foot abscess

[carthorse]

After 4 days of poulticing the farrier came out Monday and opened the foot and fluid came out, he exposed a piece of the sensitive sole, then put on a dry animalintex and bound it up. I was told to remove it today and let it harden,keeping him in his stable.
Today I removed it , he still had a strong digital pulse and was very tender. I was too worried to leave it uncovered as the hole is large and I keep his stable clean but he may tread in poo or anything. I put dry animalintex back on and bound it.
The farrier was phoned and he said he still expected him to be lame and have a strong digital pulse and to take it off so it hardens and he will put a shoe on Friday.
I still left it covered as I can't see how it is right to leave the sensive sole exposed.
What would you do? I had the vet out but she just removed the shoe and left it to take its course.
VERY WORRIED

 

[Happytohack]

Our big horse had a lot of abscesses when we first had him. The farrier opened the abscess - I then poulticed with hot animalintex until no gunk came out, changing the poultice every 12 hours. When no gunk came out, I then dry poulticed it,leaving it on for 24 hours. The hole was then plugged with iodine soaked cotton wool. Every time, the horse came sound within a few days - and as soon as the abscess was opened, he was always alot more comfortable.

 

[Happytohack]

Forgot to say - are you sure it is definitely an abscess. Is the stuff coming out foul smelling?

 

[carthorse]

No not really.
He lost a shoe 3 days after being shod and the farrier couldn't come out for a few days. The foot was a bit broken, he reshod him and when later we went to box him up to go for a lesson he was lame , farrier came out and tested foot and removed a nail sand said he would probably be ok, he wasn't and the farrier was then away at hickstead so I called vet.Shoe removed and poulticed got worse over next 3 days then improved a bit then farrier opened foot.

 

[Donkeymad]

If it is an abscess as suggested by your farrier then yes, you should leave it open. I have unfortunately had to deal with a umber of them over the last six months, and that is exactly what I was told to do, and did, with good results. If you are worried, you could pour some peroxide in it once or twice daily for a few days.

 

[Shilasdair]

I'm with you! I don't think I could bring myself to let the sensitive sole be exposed to poo, muck etc. And what is it to be exposed to? If it's the air, then your dry animalintex won't prevent that?
I'd chicken out, then remove the dressing a good while before the farrier came (and destroy evidence

)
Hope your horse gets better soon.
S

 

[carthorse]

Thats what I thought ,keep it covered.Thoroughly clean stable before he comes and remove then.
He is entered for intro champ on aug 11th but can't see him going

 

[spaniel]

Id be peroxiding it, drying and then reapplying some sort of dry dressing to keep bits of bedding out.

 

[carthorse]

When you say peroxiding it, do I just buy straight peroxide from a chemist and use it straight?

 

[_jetset_]

Hmm, I have been given some different advice from my farrier this week.

Grace came in hopping lame on Sunday night. The vet opened up the abscess and then I put a warm poultice on it. I replaced it warm poultices Monday night and Tuesday morning and the farrier came out Tuesday night, dug a little deeper and was happy that it was coming out. I have to warm poultice it for two more days (today and tomorrow) then dry poultice to keep all the dirt out.

Hope that is some help.

 

[Sneedy]

Be careful with peroxide, its great for clearing out gunk but can eat away at healthy tissue as well, and as there is sensitive tissue exposed I'd be a bit concerned about that. I'd go with the iodine suggestion then dry poultice?

 

[carthorse]

Farrier has just text that he might not come out until next week so I'm going to call vet tomorrow and get more advice

 

[Shilasdair]

Although peroxide is great for thrush, it can burn tissues so is probably not a good idea for sensitive sole.
I'd probably just use saline solution (better known as salt water) cos it kills most bugs but doesn't damage tissue.
Boil a kettle of water then mix it with salt...voila (cheap too)
Hope your horsey gets better for the championships.
Oh, did you know you can get various kinds of hoof filler (like car filler) to temporarily fix holes? Just a thought.
S

 

[PuddingandElla]

My mare has just had one too - lot of it about at the moment for some reason.

My farrier opened it up and i hot poulticed it for 4/5 days - then i dry poulticed it for a few more days to dry it up a bit.

I would not be happy leaving it open. You are right - dirt could just go straight back up into the hole.

My girl has just had her shoe back on but my farrier covered the whole base of her foot with stockholm tar, then cottonwool and then a pad - then put the shoe on over that - all that to stop any dirt getting back up into the hole!!