Hot hoof but not lame?

[AGAGE]

I got my boy in today and his right hind hoof was giving off noticeable heat, but he wasn't showing any signs of lameness or heat further up his leg. He sometimes has thrush in his hind feet but I've not heard of thrush causing heat in hooves . He didn't mind me picking the foot out but the point of the 'V' part of the frog was deeper than normal. Our turnout is very wet at the moment.

Could it be an abscess? He isn't lame at the moment. He had what can only really be described as a mild colic on Monday and was treated by the vet with buscopan (sp) for pain and antibiotics, as it was not an obvious case of colic but he had some digestive discomfort and it was felt better to give him antibiotics in case there was an infection somewhere. He was not lame on Monday though and vet didn't investigate feet as there was no obvious need to. Could his 'colic' be related?

The farrier is due on Tuesday, so will discuss possible abscess with her and vet. Would it be best to poultice his foot in case it is an abscess? He hasn't had any further problems with digestion/colic since Monday and has seemed more than happy in himself.

 

[Shilasdair]

Sorry to hear that your boy had colic.
Heat in a foot just indicates that there is an increased blood supply.
This could be due to many things; he could have an abscess brewing, although in my experience these do cause lameness; unlevelness in the early stages, then severe lameness later on.
I'd say it was more likely to be that he's bruised his leg or foot perhaps while colicky. If he were mine, I'd trot him up daily, monitor the foot, and wait for a few days to a week to see if it sorts itself out.
If it doesn't, or he goes unlevel, get the vet.
S

 

[brighteyes]

My pony quite often has one foot noticeably hotter than the rest - and it is rarely the same foot! If I wasn't picking them out, I wouldn't notice, and I have been in two minds about whether to ride him or not. Occasionally the heat goes as far as the pastern, but there is never any lameness. There seems to be no pattern and it happens front and back.

Can't imagine why unless it's something to do with the soft rubber mats he's on and him standing or lying funny.

 

[Shilasdair]

My pony quite often has one foot noticeably hotter than the rest - and it is rarely the same foot! If I wasn't picking them out, I wouldn't notice, and I have been in two minds about whether to ride him or not. Occasionally the heat goes as far as the pastern, but there is never any lameness. There seems to be no pattern and it happens front and back.

Can't imagine why unless it's something to do with the soft rubber mats he's on and him standing or lying funny.

Yes, one of mine often has a hot left fore.
She's hasn't ever had a problem with it, nor been lame on it (she's 21 now), so maybe it's just a differently formed blood vessel.
S

 

[AGAGE]

Thanks for your advice. There's still a little heat in the foot, but it's not as noticeably hot as it was on Friday evening.

He isn't lame at all, although there is a little thrush in this foot, so I'm keeping it disinfected. He seems fine though. I will keep trotting him up daily and speak to the farrier on Tuesday when he's due to be shod.

I'm probably over reacting as he scared me on Monday with his strange 'colic,' were're still not sure what it was as he looked like he had been doped and given up on life and yet an hour later was really happy and very hungry, and yet it was only a mild colic.

 

[AGAGE]

Had the farrier check his foot for an abscess and intially she didn't think he would have one as he was sound. But she found one in the V point in his frog. However, now his foot is poulticed he is noticeably lame! He is such a drama queen though, he loves nothing more than being a patient and being nursed.