Hoof Abscess

[buzyizzy]

About three weeks ago my horse was about 2/10ths lame on and off. I poulticed foot and cold hosed leg as that was filled too. Leg went down, but horse still lame on and off. I went away for two days and on my return he was 8/10ths lame. I asked a friend's farrier to hoof test him whilst he was there and as soon as he saw he was barefoot, he point blank refused and told me without even touching him that he'd pulled a check ligament. When I pointed out I thought it was an abscess because he had suddenly gone so lame plus there was heat in one place in his hoof, he ignored me and would have nothing further to do with him. I called my vet out, who hoof tested him, found the abscess and it drained well. I poulticed until nothing further coming out, but he still isn't right. I have him in at night as his friend needs to be off the grass for a while, and I noticed when he came in last night that he now has what looked very much like an abscess bursting at the front of his coronet band. He's barely lame now, but the blooming thing won't burst and finish the job. I've left a poultice on it today whilst he's out in the field and I'm hoping it will burst today, but has anyone any experience of them not draining?
Sorry this has got so long. Well done if you've reached the end 😊

 

[Meowy Catkin]

As the pressure has been released by the Vet at the bottom, I wouldn't expect it to burst at the top now, unless the abscess builds up again. Keep poulticing until the poultice is clean (a couple of days of tubbing and then wet poultices and then switch to tubbing and applying dry poultices).

 

[buzyizzy]

It burst about 36 hrs ago and his hoof has all gone down completely and he is no longer tender and sore. He is sound even on sharp turns on concrete. However, the oedema remains and his leg blows up all the time he's in now. . He's out during the day for about nine hours, but can't go out 24/7 as his field mate needs time off the field or he will get laminitis so for the moment he's munching a small area of their field down in the hope that soon they will be out 24/7, just not yet. Vet said not to worry about the oedema, but it's hard not to! He's always had poor circulation in his legs and they always fill up overnight, but this is noticeably more than the corresponding one

 

[Tnavas]

Glad the abscess has fibnally burst, they can be so frustrating. I'd be continuing to poultice, dry with hoof fully covered to keep dirt out until the wounds have healed over.

Do you use support bandages when he is in? These could help keep the swelling down. If swelling goes down quickly once out moving around then I'd not be too concerned as once his foot has healed it shouldn't happen any more