Foot abcesses

[Crugeran Celt]

Mentiones this problem on another thread and advised to start a new one so here goes. I have a 19 year old TB/Welsh Sect D that suffered with an attack of laminitus in October when grass was not lush and she was not overweight, 11 years ago. She then continued to have abcesses every few weeks in both fronts and left back until 3 years ago. She has stress laminitus which can be brought on if the weather is wet if its snowing or if she is in a bad mood. ( it seems like that anyway). The vet suggested that the problem was not that she is picking things up into her hooves but that her hooves are crumbling from the inside that is causing the problem so no shoes. For 3 years she has been abcess free so walking hre in hand which she loves, decided to get on her, she was brilliant but had another abcess a few days later. Back to square one! Been good for a few months now so walking again. Last weekend she was galloping around the field like a 2 year old, abcess by Monday! Gutted! Here we go again, any advice please.

 

[*hic*]

When you say abscess do you mean that on every occasion pus has been found? If not then either she's had far fewer abscesses that have been niggling and gone away and then come back and only infrequently blown out or I'd be asking the vet to test for Cushings. If the abscess has on every occasion produced pus then please ignore the preceding and I have no idea why this would be.


Have you had her feet xrayed?

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Yes, every time the abcess has burst and pus come out. They usually burst out of the coronet band which is a pain as they then have to grow down the whole hoof which causes more problems with weakened hoof wall etc. To be honest as we have had 3 years free of abcess and only had one when I rode her i thought we were out of the woods as I am happy to keep her as a field ornament but this one this week has come just by her galloping in her field and I am really worried that I have gone back to the start and we will have abcess after abcess again.

 

[Jesstickle]

Gosh, that sounds like hard work OP. As Dee said, have you ever x-rayed? Are the abscess in all feet, just one or just the fronts/backs?

 

[Crugeran Celt]

haven't had her x rayed and vet never suggested it. She has had abcesses in both front feet and back left, not all at the same time but over the years she must have had over 30 altogether. To be honest I have got so used to them now its a case of poultice, bute and wait for it to clear. For the first few years the lameness would last for up to 3 weeks each time but now as I said she showed signs of lameness on Monday and by today it has burst and she is sound again. They seem to clear up very quickly now and she is again full of beans and has cantered out today after visit from the farrier. She just gets so depressed when she has these abcesses and I worry that it will trigger a bout of laminitus as she gets this with stress, the abcesses clear quickly but laminitus is another thing altogether and I dread going down that route.

 

[Jesstickle]

I really don't know the answer at all. If you'd said one foot only that would lead me to more ideas but all of them. I'm stumped!

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I really don't know the answer at all. If you'd said one foot only that would lead me to more ideas but all of them. I'm stumped!

You are not alone there,so is my vet and farrier who both say just go with the flow and don't put to much pressure on her. Thats easy but she loves going out for walks and I feel so sorry for her confined to the field. Just wondered if anyone else had simular problems and had found ways to overcome them, have thought about boots to walk her out but farrier not really impressed with this idea. I have tried many suppliments for hoof growth and repair products but to be honest don't think any of them have helped. I am ok with not being able to ride her and am totally happy just walking her in hand if I could without her having an abcess. Also am confused how she could have been abcess free for 3 years then have one as soon as I tried riding her and then another so soon after just from galloping in her field. I wonder if I caused a problem by riding her that has started the whole thing off again.

 

[mightymammoth]

sorry if you have said but is she shod? It may be worth thinking about hoof boots to try and protect her soles. Do you feed her? if so what.

