Cut in the hoof?

[Skhosu]

Bit concerned, pony stood on hiimself on the box, on the inside of his hoof, so its like a crescent in the top of his hoof, almost like a knnife has cut into it, the flap of hoof is still there, it's not very big but seems to have grown a little over night and got packed with shavings. Should I be concerned?

 

[Tierra]

How close to the coronet band is it? And is there any hoof between the very top and the part missing?

The problem with these kind of injuries is that you can risk the new hoof growth never being quite right.

My horse went down in a box last year and took a chunk out of his front hoof just under the coronet band (but the chunk had gone.. it wasnt just a slice into the hoof). I called the vet immediatly and they asked whether there was any hoof left between the injury and coronet. Because there was, they were happy to leave it alone and 6 months on, while its now half way down his hoof and the new growth is fine.

If there was no hoof between, then they wanted to come out straight away.

You can always call the vets and ask to speak with whoever is on emergency call out and get some advice. Of course, they're quite limited in damage to the actual hoof wall really.

I suspect, if he's just sliced into himself - which is what it sounds like from your description, that you'll be fine and its just going to have to grow out :/

 

[Skhosu]

it is kind of sliced a little bit through the coronet? it starts ON it?
This is what I'm worried about,a nd infection?

 

[Tierra]

Mmm mmm. Could be a difficult one yes...

I'd be inclined to at least speak with the vet if you can. Mine was very close to the coronet band but there was literally a slither of hoof in between and with that, the vet was fine with not seeing him (although they did ask the depth of the chunk missing).

His has grown back ok, although there is a lump in the hoof wall directly above the piece thats missing.. thankfully however, the new growth is now fine so that must have been something associated with the damage.

It is a really tricky place :/ Cant give you a definitive answer im afraid... If it was mine, I'd want to speak with the vet even if they then tell you its nothing to worry about.

Keep me posted anyway!

 

[_daisy_]

my pony Flighty did this in the field over a year ago. She had her foot poulticed to draw any foreign bodies out of it then had to have her foot stiched back together. She visited the vet roughly twice a week for further treatment due to complications. I dread to think what wouldve happened if I hadnt got the vet out. She seriously damged her coronary band and now has a permanent crack all the way down the hoof.




and now it looks like this

 

[Skhosu]

goodness me! His is not nearly as bad, but a similar sort of shape, slightly further down and forward, about the size really of a tenp piece!
did you get infection?

 

[_daisy_]

yes she got a really bad infection. Due to the severity of the accident - she tore her foot open right to her pedal bone - disgusting to look at but quite interesting to see the bones in her feet!! there was obviously some foreign bodies we didnt get out - even if it was 1 spec of dirt. She was on anitibiotic powders for the first couple of weeks then followed by metronex srynges. The infection came out at her coronary band at the front of her foot. Every so often it kept bursting open and more fluid would come out.