Hoof Abscess - After its burst??

[ElvisandTilly]

My horse started with an abscess 2 weeks ago. He was hopping lame, heat in hoof and pounding digital pulse. Vet came, advised to poultice and box rest till drawn the abscess.

The abscess burst out 1 inch below his coronary band in a weak area of his hoof due to weak point in his hoof wall growth from previous damage to his coronary band. The lameness went off to just a slight hop on turning but his whole hoof was still warm wheb the abscess finally burst through. Farrier trimmed the hole and made it so could drain, poultice and keep clear whilst the rest of the pus came out. Much better once opened up. No sign of any entry or injury that started the abscess so unsure where the start point was.

My horse is now sound and I have arranged for his shoe putting back on on Wednesday. I am dry packing the hole with animalintex and taping it over whilst he is out in the field and he is in at night. Nothing is coming out of the hole now and all he has is slight localised heat around the hole and just above to the coronary band rather than the whole of the hoof.

Having never dealt with an abscess in the whole 24 years of owning horses (I must have been very lucky because it seems they are very common!!) I am unsure of what to expect at this stage. Should there still be heat in the local area where the abscess burst? Should I be doing anything else to help it heal? Is it a good idea to be putting shoe back on? He is sound but would he go lame quite soon again if not cleared all the abscess and if it comes back do I just go back to hot wet poulticing?

Sorry for all the questions! My first abscess so its a learning curve! Any advice or tips on treating etc would be very appreciated!

 

[Kallibear]

It's very unusual for the abcess to burst through the hoof wall!!

I'd poultice until a few days after you're getting nothing at all out then i'd fill the hole with Keratex hoof putty (antibacterial green plastic resin you can buy from many feed stores etc) to stop it getting mud in the hole.

After that I'd keep an eye on it but nothing else really. If he starts to become lame again take the putty out (it forms a solid plug in the cold) and repoultice. If he remains sounds then you just have to wait for the hole to grow out. You will get cracking and chipping when the weak part gets near the ground but nothing to worry about.

 

[ElvisandTilly]

Thanks Kallibear I will get some keretex hoof putty. My worry was still having the localised heat. Is this normal even though he is sound?

The abscess made its way to the weakest part as his hoof wall has a deformity (very thin full length crack on surface and wavy hoof wall growth) which grows through due to an old coronary band injury. Presume this was why it made its way there?

Hopefully it won't come back.