I know how you feel abscesses are awful

 

[Crugeran Celt]

She has been unshod for over 11 years but had fronts put on thats when decided to try riding, she then had the abcess and had shoes removed and not replaced since. She is not fed hard feed at all, she has hay and Dodson & Horrell Safe & Sound twice a day in the winter, she lives out all year 24/7 as she hates being stabled but she has access to her stable if she chooses to come in. Locking her in her stable has brought on laminitus in the past she also stresses if she is rugged and again can go down with laminitus when rugged in the middle of winter due to stress. Winter before last when we had snow on the ground for weeks she went into a depresssion and just laid on the ground refusing to get up or eat anything, had to have vet to her who couldn't find anything physically wrong other than she was rugged due to the exceptionaly bad weather and she was so stressed by that she went down with laminitus. Removed rug gave her haylage and carrots and apples to encourage her to eat and she was fine after a few days. We bred her ourselves and I would do anything to make her life happy and healthy.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

This is strange one. Has the vet blood tested her for any abnormalities, hormone issues or cushings? It sounds like it eiuld b an underliying metabolic issue particular triggered but physical or mental stress!!!

The grass has been particularly mad this year. Fibre based feed is generally helpful all yr round. There was been lots of lami and abcessing.

Will b very interested to hear out come if found.
X

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I asked vet about cushings but he said definately not and to be honest I think he feels it may be an hyreditary problem as her mother had major hormone problems and that was the reason for breeding from her to try to level her. It worked for the mum but really didn't want to breed from this mare as it would could mean breeding the problem into another generation. She suffers from laminitus in the winter months and due to the exceptional wet and cold spring we haven't got a lot of grass at the moment so she is not getting too fat.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

I had a tb that was underweight and had lami. Later found out it was due to a protein allergy causing ulcers allow the way along his intestines. Not saying this is what yours has at all by the way
I also have mare with hormone probs. She is best when kept on regulate.
Found 2 fiber feeds a day help maintain more stable metabolism and mood and minimise lami for my 2 but every horse is different.
Both mine are barefoot too.
As other poster said would try boots and pads too to soften pressure on foot. Is she farrier or EP trimmed. She may still have thin soles especially if the lami prone which won't help the abcesses.
Have u tried feeding magnesium?
X

 

[Crugeran Celt]

She has been on a magnesium based suppliment that the farrier reccomended but she gained weight on it as she is a very good doer and will live on fresh air to be honest. I know laminitus can be caused by so many factors that it is so difficult to determine what triggers it in individual horses, I know with her it is stress related but it doesn't take much to stress her out. Her first bout was as a 6 or 7 year old when we had to have her mum pts. She then had another very severe bout when her life long field companion died in the field with her at the age of 35. I borrowed an elderly pony to keep her company then but she wasn't having any of it. Thats when I bought my cob gelding, that was 4 years ago in February just gone and I can honestly say its only the last 6 months she has settled with him. I will try the chaff feeds daily to see if that helps. I have never fed her in the summer before but anything is worth a try, really don't want to go back to an abcess a week!

 

[mightymammoth]

c c just out of interest for myself really do you poultice her foot bandage etc and turn out as normal if she won't be stabled?

 

[Oberon]

Can you post some pics of her hooves? Side, ground view and sole view?

You might be interested in these threads

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=500005&highlight=teddy+shoes

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=531089&highlight=teddy+shoes

Speak to Sarah at ForagePlus as the above poster did

http://www.forageplus.com/

 

[Brightbay]

Just a thought, but maybe it's worth getting your pasture analysed? Recurrent abscesses for no apparent reason can be linked to mineral deficiencies (off the top of my head i think it's low copper?).

Maybe talk to Sarah Braithwaite and see if she has any suggestions... you've tried everything else, and the one consistent factor would be what the mare is eating every day http://www.performancebarefoot.co.uk/sarahbraithwaiteatperformancebarefoot.html

lol crossposted with Oberon ;-). The Forageplus link was the one I meant to put!

