Following on from earlier thread - photos of C's feet

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Ranyhyn

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Ok, for background if you want it, please see my earlier thread. Or just say what you see! :D

Sorry about the quality, poor girl wasn't overly fussed on being photographed today :rolleyes:


Thoughts please?
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Poultice not looking so useful today..
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The poultice is as I thought just showing the gel from the poultice made dark from the dirt around the frog, no sign of pus.

Feet, long toe, no heel support and signs of the laminae separating.

There will be a more qualified person on with a detailed description soon, but I would not be happy with those feet, a change of farrier required.
 
:( bah! I was happy thinking pus was coming out..

Thank you for saying that, it's not a nice time hearing things are wrong but I've been dying to get this answer almost, for a while because I felt in my heart it wasn't quite right..

Thanks again
 
I just looked again, where did the vet try and open the sole to release the abscess, I cannot see any signs of any trimming, did she find an area with hoof testers and cut into that spot, because it doesnt look like it.
 
I think I'm right in saying lateral (outside, hope thats right!) edge, she used the hoof testers - got a reaction on the outside and dug with a wooden handled thing which looked from my angle like an apple corer :confused: she said she didn't want to dig any further and said poultice for 3 days and if nothing, they'd come back.
 
be positive said:
The poultice is as I thought just showing the gel from the poultice made dark from the dirt around the frog, no sign of pus.

Feet, long toe, no heel support and signs of the laminae separating.

There will be a more qualified person on with a detailed description soon, but I would not be happy with those feet, a change of farrier required.
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This sorry. Your horses feet are seriously long, and the shoes offer no heel support at all! the hoof wall is splaying at the bottom due to them being long.

I too would be having a rapid change of farrier...sorry!
 
Don't be sorry! Please, I need people's opinions to back myself up - because I had asked the questions just not got the answers I was expecting (of my farrier)
 
You would be in no doubt if there was infection drawn out on the poultice, the smell is vile! You would definately know about it! I'd be inclined to say you need to get a farrier to have a look for it, but judging from the photos i would say possibly not your own farrier :o
 
Looking at how little the vet has cut away and the fact that pus is not coming out, I might be thinking of another vet also. Is the horse still very lame??
 
Did i read on your other thread that the horse is only just coming back into work? If at all possible i would take her shoes off (there are a lot of barefoot people on here who can help) and get her feet better that way. IMO they are not in good condition and certainly not well shod. Hope she gets better soon. FWIW IME farriers always find pus before vets and make less of a mess of the foot!
 
Yes, she's still trying to put as little weight on it as possible.

I have the best vet I could hear about in the area, the only equine specialist vets I know of. Or do you mean a different person ;)
 
Yep, she is only just being brought back into work. Which also annoys me because previously she has been at home, roughed off basically for a few months. If there was any time for the farrier to suggest things, it would have been a great time to do it!
 
Just read the other thread to catch up....I think your YOs farrier sounds worth a try :)
It will take any farrier a while to get her feet sorted and looking good again, so dont be suprised if they dont look massively better on the first time, but I bet you will be able to see some instant difference all the same. :)
Also I think you were right in saying to farrier about coming more often that 7 weeks, but speak to new farrier :)

ETA if you do get a new farrier, might be worth taking pics at each shoeing so you can see how they change :)
 
BoolavogueDC said:
Yes, she's still trying to put as little weight on it as possible.

I have the best vet I could hear about in the area, the only equine specialist vets I know of. Or do you mean a different person ;)
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I would try for a farrier, they have to be a bit braver than your vet appears to have been, the longer the abscess is in there the more potential for further issues developing.
I have a pony that despite every effort took almost 4 months to clear of abscesses last winter, he had huge holes in his foot continual tubbing, poulticing and was nearly pts because of it, I am sure yours will not be so bad but do get the vet back or a farrier ASAP.
 
Not much more to add than already has been said , but yes feet way too long , heels collapsed , and a new farrier definitely needed , just out of interest , what stuff are you using to draw out pus? and are you standing foot in warm bucket of water first , i've used some clay like stuff which drew out an abcess pretty damn quick , i did only have the farrier to pinch and then dig the spot , so as others have said , not a dockyard job that the vets sometimes do. Unfortunately , sorting out your horses foot axis/shoeing problems are going to take time , but in the short term if you're not getting any pus out of that foot , then another vet visit should be on the cards - sorry don't mean to sound patronising cos I know you know all this.:)
 
Thank you, that's a good idea - I will do that!

