Hoof abscess

[Kirijay]

I took my horse to the forest Sunday and we had a good gallop around. Monday I brought him in, groomed did not notice any swelling or heat and tacked up, only when I asked him to trot I noticed he was very lame, as there was no swelling or heat I was unsure what to do so just left him in. The next day the farrier came out and noticed a small abscess, pierced it and told me to wait for Bute to kick in and then hot poultice. I put iodine on the abscess and then after an hour poulticed him up. He stayed in on box rest for that day and after about two hours I went to check on him, his leg had swelled up and was warm, I asked for lots of advice as I was worried because it wasn't swollen before. The next day I turned him out at then about 2pm brought him in and re poulticed, very little had drained out but swelling had gone down a bit. He stayed in overnight with a fresh poultice on and then this morning his leg was back up to the swelling it had been previously. There is very little being drained from the abscess and his hoof is now hardened back up. I'm just looking for advice on whether this means it has fully drained or not because there's little coming out yet his leg is still swollen.

My previous horse had something similar but her leg was massive and the abscess was in a different place and so she only had poultice on for one night. Swelling took about a week to go down and two weeks before I could ride her again. Will this be a similar situation?

 

[Damnation]

If it is hot and not going down I would call a vet.

Because the hoof has hardened back up doesn't mean that all of the abscess is out - definately call the vet or the farrier to come back out.

Swelling with an injury isn't uncommon, my last mare's leg swelled up at the smallest thing BUT if it is hot, not really going down and there is an infection in the area I would be calling the vet ASAP.

 

[LadyGrey2017]

Sometimes the abcess can track around the foot, or there might be a pocket of gas in a different place. I would call your farrier to check it over, it might be that the infection has moved from one part of the foot to another. I had that with one pony of mine.... the infection wouldnt go and i spent weeks trying to get it sorted - came out the heal, the coronet, the soul! Thank god i had a very good farrier to help me. If there is still stuff coming out the hole then the infection is still there.