Abscesses-how long to clear?

[TPO]

How long would you expect it to take for an abscesses to drain and clear?

Does the time differ depending on location? If so, what to?

At what stage would you involve a vet?

What's the longest you've had an abscess rumble on for?

Any experience of reoccurring abscesses in heel bulbs?

Not asking for advice just experiences.

Thank you in advance

 

[Brightbay]

How long would you expect it to take for an abscesses to drain and clear?
It depends

Does the time differ depending on location? If so, what to?
Ones involving frog and heel tend to burst faster. Ones deep in hard horn seem to take much longer.[/I]

At what stage would you involve a vet?
I tend now to speak to vet, and go with their advice, from early on - my vet's advice is usually "tub and poultice and keep him moving". We had a bad 'un during the wet summer (June) when despite tubbing and poulticing, it got worse and worse and was affecting his already rather dodgy hindquarters from standing awkwardly. Vet came out straight away at that point. I also call vet for any swelling appearing above hoof.

What's the longest you've had an abscess rumble on for?
The June one reappeared at the start of December. Vet and I agreed it was the same one and had not completely drained in June. So 6 months - but he wasn't lame in between, just had the occasional hot hoof. The December one I am still having to clean the rather deep hole in the toe, so I'm not entirely convinced it is resolved yet. Much prefer frog/heel abscesses, they tend to just burst and then heal up quickly.

Any experience of reoccurring abscesses in heel bulbs?
Yes, in a previous horse, who had other health problems (Cushings).

Not asking for advice just experiences.

Thank you in advance

Not sure that's much help to you. My experience is about 8 years worth of between 8 and 10 horses who live out 24/7 year round (some shod, some not). As the weather has deteriorated over the last few years, the number of abscesses has increased

 

[devonlass]

I have very limited experience with abscesses,I have been very lucky that none of mine ever really got them,but over the last couple of years (weather and excess grass growth I suspect being the reason) my lad has had a couple,so happy to share those experiences if any use to you.

How long would you expect it to take for an abscesses to drain and clear?

Does the time differ depending on location? If so, what to?

At what stage would you involve a vet?

What's the longest you've had an abscess rumble on for?

Any experience of reoccurring abscesses in heel bulbs?

Not asking for advice just experiences.

Thank you in advance

IME they can be over in a matter of days and cause no issues at all (my lad wasn't even lame with hind foot one and I didn't even notice until it burst out and left a big hole),or like his most recent one rumble on for several months.

My lads first one came out on the white line and small part of sole near the toe,and that was very quick (assume weak point due to some existing white line separation??),recent/current one tracked everywhere and came out nowhere conclusive really,although it turned out when dug had mostly headed for the coronary band,this took ages.Maybe due to tracking upwards and further??

I have posted on here actually in regards to the vet.I left it a few weeks before involving the vet.Mainly because I thought we had it sorted at one point with the aid of my trimmer doing a bit of digging and my poulticing,and i wanted to avoid large holes in his foot as vets are prone to do once they start digging about.
Ended up calling vet anyway as just went on and on and due to my facilities and other horse (doesn't do being out on his own in the field it seems) it became difficult to manage and maintain the wait and see approach.
With hindsight I wish I had just called the vet in the first place as would have been far quicker and less work,but live and learn and all that.

Longest has been most recent which has now been coming up for 3 months and is still not totally resolved but hopefully on the right track at last,or so vet says anyway I am not totally convinced TBH but that might just be me being paranoid as it's been such a battle

No experience of heel bulb abscesses sorry.

 

[JennyNZ]

How long would you expect it to take for an abscesses to drain and clear?

It depends. Sometimes they break out within a week. If they take the scenic route it can be up to three weeks.

Does the time differ depending on location? If so, what to?

As above.

At what stage would you involve a vet?

I don't. Anti-biotics don't help and I don't believe in digging big holes in the sole as that dosn't actually deal to where the abscess is travelling.

What's the longest you've had an abscess rumble on for?

Three and a half weeks.

Any experience of reoccurring abscesses in heel bulbs?

Not recurring, but have had the same abscess break out in a couple of locations.

Not asking for advice just experiences.

Thank you in advance

Cheers.

 

[Nickijem]

I have been treating my horse's abscess for nearly 3months!
He lost a shoe and was lame at the beginning of Dec. I wasn't convinced it was an abscess as there was no real heat in his foot and no digital pulse so called the vet. Vet found an abscess and told me to tub it and poultice it. 3 days later he was still quite lame so farrier came. He said it was draining well and to carry on poulticing. A week later had the shoe put back on and all seemed well. Another week later he was lame again so back to poulticing. Then he was sound after a few days.
A couple of weeks later he was lame again so had the vet again as I was worried there was more to it than just a recurring abscess but she reassured me and told me to tub it and poultice it again.
Now three weeks later he is sound and I am hoping to ride him tomorrow for the first time since the beginning of Dec!

 

[cptrayes]

Abcesses that burst on the heel or the coronet band will not drain because the abscess exit site is higher than the abscess itself.

I find it is best in those cases to pump the exit hole twice a day with a syringe of hydrogen peroxide at 3% concentration for at least a week. It must heal from inside out, otherwise it will brew again, so you must keep the exit hole open for long enough for that to happen.

Most horses are sound within a couple of days of an abscess burst on the coronet or heel.

 

[TPO]

Thank you very much for the replies and apologies for the delay in acknowledging them.

I've got a very long story as to why I was asking ( vet been involved since the beginning) but the short version is that we'd run out of options after the surgery that was supposed to cure it so I was even more desperate than normal!

CPT; I went old school with the HP and so far so good.

Thank you all again