I'm prepared to try whatever the experts guide me to try, we'd do anything to help her feel comfy and at her best, but someone just has to TELL you first! :D
 
abscesses can be very deeply seated in the foot!

if there was pus drawn you would have noticed an immediate improvement in her lameness... and the poultice would make your toes curl...! :p

i would keep poulticing, and get the vet or farrier to have another dig about to try and release the pressure. sometimes it can take quite some time to find, rupture and drain. :(

my mare had a very very deep abscess, which the vet or farrier could not even detect. the lameness was un-diagnosed... and after some time on box rest became so crippled it made me cry. (x rays had been taken and she was shod in egg bars for a few months. she came sound... but a few months down the line one of her shoes fell off. when the farrier came back to replace it it became clear why she had been lame, and why the shoe had fallen off... she'd had an abscess and it had eventually burst (hence why she came sound) and the black dead tissue had eventually made its way down to the sole which meant the nails didnt hold!

with regards the shoeing of your mare.... it doesnt look too pretty to me. :(

good luck, i hope you get answers and relief soon! ;)

xx
 
I am hot tubbing between poulticing, but not in anything other than hot water.

We can try some other things, vet did mention sugar? Happy to try anything that comes highly recommended.

I do hope it is an abscess...
 
Digging in the foot isn't always the answer - it depends on where the abcess is. I would ask the vet for information, but please don't let someone else go 'digging for gold' in the hoof:( and be guided by what the vet says.

Her hooves aren't great - but at least you can see that now:p

Pics are always misleading but...

Her toes are too long and heels are growing under. It looks like her heels and frogs are thrushy. She has signs of wall seperation.

*So - she needs her diet looking at as the wall seperation is often part this and part mechanical and she'll be more resistant to infection too.

* She needs topical (as well as dietry) help with the thrush

* Some better hoof care. Taking the shoes off and providing an appropriate trim and allowing the hoof to shape itself properly is what I would suggest. How you'd fix the hooves in shoes is beyond my knowledge.

* Movement - to stimulate growth and therefore, strength.

There are pics of healthy hooves here for comparison
http://www.progressivehorse.co.uk/html/pin-ups.html
 
I wish i could send you my farrier - his Jack russell Terrier can sniff out an abscess PDQ x

Just as a footnote , i poulticed my mare's foot with the clay stuff , lint and vetwrap , then nappy and a canvas boot - she didn't do stabling at the time , so even though she was hopping on three she was out moving about and i'm sure that got the nasty stuff moving out of her foot!
 
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Vet for the present medical issue she has.

Farrier for the trimming (unless you fancy taking charge yourself:p)

(I use a trimmer who does mine's hooves and also gives diet advice etc too.)

But the rest is on you:)
 
LOL yuk!! She's still lame and stiff probably not being helped by being in I'd say but the ground at livery is poached (as you can imagine) so not really conducive to keeping the foot clean and dry ..
 
BoolavogueDC said:
LOL yuk!! She's still lame and stiff probably not being helped by being in I'd say but the ground at livery is poached (as you can imagine) so not really conducive to keeping the foot clean and dry ..
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Movement is usually best (within horse's comfort). The pressure of the horse's weight helps to break it.

Worst time of year for it!

Cover hoof in duct tape.

If there is no open area, then as long as you clean twice a day then getting them dirty isn't too bad.
 
Sorry Kitty, but I wouldn't let that farrier within miles of my horses' feet :o

See if you can change you YO's trusty farrier and get him to work with your vet :)

Diet wise, perhaps try a balancer?
 
Yep, can do that :) he comes every weds to our yard so can have him pretty easilly :)

Im pleased I can start progressing hopefully once we work out what the issue is.

Although OH isn't so convinced its an abscess, only because she was fine walking out in the morning, fine 30 mins before (where she was seen bucking and racing) the vet did say they can come on quickly..but that part did seem odd.
 
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