Diagnosed with abcess a month ago.. Thoughts?

[Jim bob]

Hi everyone. First post here, be nice

So around 5 weeks ago my horse was diagnosed with a deep seated abscess by my vet. I was advised to hot poultice for 3 days, 5 if nothing was coming out then 3 days of dry. After that, to keep it clean and then my horse could have his shoe back on. oot

The vet started the poulticing off on the Friday , my horse was quite sore on his foot. I was told by my vet to give him bute as and when he needs it so that is what I did. However it didn't seem to be helping my horse as he was still very sore with the bute. On the following Tuesday I gave him some bute before work (11am) and then again at about 8:30pm that night. The next day my horse appeared much better and no were near as sore as the previous day. Wasn't sure whether this was due to the bute or the abcess popping. I have never had to deal with abcesses before . Silly me thought a wet poultice would draw out the infection rather then dry. Due to this I over did the wet poulticing. Well I mainly did wet with a few days of dry for a few weeks. Because each time I took the poultice off whether he had had turnout or not . his foot smelt very strongly and didn't look great. I continued to hibiscrub it each time he had ripped the poultice at the toe or after turnout.

2 weeks ago I updated my vet, he said to dry poultice it then I know where I stand basically if any crap comes out. So I did that for 5 days and if there is discharge or my horse looked uncomfortable he will come back out and see him . The poultices came up clear each time. There was no goo, puss anything it was completely clean and there was no smell.

Spoke to the vet last week and he said he has to be sound before putting the shoe back on. So I trotted my boy up and he was pretty much sound. This was on the Monday, I kept his foot as clean as I could until the Friday when the farrier was due. Farrier popped his shoes back on ( he threw the other one!) and he was sound. It had been a month that week that he was diagnosed. Went to get him today he almost looked a little sore in the field. or it was just due to the mud. Very very boggy field. He appeared fine on the gravel coming back . Though his hoof , the one he had the abcess in was warm compared to the rest so I cold hosed it.

My friend said its not unusual after an abcess to get heat. However I am a little worried it might be something more going on. The plan was to see how he goes for the rest of the week just in the field and stabled on a night. Trot him up Friday and if he is sound . Bring back into work. If not get the vet out for xrays. Just want your thoughts on this.

Thanks

 

[jenni999]

Without wishing to be a harbinger of doom, I had a similar issue with an abscess that didn't seem to be draining very well. There was heat and my horse was definitely not sound. Fast forward a few weeks and we've had surgery on the hoof to get to the root of the abscess. The vets have dug it out and he now has a bar shoe with a hospital plate and a few weeks of box rest to look forward to with Manuka honey dressings on the raw bits. On the positive note, we eventually got to the root of it and things are looking up.

I think what I want to say is it can be a long road to get rid of an abscess. I am glad I got my horse into the vets and they dug it all out. It seemed extreme at the time but after Xrays and an MRI scan, we still couldn't be sure how deep it was and a bit of hoof surgery was the only option.

 

[Scatterbrain]

I've had an abscess on a one of mine a few years ago that was deep seated, tracked in 2 separate directions and wasn't for bursting out of it's own accord or with poulticing. The vet eventually had to dig away and clear both tracks. Took a good couple of months for the hole to heal over. Perhaps your's has tracked in another direction too?

 

[shugmx]

My boy was on 3 legs for 4 weeks until abcess was found and i poulticed it for another 2 weeks. He has not had it dressed now for a week and a half and only now the heat is almost gone. Still ever so slightly lame but almost there.

 

[Pinkvboots]

They can drag on my mare used to get them alot a few years back and I am sure I was poulticing on and off for about 6 to 7 weeks with one, to be honest with most I would wet poultice for at least a week as this is what draws the pus out so you were right to do the wet for longer.

 

[Jim bob]

When I was poulticing i was getting goo and gunk out of it. When my vet felt it was okay we then dry poultice it for 5 days. It was only when he was sound been trotted up with popped the shoes on but while he was still waiting to be shod his foot was kept clean. I am going to speak to my vet tomorrow or Friday though he did say if he was sound he can come back into light work. But the idea of this infection and most of all the fact I can't see it is worrying me . Part of me would really pay he money to do his foot was okay but then what If it is okay and I have paid that money out for no reason.

 

[Tnavas]

Go back to the wet poulticing - as the wet softens the foot and encourages the pus to break out. The thing with poultices is that you have to keep it spotless until the damaged area has sealed over. Everytime your horse breaks through the poultice you risk it flaring up again.

Once he is sound - keep the foot dressed until the farrier arrives. Ask him to put a leather pad under the shoe to prevent any dirt getting back in. My farrier would always seal an abscess site with cotton wool and Stockholm Tar. then a layer of Tar accross the sole, a layer of cotton wool another layer of tar on the leather and then put the shoe on.

This is my process for dealing with abscess treatment

Sweep clean the area that you are going to work on the foot.

Pick out foot into a skip to keep floor clean

Bucket 1 - Warm water and scrubbing brush - scrub the foot really clean

Bucket 2 - Hot water with handful of Epsom Salts - stand foot in it for 20 mins

Place cleaned foot on to a clean Hessian sack - keep horse from stepping off it.

Fill cavity with antibiotic used for cows with mastitis.

Pour hot water onto Animalintex - Squeeze excess water out of poultice between two plastic plates

Place on foot and wrap with Cling Film - before it was invented we used a plastic bread bag - then cover with Gamgee or better still a disposable nappy. Cover well with duct tape with extra layers at the toe. or you can use this as a poultice boot - very cheap and effective.

Repeat this daily until the horse is sound again.

Don't stress about what does or does not come out - the horse will tell you when he goes sound.

Once sound keep the foot covered to the moment the farrier can fit the shoe. This is the point here you can use the dry dressing - continue to put the antibiotic ointment into the hole before putting on a dry dressing.