Lame.............how long???

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Flygirl

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Hi All,

Looking for advice/reasurance.

We have a 15 Year Old IDX only owned her a few months anyway, she went lame but it tool 3 weeks for any heat or swelling to appear, turned out to be an abcess.

Had Vet out who took shoe off and gave antibiotics, advised poulticing which worked, but a few days later heat reapeared farrier was at yard so got him to take a look who dug a bigger whole for abcess to flow out faster, advised more poulticing (got more antibiotics from vert) have been soaking foot in warm salty water twice a day and have kept foot clean by wrapping hoof in nappies and duck tape!!

foot still has heat, but horse very happy running around in field with friends.

Does not appear to be lame when walking but not to sure in trot as she only has one shoe on.

Could there be something else going on?, have to bribe her to lift other foot to be cleaned so she puts all her weight on the dodgy foot.

farrier coming out again next week, any advice greatly received.

Thanks
 
Hi, don't trot her, with a hole in her sole she's very delicate!! Keep wrapping in dry nappies and duck tape until the farrier comes, then take his advice. Just think about it, if you had a hole in your foot it would take a few weeks for you to come sound. Don't fret, but you will have to allow time for this to heal. The more easy you are on her now, the quicker she'll come right.
 
Are you managing to keep it 100% clean? I don't usually turn out when poulticing feet/hole in feet as the dressing is much more likely to stay in tact in the stable.

Can you not ask your farrier to come out earlier if you're concerned?
 
Cant understand why your vet is advising antibiotics they are most likely prolonging the whole thing. Continue dry pouticing with epsom salts packed into the hoof. Trot up when farrier comes back and decide at that stage whether she has come sound and can be re-shod or requires further draining of the abscess. Sounds like she is on the way to recovery.
 
It would help if you could tell us how long since the hole was opened your mare has been unsound.

Ditto above on the antibiotics. They are not recommended in a foot abscess with an open draining hole unless the infection has spread up the leg and is continuing to spread. They cause exactly the problems you are describing - they suppress the infection enough for it to begin to heal and then it starts up all over again.

As a point of interest did you ask for them, or were they just given without you asking? If they were given without you asking then you might query why they were given and why you have had to pay for two lots when they should have been completely unnecessary (unless there is more that you have not told us about how far the infection had gone).
 
Hi,

Thanks for all your replies, feel better now.

The first lot of antibiotics we got was due to the fact that the infection had gone up her leg, but this soon went once the course had finished, we did ask for the second course (on the suggestion of the YO) you are probably right when you said we didnt need them, but being new owners we always look to the more experianced for advise.

A few people at our yard had said that she should be completely sound by now, this is why I have started to worry, but thanks to you all i feel better.

Did keep her in for the first 4 days when the infection appeared but she was going loopy, found that the nappies are doing the trick though in keeping the dirt out.

Farrier is coming out Tuesday, he will probably tell me that there is nothing to worry about and that it takes time to heal as many of you had said.

Thanks again.;)
 
Can take a fair while to resolve - the abscess may have had several tracks and you just got oneof them... Maybe the hole has closed up when the abscess was still fulminating and needs to drain again.

Make sure you don't feed any molasses. It's just my slightly crazy pet theory, but I think any sugars and molasses in particular, make abscess and ulcers go on for longer. (simply observation, no science there!)
 
It can take a couple of weeks for abscesses to resolve but it is likely she has also got foot sore without the shoe on. This may continue to a lesser degree even once the shoe is replace and not fully resolve until the second shoeing so be prepared to take it easy until then.
 
Yeah you maybe right perhaps there is more than one track, will get farrier to have a really good look and dig again if necessary.

No molasses or sugar for any of our horses, but never thought about it affecting recovery.

im sure she will be right as rain soon, I must have patience!!

Thanks
 
Hi Sam22,

She is flat footed so what you said about being foot sore makes sense, and with it being bathed twice a day Im sure her sole is pretty soft and tender.
 
If you think she is foot sore it would be a good idea to get a proper hoof boot to stop her getting worse. Maybe you can borrow one for a week or too from a friend.
 
Hi,

Ive been looking at the Hoof Boots, the Cavalleo Simple looks ideal but no-one at my yard have ever used boots, will talk to farrier and maybe invest in one.
 
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