Hoof Abcess Advice

J

jenmac_85

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I took my horse into the schooling arena two weeks ago on Saturday and he felt like he was dropping his shoulder alot, however when a fellow livery on the yard had a look she couldn't see anything wrong. Tyler went over a couple of jumps really well and I called it a day.

Sunday it was the same and a second livery said he did look slightly lame, but not anything to be worried about. I got off and left him for the rest of the day.

On Friday I got a call from the YO saying that Tyler had been turn out fine, but come in quite lame. I went to the yard and Tyler really was uncomfortable walking and certainly wouldnt trot.

The vet was called on Saturday morning who diagnosed a Hoof abcess and advised taking the shoe off, wet poulticing and bute.

I phoned on Tuesday and Thursday to give her an up date as requested. On Thursday (yesterday) I informed her that about 2ml of black jelly like fluid was on the poultice. She advised that if Tyler was comfortable trotting while on the bute, that I was to stop giving him it and consider putting the shoe back on the middle of next week.

I am not entirely convinced about this as I dont know if the abcess is empty yet and I had been infomred on Saturday by her that the hoof would need a couple of days dry poulticing.

So, my questions are:

Do I keep applying the wet poultice until I am convinced the abcess is empty or do I follow the vets intructions?

How long after finishing the wet poulticing does Tyler need to stay on box rest? He is fabulous at the moment and behaving so well, but he is very eager to get out.

Can you tell I am a novice horse owner lol
Thanks
 
I don't like to wet poultice for more than 5 days.

You can get Magnesium Sulphate paste for a couple of £££ from a chemist. Use a cotton bud and plop some into the hole, it is used for drawing abscesses, then dry poultice abd finish off with a nappy.. Also give homeopathic silice (silicea)
 
I was told by my vet recently to wet poultice for a maximum of five days, then dry poultice for two or three days, if the horse is sound then to have the shoe put on at that point.
Mine was in at night anyway, but I turned him out during the day using a Davis boot to keep the dressing clean.
Hope it heals soon.
 
My mare got a hoof abscess after attempting to jump a 5ft hedge & getting a thorn in her coronet band that worked it's way down. Went out the next morning, pony on other side of hedge & a dangling leg, I thought she'd bl%%dy broken her leg!!!
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Called the vet who gave her antibiotics & bute, advised me to wet poultice it for 4 days. Had to change it twice a day & flush all the gunk away from her hoof. He actually packed the hole with cotton wool & a oil that the farriers use on hooves that might have little holes etc to stop infection (can't remember the name, sorry).

She was field kept so poultice was bound on tight (but not tight enough to restrict bloodflow, obviously) & I actually changed it 3 times a day for the first two days.

Reapplied all the dressings & treatment etc & after a week she was back to normal, still a tiny bit sensitive but she was quite happy in the field, Also kept the hoof dry poulticed for the next 4 days after she'd had the wet poulticing done. Just to be safe. (small paddock though so she couldn't really hoon around)

I would keep applying the wet poultice until you see no discharge/gunk on it but don't do it for longer than 5 days to be on the safe side.

Not sure about box rest as mine was field kept in the time she had hers & was quite happy (no use of stable so no choice). She is an NF though so not a mad TB or Arab type.

You could try a starvation paddock if you have one for the first few days out & just put a dry poultice on to protect the abscessed area until his shoe is allowed back on?

Good luck
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There is a word that is coming to my mind right now beginning with S and ending in T with an H and I in there somewhere.

That will it have been poulticed for 7 days, but I never heard her mentioned anything about the 5 day rule, just to dry poultice it as soon as everything comes out.

How bad is the damage going to be with those extra two days?
 
Will take the wet poultice off and try a dry poulitce to see how that goes. His hoof is rather soft and I thought hte sole was peeling off two days ago.

Will get farrier to check his hoof as well this week.
 
My horse has just had his shoe put back on today after puncturing his sole i wet poulticed for 5 days and dry for 2 i dont bother calling the vet always use the farrier.
 
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