Hopping lame horse.

MDB

MDB

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Hi all,

Woke up this morning to a hopping lame horse. Unable to take any substantial weight at all on front left. Was fine last night at 9.30pm.
Vet came out at lunchtime. Said she had increased pulse on affected foot. No noticeable swelling anywhere. Some white line separation near the heels. Hoof testers didn't show any discomfort around the back of the hoof at all. Various tests on fetlock also didnt elicit any pain. Nerve block either side below fetlock improved symptoms significantly. After 5 mins she was sound at walk.
Vet thinks that could be either infection / abcess from bacteria entering up near the heels from white line separation. But bear in mind that no pain was produced from testing this area. Or, possibly some kind of joint or soft tissue sprain. However, again various joint tests and examinations did not produce pain. Pain was only found on weight bearing.
She is on bute and antibiotic injections. Vet coming back in 2 days possibly to open up hoof to see if there is abcess brewing. Thoughts please from a worried horsey mum. xx
 
Agree- to come up that quickly and make her that lame it sounds suspiciously like an abscess.

Sending thoughts to the both of you!
 
He couldn't decide between some kind of acute injury to the area or abcess. The only other thing which may be worth noting is that a recent rescue dog has been digging very deep holes in the paddock and shelter. About 30cm deep and20cm wide. Only just discovered he was doing this. It has made me wonder if she went down one overnight.
As for the potential abcess. What are people's thoughts re trying to dig one out, even if there is no external signs, versus leave it to burst open itself? Oh, and how long do nerve blocks take to wear off? Was done 6 hours ago and she still looks good walking.
 
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I think it massively depends how deep it is. Without an xray you won't be able to see. I'm not a huge fan of digging them out if it can be helped, cause it causes such a massive hole that needs months and months of care, when it comes out alone it seems to heal faster as long as its cleaned out properly and kept clean. But thats just my own experience.
 
ester said:
I'm surprised Bute and anti biotic have been given to a suspect abscess that will just delay it!
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This!

The vast majority of troublesome abscesses I've ever heard of had been treated with either antibiotics or bute or both.
 
Oh no. I don't know what to do now. Stop the meds? Keep going with meds? Not let him dig it out? Having had no experience of eithr an abcess or a lame horse I guess I need to go with the vet. Since he has seen it in person so to speak.
Kinda just wish I had given her another 24 hours or so without the vet coming. But then she was so uncomfortable this morning I didn't want to leave her unattended. :(
 
I have had this recently. Horse went from fine to extreme lameness overnight. Vet initially said fetlock sprain but and box rest and Bute but the next day he was on 3 legs and with no obvious heat or swelling or injury to the leg I knew then it must be an abscess. So stopped the Bute, poulticed, got farrier and yes was an abscess. 3 weeks later all drained and back to normal like nothing has happened!
 
Warm poultice for 3 days and see what happens. My old YO used to do that with pretty much every instance of sudden lameness & was usually right.
 
SEL said:
Warm poultice for 3 days and see what happens. My old YO used to do that with pretty much every instance of sudden lameness & was usually right.
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Can you pleas explain to me how to do a warm poultice? Never had any experience of abcesses before. Many thanks. :)
 
My first port of call would be to ask the farrier to have a look. Sounds like an abcess.

A warm poultice - just as it sounds. Drop it in warm warm and ring it out as much as possible. Slap it on the foot - over the affected area if you know where it is or over the hole sole if not - wrap in vet wrap and then either a bit of plastic feed sack then loads of duct tape or just duct tape depending on if your horse stays out at night or in.
 
Sounds like an abcess - my girl had one on her hind leg that was making her walk 'weird', no reaction to hoof testers - we found out when she burst out the coronet band 5 days later.

Poultice is get a thing of animalintex or similar poultice stuff from tack shop, soak in hot water, put on foot and vet wrap on with lots of duct tape to secure around the hoof - lots at the toe cause they wear through quickly.
 
If you've never poulticed before then it's worth having a friend to help - extra pairs of hands really useful.

I get ready a bowl of warm water, vet wrap with the end loosened off and a ready cut piece of duct tape.

Wet the poultice pad, slap it on bottom of foot, quickly strap into place with vet wrap before horse stamps foot down. Ideally get the duct tape on before the foot goes down too - but mine is a horror to do so that doesn't always happen!

Don't use a wet poultice for more than 3 days as it softens the foot too much - switch to a dry poultice.

Some people use nappies instead of the proper poultice, but I've never tried it.

Let us know how you get on
 
SEL said:
and a ready cut piece of duct tape.
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I make a duct tape pad on my thigh first. 5-7 strips overlapping going down then the same, overlapping, going across depending on how big the foot is. That way you can just peel off a ready made boot, whack it on the sole and wrap it round. Then you just need to apply a little more tape when the foot is on the floor to secure in place at the top.Much easier than building a duct tape boot on the foot.
 
Definitely one for the farrier if you can. I certainly would not advise you to ask the vet to try digging it out if there is no way of pin-pointing exactly where it is (assuming it definitely is an abscess).
 
my horse was like this last year, constantly resting his foot! vet couldn't find anything, so I poulticed for 5 days, nothing came out, once I took the poultice off it burst out of his heel and he was right as rain again! I think its difficult to find when it's right at the back of the heel!

would suggest hot tubbing for a few days, to soften the hoof and heel and hope that it the abscess comes out on its own!
 
