Poulticing / infection / pus in foot ADVICE PLEASE

[Muddywellies]

I know this should be in the veterinary lounge, but there are more people in this one than that one.
My horse has pus in his foot. Vet came out 2 wks ago, gave him and antibiotic jab, and told me to poultice, explained exactly what to do etc etc. He also had a weeks course of antibiotics.
About a week ago, the abcess erupted at the coronary band, and the poultice is encouraging out all the gunk. He is also being poultice under his foot, to encourage it all out from every possible angle.
Anyway, my question is, how long can this take to clear up ? He has been being poulticed now for three weeks (alternating wet and dry) yet STILL, gunk is coming out and he is uncomfortable on it. Not hopping lame, and still able to be a hooligan in the field, but clearly he isn't sound. How much gunk can there be in there ?? There is still heat up as far as his hock too, so clearly still infection there. I am very surprised at how long it is taking, as i thought a few days after it burst, it would start drying up. Very frustrating, and quite worrying. The vet said that even after the infection has gone, he can still be lame because of the inflammation. (he is on a sachet of bute a day)
How long can it take for these things to clear up ?

 

[LauraBR]

Is there pus on the dry poultice as well as the wet? I ask because I once mistook the gunky stuff that comes out of the animalintex/polutex for actual pus after all the real pus had come out and ended up poulticing far longer than I needed to!

I think I'd be getting the vet out again for another look, esp given the heat. Hope it clears up soon- I had a very abcess prone horse and it was such a pain!

 

[Flicker]

Unfortunately it takes as long as it takes. Will he tolerate tubbing in warm hibiscrub? Make sure everything is scrupulously clean to prevent reinfection.
Also, hydrogen peroxide squirted from a syringe into the hole in the foot clears up infection by introducing oxygen (the bacteria are anaerobic so oxygen kills them).
If it is any consolation, I had a mare whose abscess took 6 weeks to clear up properly because of where it was.
Fingers crossed he sorts himself out ok.

 

[happyhaffie]

when holly had her abscess, it took approximately 4 weeks, she went from being realy uncomfortable to being near enough sound over night hang in their i had my farrier out three times, i thought it should have been alot quicker, but some horses heal quickly other like to take their time (and im sure they do it on purpose:0)

 

[ihatework]

Sometimes they can take a while.

What I would say is don't over do the wet poulticing as that can cause complications in itself. I'd limit to tubbing and just poulticing with mag sulphate paste for now.

I'd also consider taking off bute - I actually find it easier to assess the horse when you don't have bute altering their lameness levels.

Given you are getting pus come from coronet, you still have heat running up leg I would consider getting the vet back for another look. There is a condition known as quittor which is an infection of the cartilage that requires vet intervention and it might be worth ruling that out at this stage.