One hot hoof?!

[kajabe]

When picking out my mares hooves today, I felt that her left hind hoof was noticeably hotter than the rest.

On that fetlock joint at the back she has some sores that I have been washing with warm salt water once a day and putting flamazine an betnovate on. This was what my vet perscribed. I've been doing this for the past couple of weeks.

She is not lame, however isn't keen on picking her right hind leg up as it means she has to put her weight on her left hind one - which is the sore one.

She has been on box rest pretty much since August where she displaced her superficial digital flexor tendon off her right hock.

So i really don't know that to think....shall I get the vet out or just wait and see if the hoof cools down?

Chocolate cupcakes to anyone who helps

 

[JackAT]

Have you just noticed today? I'd keep an eye on it and see if it's consistently warm every day. Could be the sores inflaming the skin making it feel hot, as inflammation makes the blood vessels dilate, so more blood supplies the site of the lesion to heal it. This extra blood flow would warm up the area, and may warm up the hoof as well, as more blood flow is coming from upstream at the fetlock.

However, I'd expect this to have been the case every day since the sores were discovered, so I'm wondering if maybe you may have been extra observant today and picked it up. I might even think of writing down any observations you make of the hoof (temperature, appearance, your mares behaviour when you handle it etc), so if it doesn't improve and you speak to a vet, they have some good information to work from.

Can you feel a strong pulse in the fetlock?

Sounds like she's not had a nice time recently with that injury and the sores etc! Hope things turn out well.

I'm sure other people will help out as well, I'm a relative newbie haha.