Nail 4cm into hoof next to frog

[TheFarmIsFull]

Has anyone here had experience with a horse getting a builders nail or even wire etc in their hoof. What was the prognosis? How was recovery?
Went to get my pony in from the paddock today and she had stood on a nail which went 4cm into her hoof right next to the frog
Vet was called immediately and horse given a tetanus, pain relief and antibiotics. I also washed with iodine and wrapped with a good iodine soaked pad.
Vet has said it’s a case of wait and see and if she becomes worse, sick or doesn’t recover we will have to send her to the hospital an hour away to have it flushed and X rayed.
I’m hoping and praying it doesn’t come to this.

Has anyone been through this? If the damage was extensive what was the outcome? Did your horse make a full recovery and continue it’s career or have a life destined as a paddock mate.
We have 24/7 outdoor grazing. I can fix up a large box and keep her stabled but the weather is Sunny and dry so I’m thinking she will be best outside for now

 

[PurBee]

I saw a video of someone posting about similar - they did as you have done and iodine wrapped. Horse recovered fully. The story wasnt too indepth about the whole procedure but such a hoof injury doesnt necessarily mean destiny as a paddock ornament, so fingers crossed the healing is rapid and smooth.

You’ll probably likely find an abscess will brew, if the nail was dirty, and the impact wiggled around in the hoof causing more tissue damage, so the excess ‘dead cells’ have to be expelled somehow, and in a hoof that means usually via an abscess.

If the horse is not visibly lame despite the injury and normally is turned-out, providing you have the hoof wrapped to stop field debris getting into the hole, (iodine soaked padding, then vet wrap to hold padding in place, then loads of gaffa tape over the whole lot if you dont have hoof boots ) i’d prefer turn-out, as movement = blood pumping = faster healing.

Fingers crossed for you all goes smoothly and fast recovery for your horse.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

.y horse did this years ago. He tried onva roofing nail out hacking. Luckily we were only 10 mins from the yard. I was only 15 and I had to walk the poor boy home as I couldn't get the nail out. Luckily the YO had a veterinary qualification and she got it out, cleaned it it and wrapped it up. He was never lame. We kept an eye on it and he was back to riding in a short space of time.

 

[rabatsa]

When one of mine stood on a nail years ago the vet wanted to x-ray before removal to ensure that nothing internal was damaged. With portable x-ray machines this is easier to do nowadays. The vet also flushed the hole after removal.

 

[ycbm]

I have had a horse punch a hole through its sole standing on a sawn off fence stake. That recovered fine.

Three years ago my horse came in from the field with a nail 1 inch into his foot exactly where you describe. He was on antibiotics for 5 days but it never gave him an issue.

I would want yours to be on antibiotics for several days yet, I think. I hope you've now started tetanus vaccinations, the tetanus anti-toxin that she will have been given is not long lasting, it's only for emergencies.
.

 

[Auslander]

I have one here who appears to have magnetic feet (mentioning no names Bernster!) She has had two such incidents - a nail out hacking, and what turned out to be a shard of terracotta drainpipe. Both times, I left the item in situ, called the vet out straight away to xray then remove, poulticed 3x a day and stuffed full of antibiotics. She has recovered fine each time.

The one thing I would never do is remove something that is penetrating the sole, without first xraying to make sure where it is. I use whatever is to hand to create a block for the horse to stand on, so they can put their foot down without pushing the offending item in further, then bandage it in place til the vet arrives.

 

[twiggy2]

I have known many be fine and one that was not, it depends on structures that are damaged and any infection they get.
The one that was not OK was left in situ and xray'd before removal, flushed and antibiotics etc given the infection that followed ate away the pedal bone and was not bought under control

 

[ester]

Did the vet not xray already? Or are they suggesting re-xraying if it you have to ship to hospital for flushing?

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I had a share horse that stood on a sharp flint that went into the frog causing it to bleed heavily whilst I was out hacking. We had to get a vet and trailer out to where it happened it was in the days before mobiles but fortunately it was near the gamekeepers cottage. Antibiotics and poulticing thankfully worked.
However my isters friend lost her dressage stallion to a nail through the frog he was operated on and had all available treatment but they couldn’t control the infection. It really depends on what structures it has damaged and whether it’s an area where it’s difficult to get antibiotics into. I’d be wanting x-rays as a minimum if it were my horse and possibly flushing although that also carries risks.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Shoeing nail through the frog into foot..vet xrayed before pulling out..it missed anything crucial. Flushed with iodine..antibiotics…wrapped up…out in field by end of week..no lasting damage or problem.

 

[Redders]

My mare did this years ago. Vet did local IV antibiotics x2 over 5 days, 24 days antibiotics orally, and Bute. Poulticed and tubbed daily for 14 days. Never an issue since

 

[Goldenstar]

I went through this in summer .
I had Sky hospitalised immediately just in case ,the X-ray was terrifying .

 

[Goldenstar]

There’s Sky’s X-ray that’s a probe in hole not the nail.
If he had not had a shoe on he would have been a goner .

 

[TheFarmIsFull]

Thanks all I have a little hope things will be ok.
No xrays done, we are very rural and the nearest equine vet had no X-ray equipment. She was confident an X-ray was not needed at that point. I had also removed the nail because it was stuck on a piece of wood and we were on the side of a hill and needed to move. Vet said since it was removed which she was happy with she said that the X-rays would show nothing unless we sent her off to the equine hospital 3 towns over which she felt was unnecessary.
I will continue with the wrapping and antibiotics. We have 3 days of high dose IM antibiotics and will look at continuing with oral antibiotics following this unless she becomes worse or we will have no choice but to send her to have it flushed. I’m just hoping there’s not any significant damage and this won’t be the end of the road for her because she’s only 3.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Most vets I know would xray first before removing it but I suppose under the circumstances perhaps the vet thought it was a minimal risk, I hope she makes a quick recovery without any problems.

