How long would you wait?

[EternalVetBills]

Big mare has managed to cause me yet more stress by getting some lovely summer abscesses. Front left (in which she has just done her DDFT and is have remedial shoeing for) and back right.

Farrier was here last Monday just for her regular visit to pop a new set on, he then went away to Colarado for 3 weeks on the Tuesday (rude!)

Horse was absolutely fine Monday, totally sound after shoeing, but came out of her stable absolutely hopping lame the next morning . Called vet to come out on Wednesday, hoping it might be nail bind, but obviously worried it could be something to do with the DDFT again.

Vet came out and took the shoe off and mare was pretty much 90% sound afterwards, but vet had a little poke around anyway and found the abscess. Poultice on that, went to walk her into her stable and she suddenly couldn't weight bare on her back right . Another poke around and found a potential hole but no pus, so poulticed that one too and vet said let's wait and see.

I got some pus out of both on Friday last week, but nothing since and I still wouldn't say she's sound, although she looks 1000 times better than she did. I will say I can be a little stressy about abscesses as I had a mare get one that just wouldn't burst and then have to have a pedal scrape and it just all went very wrong and we ended up having her PTS, so I am definitely not the most rational with this.

How long would you give it before getting either and vet or emergency farrrier to come and have another dig? Vet thinks farrier may be a better option as my mare is getting so fed up with vet after so much treatment lately that she's becoming quite difficult, hence my erring over whether to get someone out, I normally wouldn't give it a thought and would just get the vet out. Am I being a bit impatient? She's in no way hopping lame, just a bit off. I don't know whether I'm worrying about nothing

 

[Equi]

I’d call them and ask them their opinion.

 

[Jambarissa]

I personally would persevere with polticing for a while longer, will she let you tub her with Epsom salts? Or change your poltice type, I start with vet approved animalintex but I swear Epson salt is better.

Is she turned out? Movement really helps, vets don't recommend you keep in any more.

Having said that if I had your history I'd just get the vet or farrier for peace of mind then do the above , it's a small cost in the grand scheme of horse owning.

To add, Hoof Stuff is great for the later stage of abcesses to keep the hole clean.

 

[EternalVetBills]

I personally would persevere with polticing for a while longer, will she let you tub her with Epsom salts? Or change your poltice type, I start with vet approved animalintex but I swear Epson salt is better.

Is she turned out? Movement really helps, vets don't recommend you keep in any more.

Having said that if I had your history I'd just get the vet or farrier for peace of mind then do the above , it's a small cost in the grand scheme of horse owning.

To add, Hoof Stuff is great for the later stage of abcesses to keep the hole clean.

Thank you, yes currently hot tubbing once a day with iodine and epsom salts. And she's got sugardine paste with warm animalintex soaked in iodine.

Yes turned out, unfortunately only in a small paddock due to the DDFT issue, but she goes out at 7 in the morning and comes in around 5/6ish.

That is what I normally do, but I was chatting with my vet this morning and we were saying how fed up she is (horse not vet) and is it really worth it. Vet said she would leave it up to me but I just don't know!

Oh I've never used that, just dry poulticed for a few days. I will have a look though as that might be a good idea when it's all done

 

[Old school]

Please please correct me someone if I am wrong, I thought iodine assisted in closing the wound after infection came out and kept it clean . I was told, maybe wrongly, that using iodine would hinder the abcess bursting.

Once had to poultice a gelding for five weeks. It was worth it. His overall health transformed over the following months.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Mine had a 3 month long abscess over the winter in the same foot that she damaged a ddft on a few years previous, i totally get your stress!
I had the vet out to x ray and confirm abscess, luckily a big pocket of puss was visible on x ray , still took another month or so after x ray guided hole to get all of it to burst

 

[EternalVetBills]

Please please correct me someone if I am wrong, I thought iodine assisted in closing the wound after infection came out and kept it clean . I was told, maybe wrongly, that using iodine would hinder the abcess bursting.

Once had to poultice a gelding for five weeks. It was worth it. His overall health transformed over the following months.

Oh I have no idea, it's just what the vet has always recommended!

That makes me feel better, this one hasn't even been a week yet! Glad to hear yours did well afterwards.

Mine had a 3 month long abscess over the winter in the same foot that she damaged a ddft on a few years previous, i totally get your stress!
I had the vet out to x ray and confirm abscess, luckily a big pocket of puss was visible on x ray , still took another month or so after x ray guided hole to get all of it to burst

Oh my God! That's an absolutely epic abscess! There's me stressing over a 6 day one

 

[meleeka]

If you've been wet poulticing for nearly a week I'd stop and just tub twice a day with epsom salts. I'd also squirt hydrogen peroxide into the hole twice a day. The trouble with wet poultices is they do soften the sole, which is useful in the beginning, but may well cause pain eventually too.

My experience of an infected pedal bone was that the lameness got better, then worse so if she's still improving I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[EternalVetBills]

Thank you everyone. Today's update is that she went out okay this morning, just a bit off, but the front abscess leg had swollen overnight. Vet said see if swelling goes down whilst she's out.

I popped up in my lunch break as I just had a bad feeling. Got to the field and she is stood looking absolutely miserable and when I went to move her she didn't quite know what to do with herself. So the vet is on her way now! Hopefully just needs another dig to get it all draining again