Hoof abscess - shoe removal?

[holeymoley]

Do you remove the shoe if there’s a suspected abscess in the hoof? Tried to contact farrier but no reply- he’s possibly working in the completely opposite direction today. Losing the cut off for calling a vet if I need the shoe removed. I’ve got poulticed and wrapped for the time being but unsure if shoe should be removed and area dug or whether to try and draw it out with poultice only... what do you do?

 

[Finlib]

For future reference get the farrier to show you how to take off a shoe .Tools aren't that expensive and it isn't that hard to do. The poultice will lie much closer to the foot without the shoe but you can poultice with the shoe on .Standing the foot (tubbing) in warm Epsom salts and water will help I do am and pm for about 10 to 15 minutes then poultice .It can help the farrier to locate the area of concern .

 

[SpotsandBays]

I’m not entirely sure but I would think that a vet would be able to remove a shoe if needs be. (Perhaps ring up and ask?). The vet came out for mine (not got shoes) and had the tool so was able to dig out. But I would have had the farrier out by preference if I had known it was an abscess.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It depends where the abcess is in the hoof. If it is under the shoe then yes it will need to come off. If it's elsewhere on the sole then no need for shoe removal.

I am guessing you don't have hoof testers so put the hoof between your knees - life a farrier would, then use the you thumb on the sole and fingers on the outside of the hoof and squeeze on the thumb as hard as you can. Move your thumb along section by section of the sole. If the horse flinces when pressed that's where the abcess is.

A good farrier can pop it with a nail, a good vet will only leave a minor crater ... if you have a paring knife it is easy enough to scrape where the abcess is to pop it. If you don't want to do it yourself your farrier is still your best bet.

 

[holeymoley]

For future reference get the farrier to show you how to take off a shoe .Tools aren't that expensive and it isn't that hard to do. The poultice will lie much closer to the foot without the shoe but you can poultice with the shoe on .Standing the foot (tubbing) in warm Epsom salts and water will help I do am and pm for about 10 to 15 minutes then poultice .It can help the farrier to locate the area of concern .

Thanks, I know how to remove the shoe, I just don’t have the tools for it anymore.

 

[holeymoley]

Thank you, there’s a farrier on the yard tomorrow albeit not mine. Just don’t know whether to wait for him tomorrow or call out vet this afternoon to get it off

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Your horse wont die if a farrier looks at them tomorrow and no farrier will turn away from popping an abcess. Keep tubbing/poulticing for the night, no drugs they just make things worse

 

[holeymoley]

Your horse wont die if a farrier looks at them tomorrow and no farrier will turn away from popping an abcess. Keep tubbing/poulticing for the night, no drugs they just make things worse

Brilliant, thank you. I’ll hold off until tomorrow. Done the squeeze test this morning but may not have been hard enough or maybe shoe was covering it. I’ll try again tonight.

 

[meleeka]

Thank you, there’s a farrier on the yard tomorrow albeit not mine. Just don’t know whether to wait for him tomorrow or call out vet this afternoon to get it off

I’d wait and poultice anyway if you don’t know where the pain is. From my own experience a vet is the last person I’d call for an abscess (if I was sure that’s what it was). Our vets just dig away without any thought of the recovery time afterwards. My farrier is much more sympathetic so he can find the abscess, open it up to allow to drain, but not leave the hoof exposed for weeks and weeks.

 

[holeymoley]

Farrier has just message, he’ll manage out this evening so hopefully can update later on ?