In the interests of being honest and to apologise

[Birker2020]

Probably will, is it smelly?

Couldn't smell muchvto be honest.
But it looked like pus between cleft to me and the three other people who looked.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Couldn't smell muchvto be honest.
But it looked like pus between cleft to me and the three other people who looked.

Sure it will be popped with the poultice

 

[Birker2020]

Sure it will be popped with the poultice

I hope so. This poor boy needs a break. The gang at the retirement livery are waiting for him. These are them coming in this morning for breakfast!

Please form an orderly queue.

 

[SantaVera]

Birker,the world needs more people like you.you are wonderful.

 

[Birker2020]

Birker,the world needs more people like you.you are wonderful.

Aw thank you, I'm not sure everyone would agree with you though

 

[Highmileagecob]

How is the invalid today? Any change in the frog lesion?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Is that neat tea tree oil or in a solution of something? Any particular brand?
I have tried near tea tree oil from the chemist but wasn’t sure if that is too strong or ok if just used occasionally. Thanks

I use Oz Oil tea-tree oil spray, which is the essential oil in a neutral oil carrier. I wouldn't use the neat essential oil, that would be far too strong

 

[Reacher]

I use Oz Oil tea-tree oil spray, which is the essential oil in a neutral oil carrier. I wouldn't use the neat essential oil, that would be far too strong

Thanks @Pearlsasinger

 

[Birker2020]

How is the invalid today? Any change in the frog lesion?

Hi Highmileage, he's walking out much better today thank you, I hosed and ice vibed. Good definiton in the leg. I was able to get some iodine spray so stuffed some soaked cotton wool in the cleft.

He's down to 1/2 a bute now twice daily. Been for a hand graze and walk. He can go out on Monday for a couple of hours in a very small paddock but needs sedating first. Want to get him out really early before all the hustle and bustle of the horses changing over and near his friend who he knows so there's no running about.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Looking good. His heels are clean and the frog will begin to open and spread. Keep us posted - we like a happy ending!

 

[Birker2020]

Looking good. His heels are clean and the frog will begin to open and spread. Keep us posted - we like a happy ending!

Thank you. But he's got that blister thing again though (like in attached screenshot).. Its soft, squidgy and very painful and when he walks its making him very sore. Its certainly not the tendon injury as its going right down, so he should be walking better.

I don't think hoof boots are going to work as they will put pressure on it too.

Looks like I'm going to have to keep him in and call the vet out again tommorow. As he was better yesterday afternoon after I'd put the poultice on the day before my guess is that it is an abscess that hasn't drained properly.

 

[Highmileagecob]

If you suspect an abscess I would tend to ask the farrier to deal with it. Vets seem to be a bit happy with a hoof knife. If this is the hoof from your earlier post, when you were asking how it looked, it has come a long way very quickly. Entirely possible you are getting a rehab lesion that seems to happen a few weeks in, as things start to reshape.

 

[Birker2020]

If you suspect an abscess I would tend to ask the farrier to deal with it. Vets seem to be a bit happy with a hoof knife. If this is the hoof from your earlier post, when you were asking how it looked, it has come a long way very quickly. Entirely possible you are getting a rehab lesion that seems to happen a few weeks in, as things start to reshape.

Well I know why he's so sore now. Massive ouchy crack where his heel touches the ground. Where that jelly like thing has opened up. Lovely....he won't be going out tomorrow now

 

[Goldenstar]

When we have horses on cold therapy we automatically protect their leg legs and feet from soreness caused by the wet and close clipping .
I am not sure from those pictures what you have going on there.
I think that blister thingy might respond well to silver spray .

 

[Birker2020]

When we have horses on cold therapy we automatically protect their leg legs and feet from soreness caused by the wet and close clipping .
I am not sure from those pictures what you have going on there.
I think that blister thingy might respond well to silver spray .

Ok I have some of that. Thank you, will use this morning, just about to leave for the yard.

 

[ycbm]

Well I know why he's so sore now. Massive ouchy crack where his heel touches the ground. Where that jelly like thing has opened up. Lovely....he won't be going out tomorrow now

The blister and the crack look like a nasty abscess exit wound to me B. If it was me, I'd be putting something antiseptic into that crack under as much pressure as possible to drive it to the bottom, twice a day. My own choice would be hydrogen peroxide using a syringe. It looks like a bad one and might have underrun, don't be shocked if he loses the heel off that foot. Even if it does come off, it will regrow.
.

 

[Birker2020]

The blister and the crack look like a nasty abscess exit wound to me B. If it was me, I'd be putting something antiseptic into that crack under as much pressure as possible to drive it to the bottom, twice a day. My own choice would be hydrogen peroxide using a syringe. It looks like a bad one and might have underrun, don't be shocked if he loses the heel off that foot. Even if it does come off, it will regrow.
.

Thanks. I had the vet this morning, luckily for me was able to share call out with two others, I say lucky as I'm not working atm and therefore using my savings to live on. Vet bills £530 so far, no doubt at least £200 more after today. Blooming horses, weight for weight more expensive than gold lol.

The vet who is different from the first one said she thought the heel was infected (possibly cellulitis) so he's back on 28ml doxy antibiotic twice daily and 1 bute x 2 daily. She said the silver spray was the best thing to use and to continue packing the cleft with iodine soaked cotton wool.

I also need to get the frogs and sole trimmed back to get rid of the dead thrushy tissue. This will be the 3rd attempt since 20th March

This infection is a pain because its hampering his rehab as he should be on a controlled walking plan by now. My physio is leaving me her therapuetic LW ultrasound machine later so I can do ten minutes a day on his leg as I don't think that will impact on the infection.

I am going to try and speak to IceVibe and see if its ok to continue using with infection present.

Doing everything in my power to get him sound enough to go back to retirement. Then i need to get another job. Then another horse. The goal is in sight and is what keeps me going. It's just going to feasibly be Autumn time now I think.

 

[Birker2020]

Update:

He's walking much better today, not half as sore. It was a nice surprise leading him out of the box and seeing him more comfortable. I think the Doxycillin has started to work and the heel wound appears to be healing.

I've done his leg with the ultrasound twice now and he has IceVibe on twice daily and back massager on once a day. He can go out Sunday overnight in a small paddock, my friend has kindly offered for him to go behind her horse in part of his ungrazed paddock so I shall section off a 10m x10m area.

Thank God I'm not working atm so I have time to do all this!.