Poulticing horse's jaw

M

Marilyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 April 2006
Messages
892
Visit site
Hello,

My vet suspects my horse has an abscess under her jaw and has told me to poultice it. I have tried animalintex which falls off and is very difficult to bandage on because if its position, and my current solution is Epsom salts and glycerine (on vet recommendation) but I haven't tried heating it- when I tried to make a hot paste with water tonight, it just dried out and fell off. I used some Kaolin the other day but it's SO sticky and messy that I worry when the abscess, hopefully, erupts, it'll get kaolin in it.
Any ideas/experience?
 
My horse got an abscess on the bottom of his cheek bone a few weeks a go. Luckily the first time it burst by itself and I just washed it in warm saline solution a few times a day to keep it open and let it drain. He also had a 5 day course of antibiotics. I thought it had healed but it reappeared a couple of weeks later-looked like he had a golf ball in his cheek! I hot towelled it, as hot as possible, a few times a day and then lathered vaseline on the area to soften the skin, it burst out a few days later so kept washing it to clean it. I think he may still have a bit of a thorn or something still in ii as it flared up again a few days ago.

Some other suggestions I had were antiphilogistine http://www.forans.com/products.asp?Action=Detail&ProductID=10&Type=2 heated up and covered with cling film and my trainer said he used animalintex and wrapped vet wrap around the whole head as sort of a headcollar to hold it in place. My lads headshy so wont be trying that but going to give the antiphlogistine a try!
 
Animalintex, pampers type disposable nappy on top of this (usually toddler size is best) then vetwrap over the top & right round, all held in place with elderly soft headcollar.
Good luck

ps: Disposable nappies are a very useful item for horse/human 1st aid kit as they go over joints very nicely too.
 
No, not strangles- the vet believes a thorn is the culprit- she's had antibiotics which have made her better in herself as she was quite poorly, but apparently getting inside an abscess is difficult for antibiotics- apparently. The hot towel sounds a good idea- so just hot water on a towel? How long do you hold it there for? Would baby oil work or is vaseline better?
 
My mare had a problem with an abcess on her withers, I used gamgee in as hot water as I could stand and just kept soaking the gamgee and then holding it on the abcess, as the gamgee cooled I would soak it again and repeat for about 15 minutes as many times a day as I could. It erupted after about 48 hours.

May be worth a try?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top