Lame horse, suspected abscess. To dig or not to dig

Rainbowdash - on my phone so can't quote. This sounds quite similar to my boy there just seems to be no sign of abscess but with all the symptoms. He has a little swelling in the fetlock but no heat or sponging of the hoof. We too have quite rocky ground so potentially could have been that. I have dug a few small stones where his white line is separating so whether that had anything to do with it I don't know. I haven't actually poulticed this evening. With his foot being so soft and wet it was hard to see the difference between just being wet and potential exit of snscess. The only potential thing was on the right side of his frog (left looking at the pic) there is a tiny pocket, smells but no more than anywhere else after being in a warm boot all day. If that is it it would have been absolutely tiny with no track at all so can't see it being that. Who knows what it is, the farrier is coming tomorrow so will hopefully be able to offer some insight.
 
Yes this does sound very similar - there was a very small amount of fluid - clear (looked like spital) with a very faint smell - he showed signs of absess with a little heat. Got a second option off two friends at the yard and even they were scratching their heads :-).

Farrier should hopefully shed some light tomorrow - keep us posted xx
 
Thank you, I've had a fellow livery look this evening and she has just dealt with 2 back to back abscesses with hers and she's completely stumped too. I'm sure time will tell I'm just pleased he is feeling a bit better. :)
 
Sorry sure you'll be sick of this now but little update. He's almost sound this morning, no sign of anything having broken out so not really sure what was wrong. Unfortunately my farrier (who is also a close friend) had a dog emergency this morning and their dog had to be rushed in for surgery and so his visit has been put back to Monday. Not too concerned about this given how much sounder he's looking.
 
Tnavas said:
This is nonsense! - the farrier is performing his job - so long as he doesn't draw blood it's fine - he is not likely to do so - all he is doing is removing the non-sensitive tissue from below the abscess.

To be honest he is far more qualified than a vet to search for an abscess! He is after all foot specialist! The vet a Jack of all trades!
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It is ridiculous - not nonsense. In the UK it is illegal for non-vets to diagnose and treat- probably the law in New Zealand is different
 
Sorry can't quote on my phone, I've almost been through every hair around the coronet but can't seem anything guess well see if it ever becomes visible. Fingers crossed he's actually on the road to recovery now and not just pretending so he can run around the field with his friends:)!!

I had no idea about the about farriers and treating things. Although technically I diagnosed and treated him is that against the rules. Well you learn something new everyday :) although in all honesty I have faith in my farrier and if he is happy to do it I would rather do that than call the vet out.
 
EllenJay said:
It is ridiculous - not nonsense. In the UK it is illegal for non-vets to diagnose and treat- probably the law in New Zealand is different
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So long as your farrier doesn't draw blood or cut into living tissue it is fine - and that is english law! He is doing his job. I lived and worked with horses for decades before I came to NZ and it is there that I learned to call the farrier not the vet to deal with an abscess!
 
Tnavas said:
So long as your farrier doesn't draw blood or cut into living tissue it is fine - and that is english law! He is doing his job. I lived and worked with horses for decades before I came to NZ and it is there that I learned to call the farrier not the vet to deal with an abscess!
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No - you are wrong. Diagnosing is the issue, the farrier can treat under vets directions. This is is a recent change - in the past farriers could diagnose and treat - now they can't.
 
EllenJay said:
No - you are wrong. Diagnosing is the issue, the farrier can treat under vets directions. This is is a recent change - in the past farriers could diagnose and treat - now they can't.
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Look at it at a different angle - farrier comes to trim horse and discovers an abscess.

I cannot understand how you horse owners have allowed this to happen - surely you knew these law changes were pending and could have done something to protect your horses.
 
Tnavas said:
Look at it at a different angle - farrier comes to trim horse and discovers an abscess.

