Best thing for crack going right up heel bulb

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Christmas Crumpet

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Rode pony last night and realised he was lame so came home. Had a look at his foot and found that he has a crack going right up the middle of his heel bulb to where the hair starts growing. Whether he's sliced it on a flint or what I'm not sure. It is a bit ragged.

Anyway I cleaned it out with hydrogen peroxide and put a load of Dermagel on and in the crack then bandaged him up.

Dressing cleanish this morning so washed it out again and have just put a load of sudocrem on it to form a barrier. He's being kept in. He was so good - not even tied up when I was cleaning it etc. Got to love him for that!! Think it probably needs to harden up because bulb of heel feels a bit squishy. He's got one fine front foot with good frog etc. This foot has a pretty awful frog with a very deep cleft. I don't think it was an abcess because he was hardly lame and has been fine until last night and think its probably because its suddenly been so wet and his feet/bulb of heel have got soft.

So apart from Keratex hoof hardener (I know they say don't put it on the frog on the bottle but vet has advised me to in the past) what can I do to aid healing and get him back on the road hopefully avoiding another incident?!!
 
I think the main thing is to keep in the crack clean. Was advised by racing trainer who I share a yard with this morning to syringe it clean with surgical spirit and then cover in cornuscrescine or stockholm tar but not sure I quite fancy the surgical spirit bit although I can see the positiveness of using it to harden the skin again. He reckoned horse would be fine by Saturday/Sunday and to keep him in until then.
 
I would keep the crack clean for a few days, and keep an extra close eye on it to see if it forms an abcess.
As for preventing it happening again i use nextex barrier cream (a white and red tub) i stick that on every 3 or so days, the tub says it lasts a week once on but i want to be extra sure, it stops the heels getting to soggy so prevents cracks etc.
 
I just wrote you a long reply and then lost it :rolleyes:

Have you got any pics? I ask as my boy has had abcesses (yes, he gets a lot of the damn things) that have caused no lameness while brewing, then he's gone hopping lame once they've surfaced, then returned to normal as soon as they have been cleaned/dried out.

Or is it a case of the central sulcus opening up (sheared heels)? Mine has had deep rooted infections in two feet - thankfully not causing lameness, for some considerable time. I have tried absolutely everything, all vet and farriers recommendations. I finally seem to have made some kind of breakthrough using Clean Trax. Following the treatment, I've been hibiscrubbing daily and applying Antibac twice a week. Touch wood, this regime seems to be working.

I'd been using hydrogen peroxide twice a day before (on farrier's recommendation), but it had no effect. Hope this helps :)
 
I will take some pictures later of both front feet.

It doesn't smell any different (certainly not thrushy smell) to the other foot.

Will sudocrem (acting as a barrier cream) moisten the heel more? Was thinking it probably needs to dry up doesn't it? Or does it need to be moist to heal then need drying up?!!
 
I had this a few months back after my horse went barefoot. Farrier recommended using Kevin Bacon. He was still very footy after a few weeks but didn't think it was thrush either.
Eventually, fed up with lack of progress, sprayed on some Sheep Foot Rot spray, which always clears thrush fast. Lo and behold, the lad was sound the next day and heels healed fine without more intervention.
 
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