Cracked heel - how?

[texas]

Sorry about the huge photos, I've already shrunk them several times but they still come out the same size Found my poor boy's foot looking like this today How does this happen and how can I make it better and prevent recurrences?

Both sides of his heel are like this:


From the back:

 

[mynutmeg]

My sister's cob has previously had this sort of thing. Usually cause by the skin being wet. Our treatment regime was wash with tee tree shampoo / washing up liquid to remove previous cream, wash with hibiscrub to kill any bugs, rinse, towel dry well, slather copiously with sudacream / nappy cream, bandage with fleece bandages and stable overnight. Next morning remove the bandages and apply mroe cream before turnout. Start again in the evening

It takes a while every evening but will clear up the cracks in a few days and then maintain by using the cream every day

 

[MotherOfChickens]

do you have buttercup?

 

[texas]

Thank you, definitely need to get some sudocreme tomorrow! I just don't understand, there is no mud, very short dry grass, no buttercups. .. just no obvious cause! He's never had any problems before either. I've had enough of horses this week lol.

 

[texas]

In terms of buttercups, I don't have any flowers, but did have loads last year, do the plants themselves even without flowers cause problems?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

yes, although they are at their worst when they are flowering-it might not be that, was just a suggestion since so many of us are battling them atm

 

[texas]

Thank you, all suggestions welcome!

 

[5bs]

My cob has photo sensitivity,his liver enzymes last year where very high. Only thing that got on top of it was anti bs, sudocream mied with steroid cream, and a month of milk thistle for good measure.

He had a flare up the other week, when the sun came out, and had to have all the above again.

 

[texas]

Sorry to hear about your guy 5bs, hope he's better quick!

Good idea on the milk thistle, will see if the tack shop has anything detoxy tomorrow. Thinking maybe some echinacia (sp) too, gave that too him last summer for low level ongoing cold.

Does tesco do sudocreme or do I need a chemist?

 

[Fii]

could be a an abscess broken out!!

 

[5bs]

Asda sudocream much cheaper, and you can get steroid cream from the chemist, mix 50/50 . Sudocream is a very good sun barrier, this was advised by my vet.

 

[mynutmeg]

Even not know the cause a regime similar to what I described above should work because it will kill any bugs and provide a barrier to what ever has caused it. Hope you get it sorted

 

[texas]

Thanks everyone! Feel like a bad mummy for not noticing earlier Bless him he let me prod it without problems yesterday hopefully he'll let me continue while I try to fix it.