 

[Snow Falcon]

3 of mine have had nails in feet. All survived although one only missed navicular bursae by 2mm. Thankfully he was the most expensive and insured one!!! The important thing is where in the foot it is. He took some time to recover. The most interesting one had her sole peel off, new one grew underneath. The luckiest, part of the shelter blew off during the bad storms. Nails sticking up from the lumps of wood in the field. When my mare came up the field on 3 legs I knew instantly what had happened. Felt sick whilst scrubbing the foot. Entry found and vet rung, who came and made hole bigger the next day for drainage but no ill effects.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

View attachment 85309

There’s Sky’s X-ray that’s a probe in hole not the nail.
If he had not had a shoe on he would have been a goner .

God that is deep

 

[TheFarmIsFull]

Pulled her in this morning to shift to day grazing. Am currently keeping her near the house in a very large outdoor yard at night.
She has some swelling around her fetlock which is to be expected and was a little lame. This arvo she is quiet lame and doesn’t look overly happy but it’s very very hot outside, she is bright in the eye and had enough energy to fight me while redressing her foot. Hopefully second dose of ABs and pain relief kick in for her soon. Lucky she’s a gem to treat.
I have this gut feeling things may go south for her so I’m keeping a very close eye on her. I will call the vets tomorrow and see if we can look at an extended course of antibiotics or something just to play it safe.

 

[Prancerpoos]

I think you should call the vet as soon as they open as it does not sound good that she is getting so much worse. Good luck, I hope they can fix it.

 

[TheFarmIsFull]

I think you should call the vet as soon as they open as it does not sound good that she is getting so much worse. Good luck, I hope they can fix it.

That’s the plan. Have to get some more poultice so will make a trip to town and have a chat. She did say she would be sore for the next few days with bruising and that regardless of antibiotics the wound would likely form an abscess.

 

[Goldenstar]

Pulled her in this morning to shift to day grazing. Am currently keeping her near the house in a very large outdoor yard at night.
She has some swelling around her fetlock which is to be expected and was a little lame. This arvo she is quiet lame and doesn’t look overly happy but it’s very very hot outside, she is bright in the eye and had enough energy to fight me while redressing her foot. Hopefully second dose of ABs and pain relief kick in for her soon. Lucky she’s a gem to treat.
I have this gut feeling things may go south for her so I’m keeping a very close eye on her. I will call the vets tomorrow and see if we can look at an extended course of antibiotics or something just to play it safe.

That does not sound good I would be making arrangements so you are ready to get her to a equine hospital.

 

[NR88]

I've had a couple of occasions where a horse has stood on a nail.

In your position I'd call the vet immediately, regardless of time or out of hours, because a lameness in this situation is not good never mind a progressing lameness.

Hopefully the horse is fine but in your position I would call a vet ASAP and be preparing to travel the horse/call a different practice who have mobile equipment.

 

[twiggy2]

Non of the ones I dealt qith that were OK were ever lame or had any swelling so I hope she is ok

 

[Goldenstar]

Please escalate this quickly Op if it’s going wrong you only have a small window to successfully intervene.

 

[ycbm]

Mine wasn't lame either, after the nail came out. I don't think the fetlock swelling is what I would expect either. That doesn't sound good, sadly.

I felt I had no choice but to pull out the nail, it was that or risk him driving it even further into his foot as he tried to walk on it.

Where do all these dammed nails even come from!
.

 

[Ossy2]

I have known 3 to have got nails in the foot. 2 we’re ok, 1 was not and did not make it. The one that did not make it in fairness was severely lame from the offset. But if horse is getting worse not better I would not be hanging around mine would be off to equine hospital regardless of how far away it is I’m afraid, the fetlock swelling does not sit well with me either. I’m guessing you are not in the UK so don’t still have her turned out in mud lol. But I’d also consider bringing her in for some box rest.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I would be arranging immediate transport to nearest equine hospital for xrays - I am rather surprised vet did not do so. However, what's done (or rather not done) really needs to be ASAP, relying on your vet giving a further course of antibiotics is just not viable at this late stage. It is far too risky to not have xrays done immediately.

If you have a gut feeling things are going badly for her I am amazed you do not seem to have a sense of urgency about this?

 

[HobleytheTB]

If lameness seems to be progressing it would be a good idea to get her to the equine hospital now in case it gets to the point that you cannot physically get her onto the lorry.

I've known a few horses with this injury. Two were absolutely fine, one fractured his pedal bone. He did fully recover thankfully.

 

[Red-1]

I am another who would take straight to the vet hospital. The ones |I knew that were subsequently OK never had swelling or any lameness after the nail was removed.

I would expect X rays and also that the hole be made a LOT bigger and cleaned. If there is an infection in the foot, I don't believe antibiotics alone will cure it. I'm afraid it usually needs drastic trimming and aggressive cleaning.

 

[Hobo2]

Twice both on hacks. First one was I was a long way from home and I pulled it out . It was infected the next day and he melted weight overnight luckily he was very porky so no harm done. With just a single visit from vet and antibiotics and poultices he made a full recovery.
Second time with more knowledge and being older I knew to call OH we loaded pony straight to vets x-ray and follow up poultice and anti biopics no infection and healed with no further problems.
Hopefully this will the outcome for you.