Boggle- USA bound!

Michen said:
Warm soak and poultice. But I’m just not even sure it’s an abscess.

I’m catastrophizing that he’s done something major, soft tissue or whatnot.

So tired and fed up with stupid wisdom teeth, moving and an insane amount of work with a big presentation next week.
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Na. It's behaving like an abscess and the area of the wound doesn't really add up to soft tissue ...
Had he he'd be lame in a regular way and he's not, same with the heat.
I've seen vets removed half a hoof to get to an abscess ( it was the wrong thing to do)

Rarely will a vet agree but a conversation about a daily shot of antibiotics may not go amiss. Most vets will say no, and in all honesty, if it's a deep rooted thing it may pro long it. But...again a conversation to have with a vet to the pros cons and benefits/delays etc.

Are you able to get an x-ray again?
It could show up what's channeling up to make the hole...an abscess if it was just brewing wouldn't not of shown up a few weeks ago.
 
Mmm I mean the initial pink superficial type wound was there when he was X rayed. I don’t have a single day to get him back into hospital until we leave (5th September) now as I am heading to Seattle, Arizona, California. Picking up company car that’s been in Arizona since April to drive it to San Francisco and doing a crazy work schedule so I was literally coming back to Colorado for one day to get Atlas, truck and trailer.

It’s just the worst timing! I think he’s just going to have to lump it and get to California. I will be very close to UC Davis a huge well respected practice here and my friends will put me in touch directly with their fellow vets so I can get a good referral if I need one.

I need to just stop panicking and if he’s still lame end of September when he’s moved, settled and I’ve got back from Europe then I can chase further diagnostics.

It’s hard not to catastrophize. I’m exhausted and I feel the worst about my lovely young horse that I just want to enjoy. I realise I’m being pathetic :)
 
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You're not being pathetic, you're just overwhelmed by a crazy schedule, being in pain from wisdom teeth and Atlas' impeccable timing.
One thing at a time. Atlas is not in any immediate danger, so get him to California and re-evaluate there.
Abcesses are really frustrating, but generally come right quite easily. My previous pony once managed to get abcesses in 3 feet at once. They took less than 2 weeks to clear up. My Little Madam got an abcess in her neck after vaccinations and it took a long, frustrating and painful for her 6 weeks to clear, but clear it did.
Hang on in there and give your handsome horse a hug when you see him.
 
Guys wtf do I do. He looks awful going down hill. He’s mincing down the hill from his run like he’s crippled in both front feet though I’m not sure if he’s just very sore in one and it’s making him look bad in both type thing. Obviously lame on circle but looks ok in walk on straight line and not “footy”- striding out.

I just don’t get it. Could he have fractured a sidebone bone? But then why would he go from lame (but happy to trot down his run hill no problem) to sound to lame again and a bit trippy to sound to really pretty lame.

His feet are generally cold in the mornings then warm throughout the day. There are no pulses. He’s not responsive to hoof testers bar a tiny bit of sensitivity over his frogs.

It just doesn’t make sense. Is this really abscess sounding? I’ve soaked and soaked and poulticed and nothing.
 
Titchy Pony said:
You're not being pathetic, you're just overwhelmed by a crazy schedule, being in pain from wisdom teeth and Atlas' impeccable timing.
One thing at a time. Atlas is not in any immediate danger, so get him to California and re-evaluate there.
Abcesses are really frustrating, but generally come right quite easily. My previous pony once managed to get abcesses in 3 feet at once. They took less than 2 weeks to clear up. My Little Madam got an abcess in her neck after vaccinations and it took a long, frustrating and painful for her 6 weeks to clear, but clear it did.
Hang on in there and give your handsome horse a hug when you see him.
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Thank you!! Just a bit overwhelmed. I’m sure it’ll all work out one way or another.
 
Rory had an abscess is his left hind. It came out of the coronet band and it took 3 months to clear. He was terribly lame and then when I thought it had cleared up and he was sound, he'd go lame again. I think with abscesses no two are the same and just have to deal with what is in front of you. My other horse had one, came out in the same place and I had no idea until the exit area started growing down.
 
Michen said:
Could he have fractured a sidebone bone?
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Because you have had xrays taken since he went lame this is unlikely.

Michen said:
Is this really abscess sounding?
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Yes, they don't drain easy upwards.

SEL said:
Abcesses that break out the coronet band never seem to react to hoof testers IME.
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That's my experience also.

I would contact the vet and see if they recommend antibiotics after this amount of time and also if you should give a break from wet poulticing.
 
How long have you been wet poulticing, as too long maybe an issue. My OH is a farrier, and we have seen this happen. Switch to dry, if it’s been more than around a week, and see where you go. (Not giving farriers advice, as they’re not allowed to any more, but just experience from past events)
I’m another one, too, who has seen the infection come out of the coronet, and horse hasn’t presented typical symptoms.
 