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Id Try just magnesium rather than one in another supplement. If anything it should help reduce weight gain related to lami and can act as a calmer for some horses minimizing stress. And.make sure the chaff is hi .fi lite or molasses free or similar. And personally Id add some sugar free sugar beat like kwick beat or equibeat too. Fibre is essential especial in summer and yet most of us don't feed it. Also second the pasture analysis if possible then u can supplement for any deficiencies.
Oberon usually has good info too in their posts.
Hope things workout. X

 

[Crugeran Celt]

She has Safe & Sound in the winter as any other chaff puts to much weight on her also can't feed her any type of sugar beet for the same reason, she is TB/Welsh D and will tend to put weight on very easily even in the winter unrugged if she has anything but the chaff. Thankyou for suggesting having the field analysed that is very interesting as I have thought that there might be a defficiency in her diet. Spoke to the vet about this and he has always said that you cannot beat good quality grass and we have plenty of that! My cob is also on the same feed regime although he does have more in the winter as he does tend to lose condition when it is cold he has wonderful feet and is also unshod. I am also unable to worm her as she has colic with all wormers I have tried including the herbal versions. Would this possibly cause a problem if she has a worm infestation?

 

[Crugeran Celt]

c c just out of interest for myself really do you poultice her foot bandage etc and turn out as normal if she won't be stabled?

I use animal lintex and cover with vet wrap and then put a plastic bag over the foot and tape it on with black tape if it is wet, it will stay on for a few hours and then I just do the same thing again. If it is very wet I have an area of field that is very well drained and remains dry no matter what the weather she is confined to this area when she is poulticed. If she has to be pouliticed over night I keep her in my stable area and lock the cob in to keep her company.

 

[Brightbay]

We also have fields of beautiful grass but you can't tell from looking at it, that due to the type of soil, it is high in iron and low in copper... so worth getting an analysis of the grass done, so that you can add what's missing, rather than randomly adding minerals (for example, most supplements contain iron, so by feeding them I would be adding to the problem I already have with the grass levels).

 

[Crugeran Celt]

We also have fields of beautiful grass but you can't tell from looking at it, that due to the type of soil, it is high in iron and low in copper... so worth getting an analysis of the grass done, so that you can add what's missing, rather than randomly adding minerals (for example, most supplements contain iron, so by feeding them I would be adding to the problem I already have with the grass levels).

Thankyou, that is a good point and I have decided to have it tested after all the advice I have had on here. Just been out to check on her and she is now completely sound and cantered across the field to greet me! Wish it was always like that.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I would try Equimins Laminator and 50gms of micronised linseed meal [if her weight will take it], in addition to S&Sound, is she eating all the "bits" in S&S,

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I would try Equimins Laminator and 50gms of micronised linseed meal [if her weight will take it], in addition to S&Sound, is she eating all the "bits" in S&S,

Yes she leaves nothing behind.

 

[LR2904]

My horse had an abcess in her foot a couple of weeks ago which has now cleared up, however she now seems to have a stiff leg, is this normal? what to do?

 

[Crugeran Celt]

My horse had an abcess in her foot a couple of weeks ago which has now cleared up, however she now seems to have a stiff leg, is this normal? what to do?

I really am no expert except for my mare's situation but she has never been stiff or lame once the abcess has burst. As soon as this happens she is immediately sound and back to normal, lierally as it bursts. Do you know what caused the abcess as my mare has them from trauma if she works on hard ground or the last time by galloping around the field, if your horse is the same has she pulled a muscle or something at the same time as getting the abcess, just a thought.

 

[LR2904]

I really am no expert except for my mare's situation but she has never been stiff or lame once the abcess has burst. As soon as this happens she is immediately sound and back to normal, lierally as it bursts. Do you know what caused the abcess as my mare has them from trauma if she works on hard ground or the last time by galloping around the field, if your horse is the same has she pulled a muscle or something at the same time as getting the abcess, just a thought.

No idea as to what caused it as vet was unsure, she hadnt been out her field so maybe it was just from galloping about, vet had said just to keep lifting her leg up and holding it, think she was hoping it would loosen it up, but no difference as of yet.

 

[Miss L Toe]

My horse had an abcess in her foot a couple of weeks ago which has now cleared up, however she now seems to have a stiff leg, is this normal? what to do?

Not normal, I would be concerned.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

No idea as to what caused it as vet was unsure, she hadnt been out her field so maybe it was just from galloping about, vet had said just to keep lifting her leg up and holding it, think she was hoping it would loosen it up, but no difference as of yet.

If it appears to be the leg not the foot then I would think it is a different problem completely to the abcess, sorry.