Okay. that is great thanks. i guess i will be using nappies. no tack shops in this corner of Spain. Is there anything put in the wet nappy? creams, mixtures, medication??
just to add that my trimmer lives several hundred km away so that is out of the question unfortunately.
 
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EKW said:
I make a duct tape pad on my thigh first. 5-7 strips overlapping going down then the same, overlapping, going across depending on how big the foot is. That way you can just peel off a ready made boot, whack it on the sole and wrap it round. Then you just need to apply a little more tape when the foot is on the floor to secure in place at the top.Much easier than building a duct tape boot on the foot.
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I'll try that next time. I don't do enough to be speedy & my mare starts to snatch her foot away.
 
Go on YouTube and search how to apply poltuce to hoof.. there are some good instructional vids. Also to secure your nappy in place I have used a few strong plastic bags over the hoof and taped round fetlock to keep dirt out.. it's difficult when you have no near feed store who sells first aid stuff.. also try hot tubbing the hoof in bucket of warm water with salt in it, twice a day or when you change poltuce
 
Sounds like an abscess to me, surprised about being given antibiotics and bute though! I have poulticed with the corner of a strong feed bag , animal intex soaked in warm water + epsom salts and lots of tape. I have had a pony burst an abscess without even going lame, the hole is growing down his hoof now! I've had one go lame for 7 weeks, the vet thought it was something more sinister as he had no reaction to hoof testers, but then it finally burst and he was fine.

I also had a mare go hopping lame for a couple of weeks, the farrier found nothing and eventually a very good vet dug and found some rotted foot high up in the back of the foot.
 
My boy came in lame-ish after hooning around in Storm Doris. Turned him out again to see which way it would go, thinking he might have tweaked himself.

Got much worse in 24 hours. Hmm.

Was calling vet when heard my farrier was on the yard, so YO asked him to take shoe off, look, pinch-test etc. Minimal reaction to pinch, but slightly sore area which he drew around with marker pen, just incase ...

He reckoned it was just bad bruising which 6 days' box rest would sort itself.

Called vet again to cancel visit and they agreed to a watch and wait approach.

Hands up, I was a bit doubtful at the start. He could barely hobble from one side of his box to the other but as farrier pointed out, if it's just bruising and you dig a hole, an infection might get in.

He was completely sound again after box rest and has been ever since.

*touches wood, spits, praises magpies, doesn't mention Macbeth and avoids ladders*
 
Using nappies is fine. If you can get to a pharmacy and get some ichthammol, even better.

If you'd like me to send you a package of Animalintex, send me a PM :)

When using the nappy/ichthammol, tub the foot in warm water for 20 mins, cover the bottom of the sole, frog, heel bulbs and coronet band with ichthammol. Cover the whole foot with the nappy, duct tape into place. You can apply a mat of duct tape (I usually do three layers - horizontal, vertical and horizontal again) too the bottom of the hoof and over the toe.

Hot tub/ wet poultice twice a day for three days, making sure the coronet band is covered; then switch to dry poultice, though usually the foot is soft enough after three days for the abscess to erupt - heel bulb, central sulcus or coronet being the most usual.
 
Thank you everybody for your replies. Casey76 I actually have family coming out shortly to visit so they can bring some animalintex with them. It will probably be quicker than post. But thank you for your very kind offer. x

Now........... I woke up this morning expecting the nerve block to have worn off and to have a very lame horse in front of me. But........ she is still walking pretty soundly. She may look slightly stiff, but to be honest if you didn't know about yesterday you would really need to look hard to see it. Would this still be normal for an abcess??
 
Can you see a gooey line or crack at the coronet band? You will have to look very closely at this early stage as it will become more visible with time, but if it has burst at the coronet band she should be much sounder or even completely sound shortly. If it has burst there, the hole will just grow down with the hoof and isn't anything to worry about.
 
MDB said:
Thank you everybody for your replies. Casey76 I actually have family coming out shortly to visit so they can bring some animalintex with them. It will probably be quicker than post. But thank you for your very kind offer. x

Now........... I woke up this morning expecting the nerve block to have worn off and to have a very lame horse in front of me. But........ she is still walking pretty soundly. She may look slightly stiff, but to be honest if you didn't know about yesterday you would really need to look hard to see it. Would this still be normal for an abcess??
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Is she still on bute? If so, that can mask symptoms of many sorts of lameness.

Any signs that an abscess might have blown? I've got one that doesn't even go very lame - just a bit off - and weeks later you spot a hole in the hoof. My friend's mare acts like her leg has broken.
 
MDB said:
Okay. that is great thanks. i guess i will be using nappies. no tack shops in this corner of Spain. Is there anything put in the wet nappy? creams, mixtures, medication??
just to add that my trimmer lives several hundred km away so that is out of the question unfortunately.
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If you are in Spain, try what my French vet recommends. Linseed seeds, warm them in warm water pack the sole and bandage. I keep Animal Lintex in my first aid box as well as vet wrap. Much cheaper bought on line from the UK.
 
This is my 3rd abscess in 5 years with mine and he can go from hopping lame to almost sound and lame again several times a day. The abscess can move around trying to get out and they sometimes get some temporary relief then it moves again. It may also have burst
 
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