After an absecess....

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Bug

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Hello,
I'm a newbie on here but need some advice so hope someone can help...

I have a 5yr old ex-racer and have had him for 6 months, he has soft feet being a TB and two weeks ago came in crippled and vet found an absecess in his front foot. He was given anti-biotics and bit of bute, poulticed up and box rested.

On Wednesday he had a shoe, a pad and some antiseptic putty put on as all seemed ok. He was turned out and went mental but came in walking sound and happy, however even after all this rest (no riding just turnout) he is still lame in trot today.
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Is this normal as he has little soft feet or should I get the farrier to take the pad/shoe off to have a look at underneath?
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Hello and welcome
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Absecess can take an age to heal. Sometimes by blocking up the hole you trap in more puss and result in further lameness. My girl had an absess and was hopping lame on it she had a shoe put on and was sound for a week but went lame again. The absess hadn't healed and was back with avengance.
I'd get your farrier out ASAP and re poultice.
Is there any heat?
 
Thanks so much for responding!

That is my fear, that the infection hasn't cleared up fully. Eventhough there was nothing on the poultices apart from clear liquid, I guess infection could have been hidden further up somewhere.

The hoof is a little warm, not hot but definitley a bit of heat in there.

I think I will get onto the farrier.
 
Thanks for your comments too.

I was 99% sure that the infection had gone otherwise wouldn't have got a shoe on him but think the infection may be in there still
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It's a difficult one. It does sound likely that the absecess probably hasn't healed. I'd get the farrier back out. However, be aware that if you have continually taken off and put back on a shoe within a short space of time this could also lead to lameness, although I'd expect a lower level lameness. My TB is often lame if he pulls off a shoe and has it put back on. He cannot cope with the concussion. Pads are a life saver long term but you need to wait until the absecess is definitely gone.
 
Thanks.

This is exactly what my farrier said to me last night.

He has recommended that we leave it another couple of days as my boy is only 'a bit' lame and he is concened that his foot won't handle the shoe coming on and off again.
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Abcesses can be a bu.......... Almost the best ones are the most acute, when the horse is crippled, the abscess bursts and is better and completely sound within days.

Sometimes (I speak from experience) the abscess tracks round the hoof and you think you have got it all but the horse is sound/lame for ages, and then at some stage later the entire bottom of the foot falls out! That is dramatic, but doesn't mean anything.

I would have a word with the farrier. There is nothing much you can put into the wound to kill any infection (and antibiotics aren't a good idea because they can stop the infection come up to head and discharging.) Again, I speak from experience.
 
So do you think I should get the shoe taken off and have a look around the hoof and see if there is any sign of another absecess?
 
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