Hoof Abscess help

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Meeko

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Hi all.

My mare came in lame on Tuesday, very lame. At the time, I was actually bringing her in from the field for a vet check, she recently had a sarcoid removed via laser. Of course I got the vet to check the lameness and she said it certainly looked to be the start of an abscess.

She tested her foot with the hoof pinches but there was no reaction, she then thought the abscess would make its way up to her coronary band. So she told me to just box her and leave her...

I have never had to deal with abscesses before so im a total abscess virgin. I asked advice from a friend who's horse has had quite a few in the past.

I have soaked my mares foot morning and night in hot water with epsom salts. There is still no sign of any abscess and of course she is still lame. I have been turning her out during the day still so she is still moving.

Is there anything else I should or could be doing???

Thank you
 
Hi!

Hmm that's a bit weird. I've dealt with many abscesses but not an unexploded one that the vet has left, they normally open them out for you. But if it's near the coronet band that's understandable.

I think I'd be back on the phone to the vet actually if it was me. Though abscesses eventually drain on thier own, they're incredibly painful and it could take ages! I would have thought that if they gave her antibiotics, or at lesat bute, in the meanwhile, that would help with things? Did they give you bute?

If it was me, I'd call the vet back and say you're just not sure about this and you don't like leaving your horse in pain and see if they'll be a bit more proactive. The other thing you can do is get your farrier to look, as they will also be perfectly able to cut open an abscess for you allowing it to drain.

Other than that it sounds like you're doing everything right!

When you get to the poulticing stage, feel free to PM me if you need help!
 
Thanks for your reply.

The vet said best not to put her on bute?? Like I said im totally new to abscesses so listened to the vet, but more ive read the more concerned im becoming.

I considered my farrier yes, he is actually due out on Thursday but sure I could get him earlier.
 
The Vet is right. Bute is not normally used for abscesses and neither are antibiotics, unless the leg begins to swell badly.

I personally don't like the Vet to dig about too much as they invariably seem to make everything worse and then the abscess will pop somewhere away from where the Vet was digging anyway (the blimmin' things can track their way all over the shop). The Farrier is an option if you're worried. I would tub, poultice and then turn out. Do a warm wet poultice for 3 - 4 days then switch to dry. It is possible when you get practiced, to do poultices that last a good 12 hours, even when turned out. I do have one horse that you cannot poultice when he had an abscess (he's also Vet and needle shy, so not an easy chap), so he's just left out and both he's had, have solved themselves quickly. He does have good hooves though and IME flared hooves, or hooves with long toes and under-run heels take far, far longer for abscesses to pop.
 
so is it worth carry on tubbing her and then getting my farrier to check on Thursday when he is out??
I havent poulticed her, as I was under the impression that I should only do this when the abscess has burst?
Thanks again
 
Faracat said:
The Vet is right. Bute is not normally used for abscesses and neither are antibiotics, unless the leg begins to swell badly.

I personally don't like the Vet to dig about too much as they invariably seem to make everything worse and then the abscess will pop somewhere away from where the Vet was digging anyway (the blimmin' things can track their way all over the shop). The Farrier is an option if you're worried. I would tub, poultice and then turn out. Do a warm wet poultice for 3 - 4 days then switch to dry. It is possible when you get practiced, to do poultices that last a good 12 hours, even when turned out. I do have one horse that you cannot poultice when he had an abscess (he's also Vet and needle shy, so not an easy chap), so he's just left out and both he's had, have solved themselves quickly. He does have good hooves though and IME flared hooves, or hooves with long toes and under-run heels take far, far longer for abscesses to pop.
Click to expand...

Am quite interested in this, how would you poultice if you're not sure where it is?

I've always been under the impression (from vets) that bute is useful anyway for abscesses because it's anti inflammatory and obviously alos the painkilling aspects. Would you disagree? Just interested.
 
Well, it depends. Is there a hole in the white line at the bottom of the hoof? Sometimes I have seen abscesses where you have a hole at the bottom and then one also pops at the top (coronet). If you can get it draining at the bottom, then it might not need to pop at the top. It's hard to advise on the specific abscess that your horse has, as I can't see it.

I do know people that like to poultice the whole time, as it makes them feel that 1, they are doing something and 2, everyone at the yard can see that they know the horse is lame and are doing something about it. Poulticing doesn't really do any harm as long as you don't overdo wet poultices and don't wrap your vetwrap too tight. If you want to tub and leave the hoof unpoulticed, that wouldn't worry me as I have seen them solve with no poulticing (and that includes after it's popped).
 
Morgan123 said:
Am quite interested in this, how would you poultice if you're not sure where it is?

I've always been under the impression (from vets) that bute is useful anyway for abscesses because it's anti inflammatory and obviously alos the painkilling aspects. Would you disagree? Just interested.
Click to expand...

