Another awkward abscess

[Orangehorse]

Oddly, the only time my horse has had an abscess is in this foot, off hind, and it seems that this one is going to be as awkward as the last that went on for weeks and I felt like buying shares in vetwrap and duck tape - but that's another story.

This time he was very lame last Sunday, and standing with his foot resting on his toe. So I got out the poultice stuff - slight alarm, had I got enough of everything and needed to hunt a bit for vetwrap.

As he was hopping around so much I also gave him Bute - he has it for arthritis but not having any at the moment. I thought he would be better walking around a bit rather than standing still and not eating, as that might lead to colic ...............

Considerable improvement on Monday but far from sound. And so on. So it is now Thursday and still lame at trot. So the vet came. The treatment isn't any different to what I have been doing, except that she has given me antibiotics as the abscess is in his heel and is seeping rather than ready to burst. I had realised that it must be in the back of his foot and was slightly worried he might have picked up a something or it was in the frog area, but I had noticed the heel was tender too, but I have never had a coronet abscess before. She said they are "very unrewarding" to deal with as it is hard to get a sudden relief and the antibiotics are to stop any infection going further up his leg. He is in less pain, no kicking if I prod, but that was the case after about Tuesday. He is standing and taking weight on the foot but still not sound. So it is nearly a week now. Supposed to be having shoes on next week but it doesn't look that likely now. I knew this would happen .............

 

[be positive]

I had one this winter that came out through the heel, vet had found a bit of pus in the sole a few days before but not much came out, it oozed out over several days, once it was clear I thought it had gone but another load came out a week or so later, being winter it was far more difficult to see what was going on but I was tubbing twice a day and putting clean poultices on twice so he could get out, I went through loads of poultice, nappies vet wrap and even more duct tape trying to keep it dry and free of mud.

He was seen by the vet a few times as he also had another injury on the same leg which made dealing with the abscess tricky because he was lame for two reasons, at no time was he on bute and antibiotics were never suggested, it did take a while to come right but at this time of year would probably have been far quicker and definitely easier to deal with, I found tubbing was probably more use than poulticing as the hot water got really well into it, softened it up and I could probe about while he was stood in which helped move the gunk out, he also loved standing in it so it probably felt good.

 

[NOISYGIRL2]

Reoccurring abscesses is a symptom of ppid may be worth you having a test done, they are free from care about cushings website, youd have to pay vet to draw blood.

 

[be positive]

Reoccurring abscesses is a symptom of ppid may be worth you having a test done, they are free from care about cushings website, youd have to pay vet to draw blood.

Not sure if that is meant for me or the OP but the one here has not had reoccurring abscesses, he had one probably related to the other injury, due to him being treated for the more obvious injury to his splint bone the abscess was not picked up straight away, it may have developed a bit later, treatment was given early on which delayed the abscess, he was on tiny paddock rest and bute for a week while the injury was healing and he went in for scans and xrays which showed a nasty fracture which did heal without intervention but he did not come sound as expected, once the abscess was found the vet dealt with it and it was not opened as much or as well as the farrier would have, then it came out of the heel, the mud probably stopped it clearing as well as I thought and he was still being restricted in his movement so the fracture could heal so it did require further treatment but once gone he has been fine ever since.

I have no reason to suggest his owner blood tests a pony with no symptoms and then possibly have cushings excluded from his insurance, along with probably several other conditions, when the pony is now in full work, looking very well and has almost too much energy.

 

[Carrottom]

I have found that tubbing with Epsom salts twice a day is more effective than poultice when dealing with an abscess coming out of the heel.

 

[Orangehorse]

It isn't re-occuring, the last one was years ago, but it lasted for weeks and weeks and involved multiple vet visits, X rays but resolved in the end and hasn't happened again until now.

Took your advice about a good soak this morning, which I had been doing until he vet came on Thursday! Horse is still quite lame, although when I poke around there is no reaction. Mm. I also put back thicker padding on the hoof area to make him comfortable.
Has anyone any experience of using an Epsom Salts in clay mixture?

 

[Carrottom]

Sorry, no experience of Epsom salts and clay.
One thought I had; has your farrier had a look. I had something that sounds similar and it resulted in a large chunk coming off the back of the hoof where the abscess had tracked under the sole.

 

[HorsesRule2009]

How long does everyone recommend soaking for?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I tub for 20 mins at a time, 2 or 3 times a day, if the horse is well behaved. I use a shires poultice boot and tie the horse up with a hay net. If the horse is jiggly, then 5 mins has to do (if that) .

 

[be positive]

How long does everyone recommend soaking for?

As long as I can, the water really needs to be topped up to keep it hot enough to get real benefit, anything from 5 mins to 15/20 depending on the horse, if I can top up the water and how bad the abscess is, the last one I gave as long as I could because he was happy to stand in the tub while I faffed about doing a few jobs and I could see how much it helped keep it soft as well as clean it after he had been out in the mud all day, however hard I tried it was impossible to keep totally clean.

 

[Carrottom]

I try to do 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day with water as hot as I can happily put my hand in. I never leave mine unattended as they are tbs and are likely to tip the solution everywhere.

 

[Orangehorse]

Oh pus, Oh Joy.

Vet had to come out again, he was SO lame yesterday. I was worried that a nail had got into his foot and that was causing the problem.

The good news is that the heel infection has gone, and she had a prod round and found a little hole on the side of the sole, and tonight there is definitely pus from it. Thinks that the antibiotics has cured the heel and the infection is tracking back down (from whence it came I suppose). It was a small hole and the farrier is coming out tomorrow. He looks much happier tonight.

Yes, I have been soaking it in hot water and Epsom salts, but he isn't very good at keeping his foot in it. I had a small cup and was pouring the hot water over the heel/hoof. I reckon it is about 5-10 minutes max. The water should be as hot as you can stand. I start by splashing a bit on his foot and then add a bit more water to the bowl, rather than try to plonk his foot into a full container, or you can guarantee that they manage to tread on the side and spill it all.

I always wonder about getting a boot, and swear to get one while doing all the soaking/poulticing and then have never got round to it.

I have had the whole of the sole of his foot come out once when I was picking out his feet, after a previous abscess incident. I did a sort of horrified leap backwards, and then realised that the old sole had become detached where the abscess had tracked round and it was nice new sole underneath.

 

[Orangehorse]

The farrier found a very small hole in his sole, which was where I thought it might be originally but he didn't want to go too deep, so he cut a triangle out of the hoof wall, there was a small amount of blood. When taking off the poultice last night I accidentally touched the sore place on his coronet (I can see where it is now) - massive kicking (ow that hurt), blood and pus from the sole, blood and pus on the coronet and then he put his foot down in the dust and dirt. Up to now he has been a perfect gentleman and a good if reluctant patient and I could put on the poultice with him just standing eating his hay. So then I had to persuade him to put his foot back in the bucket to wash off all the dirt.

So this morning I was more careful and took him outside the field onto some clean concrete! Lots of discharge from top and bottom. No wonder the poor thing was sore. But this afternoon he was resting his "good" foot and standing on the bandaged one. Progress. And the vet rang up to see how he was. Keep poulticing until 2 dry clean poultices. Need to stock up on supplies again.

 

[Carrottom]

Yay, sounds positive, glad to hear the pain is easing.