I cannot understand how you horse owners have allowed this to happen - surely you knew these law changes were pending and could have done something to protect your horses.
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The farrier can only advise that an abscess is suspected and will give advice that a vet should be called. In reality, most good farriers will sort it, but I do worry when advice on a forum is to call farrier, when advice should be call vet. (Also in reality most good vets will ask for the farrier to be present). I think these measures have brought in with the growth of "Equine Podiatrist" most of whom have minimal training
 
EllenJay said:
The farrier can only advise that an abscess is suspected and will give advice that a vet should be called. In reality, most good farriers will sort it, but I do worry when advice on a forum is to call farrier, when advice should be call vet. (Also in reality most good vets will ask for the farrier to be present). I think these measures have brought in with the growth of "Equine Podiatrist" most of whom have minimal training
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Agree with you there regarding the 'Equine Podiatrist' thing - when a fully qualified farrier haaas spent over 4 years learning his trade and the vet has probably had a few hours training regarding feet - I know who I would chose to advise me about my horses feet.

To me it's the same as asking my vet what I should feed my horse - how do I know how much prior equine knowledge he has had regarding horses. Many large animal vets started off as farm animal vets and may never had anything to do with a horse before.

I would rather ask feeding advise from an older horse person who has had horses for many decades as they know how to feed.

I remember my vet saying to me many years ago the we stable hands could bandage far better than he could as we generally had more practise at it. Considering the state of the bandaging that was on my injured youngster when he was returned to me I do really wonder what they get taught - the injury only was bandaged, no padding under, no support bandage below! The bandage was actually in the wound. I then bandaged him myself for a week and not once when properly applied did the bandage slip!
 
Tnavas said:
Agree with you there regarding the 'Equine Podiatrist' thing - when a fully qualified farrier haaas spent over 4 years learning his trade and the vet has probably had a few hours training regarding feet - I know who I would chose to advise me about my horses feet.

To me it's the same as asking my vet what I should feed my horse - how do I know how much prior equine knowledge he has had regarding horses. Many large animal vets started off as farm animal vets and may never had anything to do with a horse before.

I would rather ask feeding advise from an older horse person who has had horses for many decades as they know how to feed.

I remember my vet saying to me many years ago the we stable hands could bandage far better than he could as we generally had more practise at it. Considering the state of the bandaging that was on my injured youngster when he was returned to me I do really wonder what they get taught - the injury only was bandaged, no padding under, no support bandage below! The bandage was actually in the wound. I then bandaged him myself for a week and not once when properly applied did the bandage slip!
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Totally agree - it seems that common sense is being thrown away in praise of a certificate.
 
Can someone please tell me what legislation this is in, because it isn't something I have heard of. I know it applied to back people and podiatrists, I should have thought the farriery council would have lobbied for an exception for farriers who after all can legally carry out fairly invasive stuff (nailing on shoes).
 
I second everything you have said I think there is a lot to say for experience over a certificate. I also find the remedies of an old horse person to work just as well if not better I'm some cases that medical treatment. Obviously there are ocassions this is not possible but more often than not a person who has had horses for many years will know his to treat an issue just as good as a vet will. This is why I like coming on here. There are so many people with so much experience often calling the vet is not necessary
 
JillA said:
Can someone please tell me what legislation this is in, because it isn't something I have heard of. I know it applied to back people and podiatrists, I should have thought the farriery council would have lobbied for an exception for farriers who after all can legally carry out fairly invasive stuff (nailing on shoes).
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What a farrier can do

A farrier is defined, under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975, as a person who works in connection with the preparation or treatment of the foot of a horse for the immediate reception of a shoe thereon, the fitting by nailing or otherwise of a shoe to the foot or the finishing off of such work to the foot.

This does not cover the diagnosis of illness/issues etc
 
Yes, that is a definition of a farrier but it doesn't define what he can or can not do by law. Treatments are presumably defined in the act which enables qualified veterinary surgeons to undertake their work (and at one time, and maybe still is, it was only for animals belonging to others. You could treat your own animals without veterinary supervision) - if there have been recent changes are they amendments to that or new legislation?
 
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