'll prob cost about £5.
of course, if you think it's all a load of bunkum, ignore me!

 

[Orangehorse]

I think it would be worth trying.

 

[Guinness]

Im going to sound really thick now, but why is it bad to over poultice?

 

[kerilli]

it's bad to over-poultice because it can totally saturate the skin tissue, i believe.

 

[WishfulThinker]

A youngster on out yard had an absess that wouldnt drain, came in one day with what looked like a cut hoof and it was where the absess had exited - was one of the grossest thing I have seen in a while! Wee mite had very tough feet and it just didnt want to go down so it went up!

 

[kick_On]

IMO farrier are best for feet - for any lameness in foot he's the chap i call first any decent one if i can't help will say call vet.

As vet has dug and found nothing IMO i would only HOT WET poulitice for 3 days (changing morning and night) and the go onto dry pouliting there after . I would strong advise to if poss to incourage puss to draw down instead of brust out of connory (sp) band.

Also to help when on dry pouliticing you can tub foot (warm salty water) as to incourage/draw puss down, good time to do this is when horse is standing as you change dressaging, then leave foot in tub whilst mucking out. Come back to horse dry foot of complete before replacing fresh poulitice

In photo gallery can't remember name but some did a brilliant photo stage of pouliting foot

 

[Donkeymad]

Went through the same thing last week.
Stop poulticing. Instead apply heat to the coronary band. The pus is too far up now and by poulticing you are encouraging it back down into the hoof. At this point it is far quicker to draw it up and out of the coronary band, which is what it would do in nature. This is also has the advantage that it limits the chances of any re-infection from being drawn back in by walking through mud etc, and drawing it back in through the entrance hole.
My boy's has now burst and after two more days is now - thankfully - sound.

 

[Orangehorse]

Had vet out again, who had another dig. Definitely less lame today, but not much sign of discharge. Have ordered from Ainsworths - they suggested Hep Sulph (is that right). So a bit more cheerful as at least he is using all 4 feet now and not only 3.

Still, there is another problem - see: Fluid filled swelling ..........