I know of one where it burst from the coronet but didn't clear until a drain was also made at the bottom of the foot. Took some finding, and made a big hole! The abscess was bigger than first thought and wouldn't have easily 'drained' from the top.

Despite the hole(s) in the sole looking awful, it was dry packed for protection after some days poulticing and was no future bother as it grew out.

You may not have time to go to a vet, but could a farrier visit and have a look?
 
Michen, I would have a farrier come and poke around, try to rule out an abscess and then, if still lame, consider a soft tissue issue.

Lameness varying with angle changes in the foot would be what I'd be picking up on with that. So lamer on a circle, mincing down a slope etc. Combined with intermittent or varying levels of lameness, and still trotting when choosing to, I'd be thinking it's less likely to be a fracture of something where you would be more likely to have a more sudden, acute and enduring lameness or very little lameness at all until it displaces.

I might box rest or pen rest and see whether there is improvement. I would probably also call the vet although I appreciate you must be dreading that, given all things past.
 
The lame in both could still be a compensation issue. Mine was actually more sore on the non abscess hoof from compensatory bruising. His did show with hoof testers though. Otherwise could that mark be an over reach? He was always crippled with those from the bruising
 
I read this saw everyone's sensible answers and didn't have anything to add,
Then drinking my coffee I still thought about atlas . Honestly M stop it lol it comes to something when I'm thinking about a forum 😂

Anyway what popped in my head as your clearly really stressed about this

Get the vet out asap and nerve block, knee down. Why? Well this way you can at least pin point the where the pain is. We could all be really wrong and it could be higher up.
You can also then see if he's lame in 1 front or both. If still lame then you can rule out an abscess.
Do I think you should long distance travel him.
Ideally probably not without knowing there's nothing tendion/upper body going on. ( Although I do recall you tried bute at the start and it made no difference)
Do I think it's the sidebone? No. He's to intermittent/inconsistent with the lameness.

Separate question is he laying down more often? If you see him get up is he getting up normally or struggling?
 
Indy said:
Rory had an abscess is his left hind. It came out of the coronet band and it took 3 months to clear. He was terribly lame and then when I thought it had cleared up and he was sound, he'd go lame again. I think with abscesses no two are the same and just have to deal with what is in front of you. My other horse had one, came out in the same place and I had no idea until the exit area started growing down.
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I'm dealing with left hind at the moment and its 4 weeks so far. Very much hoping we get some rain this week that will really soften her retained sole because I think its hiding behind her frog. She's got a wicked cow kick on her so no digging by the farrier!

Michen - I'm pretty pragmatic about my current "why aren't you walking properly" mare because she's a retired walking vet bill, but Atlas is young so if it would put your mind at rest then vet.
 
My first horse was super prone to abcess due to under lying issues.
She had one that myself and the vet swore was the tendon gone with the way it swelled.
No reaction to hoof testers, no heat in the hoof.
Only for it to burst out above the coronet.
The thing with bursting upwards is gravity and concussion don't help drain and it can niggle away for months.
I was always told never bute as it prevents it from draining.

A good farrier is better than a vet have seen vets take half the hoof looking for the point as they are usually quicker to locate
 
I spent £3k on nerve blocks and X-Rays, including spine x-rays, for a hind leg lameness that just would not resolve. We couldn't isolate the pain, nothing obvious anywhere, vet was starting to think some weird presentation of something neurological .... Abscess. Popped out via the heel / back of frog, then the whole sole sloughed off and it was like an ants' nest in her foot. And then she was sound and stayed sound 10 years now. Absecces can present super-dramatically but also super-weirdly. Just a little reassurance, but of course having not seen your horse nobody here can know for sure. I think JHoward's suggestions of nerve blocks and trying to isolate the location is good .. unless he's like my mare and just weird.
 
Hey all I'm just running late for a flight but really appreciate all your replies and wanted to answer some-

- He's all good rolling/getting up and lying down
- I was told sidebone fractures aren't always totally visible on a x ray which is why I still have it in mind, but it does seem weird for him to be worsening
- His medio lateral balance is good, it just seems very very odd for something soft tissue to present like this? To go from head nodding lame on a circle but fine to trot down a hill, to absolutely not fine to go down a hill.

Getting a vet up here is a nightmare, I could get 'someone' of course but it's not going to be my trusted vet this soon unless I haul him in and I'm leaving today, only to return to collect him. Im going to call them this morning and try though regardless. My friend vet has just quit so doesn’t have any equipment/drugs even if she did me a favor and looked at him. I will try with a farrier but it's so impossible to get someone ad hoc like that. My previous guy is out and I don't have a relationship with another. I use a trimmer, but she's not qualified (IMO) to go digging around in there.

I feel kinda up against it to be honest.. argh. I guess I will have to see how he is next thursday and make a call on the travelling but just WTF is wrong with him! It feels like it must be an abscess with the weird way it's been presenting. doesn't it?

