Advice requested re hoof abscess

[Merlin11]

my horse was diagnosed with an abcess over 2 weeks ago.
Have been poulticing since then and more recently using a boot to give him some turnout. pus is still appearing on his dressings although he has been sound for over a week. there is still a slightly higher temperature in that foot so assume more drainage is required. am now worried about his foot being wet all the time and wearing the boot for too long. Vet says nothing to worry about if he is sound and suggested dry poultices but this stopped it draining so went back to wet. The horse is fool of beans and is fed up being in. He.
He still has a shoe on. called the farrier but he has not come out and as it was draining anyway haven't chased the farrier. Any advice gratefully received. Thanks!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Cut the animalintex very small (just big enough to put over the drainage hole) then once you've squeezed any excess hot water out of it put it in place on the drainage hole. Squash it down so that it sticks in place and put a baby's nappy over the top to keep it there. I then use about half a roll of vetwrap over the top and finally gaffer tape.

Here's my mare with blue gaffer tape which was actually very tough and didn't wear through as quickly as the standard grey or black tape.

My farrier is much less keen to poultice than my Vet. It would be worth talking to your farrier again as he may be able to open the drainage hole so that it drains quicker and you can stop poulticing. Is the abscess in the white line or the sole?

 

[sadiedeb]

Had this recently with Echo - had to wet poultice for about week then went onto iodine dresssing - were lucky enough to borrow friends stable to keep him stabled. but when put him outside we put duct tap over the bandage

 

[Merlin11]

Thanks for the reply. Think it is in the sole as this is where the pus is coming out although some also came from his heels initially. Not sure if the gaff tape would work here as it is very muddy. Think I will try phoning farrier. If it was draining anyway thought it would be best not to create a hole that would need to heal but then think it is taking too long to drain.

 

[sadiedeb]

so it's not actually been opened yet?

vet opened echo's up and with daily poultices (and was on bute for a few days) puss cleared within a couple of days - we're also very muddy which is why kept stabled for 10 days - the iodine closed the hole quite nicely once pus out - then just kept bandage and gaffer tape on for couple of days because of mud

 

[Meowy Catkin]

To make you feel better, my mare's abscess was in the hoof wall. It tried to pop out of the coronet but it never really went away. My farrier came and took off lots of hoof wall to expose the abscess, which also meant no more polticing!