I was told by both my Vet and Farrier that Bute basically drags the abscess out longer. You want the pressure to build up so that it will pop, so if you give the horse an anti-inflammatory, it just prolongs the process as you essentially are keeping it from building up quickly and then popping swiftly. Plus the pain is often so bad that Bute just won't have enough of a painkilling effect to really make a difference for the horse. I hope that makes sense.

I have found that with my horses I have seen from the way that they stand and walk where the abscess will be. For instance my gelding was a bit 'off' one day and then the following day was reluctant to stand with his weight in his heel and as he walked he was landing toe first. So I looked at his heels and when I prodded the outside heel bulb, he lept about 2ft in the air (this hadn't bothered him the day he was 'off'). Low and behold, the next day he was sound and had a hole in that heel bulb.

With another of my horses, she was walking with her weight to the inside of her hoof, so when I inspected the white line to the outside of her hoof, she had a smelly area (once you've smelt it, you never forget it). This was poulticed, but it still popped at the coronet above the hole.
 
Meeko said:
so is it worth carry on tubbing her and then getting my farrier to check on Thursday when he is out??
I havent poulticed her, as I was under the impression that I should only do this when the abscess has burst?
Thanks again
Click to expand...

Hi,
Yes, I'd ask the farrier to have a look, and tubbing certainly isn't going to do any harm, but I would probably poultice the sole of the hoof, to try and get it to burst out the sole.

I've also been told not to give bute or antibiotics with hoof abscess. I was told that they 'need' the inflammation for the abscess to burst out - although I have to say that when I was having problems with repeated hoof abscess in my tb, they would burst out within a day or two, so he was never too lame for more than a day really..... Can your horse still move around the paddock/stable without too many problems?
Ive been told that antibiotics can cause the abscess to encapsulate
Kx
 
I have had several horses with abscesses (sandy soil :( ) and TBH until you have got drainage for the pus you are up against it, and IME vets don't open the track up enough to provide decent drainage - the farrier or other foot professional will do it better. I don't like this current practice of encouraging them to burst out of the coronary band, there have been documented examples of damage done to the bones of the foot by an abscess tracking it's way around. Get the farrier and get some poultices and she should be much better in a couple of days.
 
She is lame but still weight baring and being turned out with no problems. She is clearly in pain though.
My farrier is now coming Tuesday morning so I will carry on tubbing and poulticing her foot on a night in the hopes it will appear before then???
 
Carry on with the hot tubbing and put on a poultice. To turn out into the field 1. Poultice, 2. disposable nappy, 3. vet wrap, 4. Duck tape. Being out and walking around is better, if for no other reason than the horse isn't just standing in the stable feeling sorry for itself.

Apparently you can get something from Global Herbs, which is a herbal mixture that will help with pain relief.
 
JillA said:
I don't like this current practice of encouraging them to burst out of the coronary band, there have been documented examples of damage done to the bones of the foot by an abscess tracking it's way around.
Click to expand...

It should be noted that that is a very rare thing to happen.

The owner should be aware that it is a possibility (however small) and that they should get Vet involvement and their horse x-rayed if the abscess is dragging on and on.
 
My mare had a severe abcess due to laminitis so slightly different it wasnt viewable on xrays or pressure tests. Was really hidding only until she was nerve blocked and loaded for a travel to the vets it came out through the coronry band. I always think that the farriers are best for abcesses my other horse had one and farrier found and released with not much digging.
 
Thanks all.

Today its looking more along the lines of laminitis. Both legs/feet seem affected.
My farrier is out tomorrow to remove her shoes. Another farrier who was on the yard has just looked at her and with out saying 'yes its laminitis' he suggested that my thoughts of laminitis seemed correct.

I've took her straight off hayledge and put her on soaked hay.
Vet is also out on Wednesday.

I'm still hoping for an abscess and not laminitis
 
I seem to now be an "expert" in laminitis. If you need any other owner advise let me know. Ive been through so much with my mare its unreal. she was hospitalised for a week so they could monitor her 24/7 as she was that severe :(
 
I'm a total laminitis virgin as well as absess. Never had to deal with either before

I just hope it isn't too severe with not treating it for nearly a week, from vet advise.
 
One of the main things you need to do with lami is ensure the pedal bone is well supported while the laminae can't do it - deep shavings bed with no bare floor, or foam pads - so that when you have got the inflammation under control there has been no rotation or sinking. Good luck, if you have caught it early it can be a useful early warning sign (if it can't be put down to obesity or other cause, one other underlying cause can be Cushings, so well worth getting a blood test for ACTH levels)
 
The vet confirmed she thinks its laminitis. Hard ground, frosty grass and a stressful 2 weeks for my mare.
She is on total box rest now and going to be tested for EMS.
 
Thank you.
She is feeling better today after the bute. Back to her usual cheeky self.
Hopefully she will stay this way once she is off the bute.

Any recommendations of stable entertainment??

She has been given a small amount of sedation to try and keep her 'sane' being in alone, recommended by the vet.
 
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