Desperate for advice. Foot abcess - how long before sound again ?

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Muddywellies

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Ive put this is here as there are only 8 people viewing the veterinary lounge.

My horse has been lame with a foot abcess for about 4 weeks now. It burst about 3 weeks ago through the coronary band. I have had the vet out twice, and i am terrified that the next visit will mean x-rays. I am deserate for this thing to get better by itself.
He's had a course of antibiotics, and he has had it hot poulticed. Now he's on dry poultices changed twice a day, and with honey in them. He has an area of granulation tissue about the size of a 20p piece where the abcess came out.
There is still gunk in the dressings, but not that much, and its not at all smelly. In fact, all I can smell in honey.
The vet has twice tested him with hoof testers, and there was no sensitivity whatsoever. Also, no pounding digital pulse. However, the leg is slightly warm upto the hock, and the fetlock swelled up slightly about a week ago (now seems to have gone back down)
He is out every day, and is perfectly happy. He happily walks trots, canters so he's definately not in a great deal of pain. But he is still not anywhere near sound.
How long can these things go on for? Surely its not going to come to opening him up/cutting way his hoof etc etc ??? Ive heard of horses being off for a year, and its terrifying me. Im just so desperate for this to heal up and for everying to be normal again so I can get back to riding him.
 
Well, as advised in your previous post - i'd have the farrier out. Get them to take the shoe off and look at the foot properly, and then go from there.
 
Ditto this ^^^^^ I would normally expect a horse be better by now, although one of mine was lame for a while. I would cut out the poulticing anf honey and let it dry out . But please, get your farrier out for advice.
 
I've had a couple of hoof abcesses and in both cases they've come sound very quickly once the abcess is lanced. One had the shoe off, the other didn't, but from memory I only had to poultice for about 3 days and then they were fine. They did have an antibiotic injection. I left it about a week to be on the safe side. The farrier did one and the vet did the other because the horse was so hopping I thought he'd broken something, but no. Yours sounds more serious if it came through the coronary band as both mine were just through the sole. But it does seem quite a long time. Best of luck - horses, who'd 'ave 'em?
 
The poultice and honey is the vets instructions, so as yet, I daren't stop until told to do so by him.

Is it possible to get the farrier out whilst under the vets care ? Or would the vet need to speak with the farrier? Can the vet not remove the shoe and have a dig around ?

Sorry for what might seem like dim questions, but I am kind of flapping now as he's never been lame before, let alone for as long as this. And I see zeros adding to the vets bill with every visit.
 
My mare developed a foot abcess last year and was totally hopping lame. Called out the vet and he did all the usual stuff with hoof testers etc., and jabs. The following day, it burst out through the bulb of her heel and she was then as right as rain! As others have said, I am surprised that your horse is still lame. My horse didn't have her shoe removed btw, as the abcess burst and this was not deemed necessary.

I hope your horse recovers quickly, but it does seem a long time - is there something else going on perhaps??
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I'd ask for X rays as I'd be worried that there was still a foreign body within the hoof somewhere.

Mine has only ever had abcesses in her sole which have been sorted within a few days.

It's certainly OK to get your farrier out to take the shoe off. I usually call my farrier first in these sort of situations as he's a pro at finding abcesses and bruises, and giving advice! He's happy to liaise with the vets too as I'm sure yours would be.
 
We are pros with abscesses as Ellie got 3 last year. We always got our farrier out, and he took her shoe off. Then, we hot puolticed it, wrapped loads of duct tape around the poutice and chucked her out. It was always dry within a week and she was sound very quickly (although she did manage an XC course round the PN at Blackwater Farm with the abscess- she didn't warm up lame, but came off the lorry unsound at home!). Silly pone...
 
I would recomend farrier more for digging about in the foot than the vet. Farriers train for 4 years specifically on the foot whereas vets are not foot experts.
Get your farrier out, doesnt matter that horse under vets care and make sure he isnt on too much bute when farrier comes as it can mask signs.
 
Firstly I'd have the farrier out, remove the shoe and see if he can find anything.

If not, I'd have the vet back and the foot x-rayed
 
My mare was getting loads of abscesses up until about a year ago (due to the fact that my farrier was doing an abysmal job of trimming her feet....have a BF trimmer now and she's not had one since!)

In my experience the ones which burst out the cornet band definitely took longer for her to recover and come sound again. I don't remember it being as long as 4 weeks but I'd say she was still a bit sore after 3 weeks.

I think it's because these are usually the deepest (hence how they burst out theirselves as the vet couldn't find them!).

How lame would you say she is?
 
[ QUOTE ]
The poultice and honey is the vets instructions, so as yet, I daren't stop until told to do so by him.



[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, OK. How long since the vet last saw it? I would still suggest you get your farrier out.
Was the entry hole found? Sometimes they can travel a fair distance within the hoof, often from one side to the other, so obviously takes time to clear. I have dealt with loads, and the last one was very slow to heal, in comparison to all others, but it was not as long as four weeks.

Hope you can get it sorted soon.
 
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