I stopped the wet poultice a few days ago because the wound was not appreciating that but the area does all look kinda bruised, there's a line across the coronet band which my vet says could be an abscess trying to come out. Or it could be an OR strike but I just don't think so...

See that line of bruising


IMG_1126.jpeg
 
As you can see an injury/abscess exit area it does sound like give it time. Mine had a hoof wall bruise which we x-rayed as it lingered so long but in his case it literally had to grow out before he was fully sound on it
 
Michen said:
Hey all I'm just running late for a flight but really appreciate all your replies and wanted to answer some-

- He's all good rolling/getting up and lying down
- I was told sidebone fractures aren't always totally visible on a x ray which is why I still have it in mind, but it does seem weird for him to be worsening
- His medio lateral balance is good, it just seems very very odd for something soft tissue to present like this? To go from head nodding lame on a circle but fine to trot down a hill, to absolutely not fine to go down a hill.

Getting a vet up here is a nightmare, I could get 'someone' of course but it's not going to be my trusted vet this soon unless I haul him in and I'm leaving today, only to return to collect him. Im going to call them this morning and try though regardless. My friend vet has just quit so doesn’t have any equipment/drugs even if she did me a favor and looked at him. I will try with a farrier but it's so impossible to get someone ad hoc like that. My previous guy is out and I don't have a relationship with another. I use a trimmer, but she's not qualified (IMO) to go digging around in there.

I feel kinda up against it to be honest.. argh. I guess I will have to see how he is next thursday and make a call on the travelling but just WTF is wrong with him! It feels like it must be an abscess with the weird way it's been presenting. doesn't it?

I stopped the wet poultice a few days ago because the wound was not appreciating that but the area does all look kinda bruised, there's a line across the coronet band which my vet says could be an abscess trying to come out. Or it could be an OR strike but I just don't think so...

See that line of bruising


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I think that looks like an abscess

Very similar to a little mare i looked after who had laminitis - i knew when one was about to come out because she'd have bruising along the coronet, it would go scabby and split.

My worst was a friend who left me looking after her mare on grass livery while she had an operation. I spent the whole of her sick leave dealing with a lame horse - when it finally broke through the frog it was green and honked.
 
I think someone else also mentioned getting a farrier to dig an exit hole. The abscess I had that came out the coronet band had barely anything till the farrier was able to come and dig out a hole in the sole he felt would match the route. I then had lots come out and he went dramatically sounder
 
Urgh yeh I just don’t know that it’s going to be that easy to get a farrier when I don’t have a relationship with one other than the one who’s not here now.

It’s very different to the UK especially up here farriers are like gold and even getting on their books is tricky

A vet may be my only option and it won’t be my usual vet.
 
Michen said:
Urgh yeh I just don’t know that it’s going to be that easy to get a farrier when I don’t have a relationship with one other than the one who’s not here now.

It’s very different to the UK especially up here farriers are like gold and even getting on their books is tricky

A vet may be my only option and it won’t be my usual vet.
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I would not let any vet do to much digging.
Where your moving too...any chance of getting a good farrier line up that end?.
 
jhoward said:
I would not let any vet do to much digging.
Where your moving too...any chance of getting a good farrier line up that end?.
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The Bay Area- north of san francisco and very near the very best equine hospitals in the country so he would be in great hands.
 
Michen said:
The Bay Area- north of san francisco and very near the very best equine hospitals in the country so he would be in great hands.
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If your sure it's not something further up (hence asking about him getting up etc)
Then I'd give some bedding in the trailer and a padded hoof
If you can leave the middle out so he can adjust his standing and move a bit more then I'd consider this ( presuming he's safe to do it with)
And then I'd spend the time now lining up for a farrier and vet to be at an appointment together.

In the meantime time if you can get a nerve block done then I would. As I think if you can localise it to his hoof your feel a lot better about travelling him etc
 
I travelled him without the partition on the way back from Arizona and bitterly regretted it. I think he did much better with it in.

I have soft rides- huge padded hoof boots for this.

I could get a nerve block; awaiting a call back from vet as I’d feel better if he got looked at if possible if they can get him on someone’s schedule this week. I just want to make sure we aren’t missing something obvious.
 
This is probably a very silly question and far too late to organise but couldn't you fly him - or are internal equine flights not a thing there??
 
Trouper said:
This is probably a very silly question and far too late to organise but couldn't you fly him - or are internal equine flights not a thing there??
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They def are but to be honest finding flights as of late can be very difficult. And for something less than across the country it’s rarely seen as worth it. We’re also facing a shortage with flight air controllers (it’s worse on the east coast I think) so it’s caused a lot of issues actually getting the plane to take off. I’m currently shipping my horse out of the us and the company I’m using we had a convo about the issues currently being faced with trying to fly anything lately
 
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