best way to keep abcess hole clean

digitalangel

digitalangel

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My poor boy burst an abcess around 10 days ago , hes since come mostly sound and had his shoe put back on, just wondering if anyone has any other ideas regarding keeping the site clean/free of infection. We have a little mud at home ( thankfully not nearly as much as last year since i now have hardcored tracks and gateways ) so i have been putting a little dressing and vetrap+gaffa around the area to stop any nasties getting in, plus some wound barrier cream. Normally i just leave them but have been lucky enough that i dont normally get them when its this muddy (!)

it does seem a little soggy though! Poultice boots he hates and manages to get off, plus they make everything soggy too

Any other ideas?

day or two after bursting

1476035_10152432077186246_7534709833862356937_n.jpg



today ( slathered in wound cream, you can see how soggy it is! )

10418441_10152441808456246_3560937595210328044_n.jpg
 
Personally I think it needs to be able to get a bit drier. I've had a similar problem with my son's pony, grit in her hoof leading to lameness so she's been poulticed, hot tubbed, dry dressed etc. The trouble is that the silage tape to keep it waterproof/clean then makes it all sweat. Could you keep him in for a day or two and purple spray it? That's what I'd be inclined to do. It's not in an easy area is it!? Under the hoof I've normally plugged with stockholm tar.
 
I would keep it wrapped while out but maybe reduce turnout time so the dressing can come off and dry out for longer, that heal and seal is good by flyaway I think they make it?
 
digitalangel said:
My poor boy burst an abcess around 10 days ago , hes since come mostly sound and had his shoe put back on, just wondering if anyone has any other ideas regarding keeping the site clean/free of infection. We have a little mud at home ( thankfully not nearly as much as last year since i now have hardcored tracks and gateways ) so i have been putting a little dressing and vetrap+gaffa around the area to stop any nasties getting in, plus some wound barrier cream. Normally i just leave them but have been lucky enough that i dont normally get them when its this muddy (!)

it does seem a little soggy though! Poultice boots he hates and manages to get off, plus they make everything soggy too

Any other ideas?

day or two after bursting

1476035_10152432077186246_7534709833862356937_n.jpg



today ( slathered in wound cream, you can see how soggy it is! )

10418441_10152441808456246_3560937595210328044_n.jpg
Click to expand...
OMG that could be my boy's

I ssuirt hibi scrub in and used a nappy with duck tape
 
When the infection has cleared up and there is just a hole left, I have always used Stockholm tar to plug the hole before turning out it does a good job of keeping dirt out and doesn't really need more than one application, as it just stays in place.
 
Once you are sure there is no infection left, I would tub the foot then pack it with cotton wool soaked in Stockholm tar to plug and leave it in.

It still looks very wet (might still be infected) so I would be keeping in and tubbing the foot twice a day until it dries out a bit and leave with nothing on it, and then pack the hole once dry :)
 
hes about 90% sound, still the odd off step, nothing has been coming out of the hole.

have put a barrier cream on it and vet wrap with some gaffa to keep it in place and limiting his turnout to 4 hours so i can try to dry it out.
 
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only_me said:
Once you are sure there is no infection left, I would tub the foot then pack it with cotton wool soaked in Stockholm tar to plug and leave it in.

It still looks very wet (might still be infected) so I would be keeping in and tubbing the foot twice a day until it dries out a bit and leave with nothing on it, and then pack the hole once dry :)
Click to expand...

This method has worked for me. Bit messy, I recommend disposable gloves to keep the stink of the tar off your hands and out of your mince pie pastry making, but it sure does work well. Got to make sure the hole is nice and clean and not at all weepy first though, otherwise you just seal the pus back in. A good squirt round with hibiscrub and gauze swabs to dry worked for me. I wouldn't seal over with any sort of tape or plastic though as that will make the area around the hole soften.
 
IME the horse has come fully sound once it's burst, so I would also be wondering if there's still more puss to come with your horse DA. I would probably tub and flush the hole and maybe put a dry poultice on. I've flushed before with dilute iodine in a syringe and when put in the hole on the sole/white line, it came out of the hole on the coronet. Once the horse is sound, I just leave the hole alone and it's always just grown out with no issue and the horse stays out too, mud or no mud as I don't stable for abscesses (I think movement helps).
 
Thanks, i syringed it a couple of times with dilute hibiscrub while the hole was still ' open ' as such, but he hasnt got a corresponding sole hole that i can see! i just didnt want mud getting into the hole. and the periople seems pretty soggy still, ideally i just want it to dry out but not likely in this weather!

This morning it looked nice and dry, but i dont want to stable him so hes out for as long as i can keep him out!
 
Sugardine (iodine and sugar) packed into it keeps infection at bay and aids healing. An old fashioned remedy that works - was suggested to me over 10 years ago by a good horse vet
 
Epsom salts are another old fashioned idea. They'll dry things up a treat. Mix into hot(ish) water and use like you would hibiscrub. It does sound like there may still be some gunk in the hole if the area around is soggy. You might not have a sole exit hole, depending on what the cause was, perhaps have a good scrub of the foot, and check again - especially the white line.
 
Anything that kills cells (cytotoxic) as well as bacteria will keep a wound clean but is also liable to slow healing. Iodine would come into that category, as would chlorhexidine gluconate at higher concentrations - Hibiscrub is 4% chlorhexidine plus detergent is too strong for prolonged wound exposure, while more dilute forms (<1%) are probably okay.
 
digitalangel said:
My poor boy burst an abcess around 10 days ago , hes since come mostly sound and had his shoe put back on, just wondering if anyone has any other ideas regarding keeping the site clean/free of infection. We have a little mud at home ( thankfully not nearly as much as last year since i now have hardcored tracks and gateways ) so i have been putting a little dressing and vetrap+gaffa around the area to stop any nasties getting in, plus some wound barrier cream. Normally i just leave them but have been lucky enough that i dont normally get them when its this muddy (!)

it does seem a little soggy though! Poultice boots he hates and manages to get off, plus they make everything soggy too

Any other ideas?

day or two after bursting

1476035_10152432077186246_7534709833862356937_n.jpg



today ( slathered in wound cream, you can see how soggy it is! )

10418441_10152441808456246_3560937595210328044_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Can i first say thank you for posting this - my boy was found like this and your post steered me onto the right track. Vet said now I dry poulticed it I am to squirt bedatine into the hole daily till it heels up. No more poultice only washing it if it comes in muddy. Here is my boy excuse the size ->
IMG_0161_zps360fe1ab.jpg
IMG_0160_zps248650d3.jpg
 
maresmaid said:
When the infection has cleared up and there is just a hole left, I have always used Stockholm tar to plug the hole before turning out it does a good job of keeping dirt out and doesn't really need more than one application, as it just stays in place.
Click to expand...

I am currently doing this but have Hessian in with the tar. Stays in for a week then comes out and cleaned and new put in. Works better than the red horse products and I've tried them too.
You can get some from denes in soulbury.
 
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