Punctured hoof and black goo etc - advice plz ?

[jackscrag]

Hi to all, my vet is an idiot so im asking for someones advice who's had this kinda problem:-
My mare punctured her hoof a week ago sharp stone it bled quite a bit, i purple sprayed it, she was foot sore so rested, 2 days ltr she more lame an her foot is a touch warm, out comes vet day ltr in meantime i hose it down and give her bute, mr vet comes down as a precaution on my side as she seemed to be a bit better day he came, her puncture was closed then... and mr vet has openend it again..an it starts bleeding again

, he gives me more bute and antibiotics for 3 days and goes, ive been keeping her in since and poulticing 1st hot as hole was leaking a touch of silver goo 2days after vet had re-opened wound and then black goo, then dry animalintex with an easy boot over to keep it clean, still a tinybit of black goo at mo but is drying up, she seemed sound 2day so i rode her in sand menage with bandage on and easy boots, and she was a keen unlame bunny, now just changed her bandage & dressing and theirs a touch of red blood, she's not bothered and isnt lame so what should i do with her? leave her unridden till foot is totally dry ??she's going nuts in stable bored silly, but field too muddy at mo even with easy boot on to keep it clean, i obviously dont want to prolong the healing but she loved her ride 2day so i just dont know what to do for best ?? HELP !
jackie x

 

[ihatework]

The post is difficult to read and make sense of I'm afraid.

Firstly I wouldn't be slagging of the vet, if the horses hoof was hot and she was lame then that meant she had an infection, the correct thing to do is to cut away some of the hoof.

I would personally now get your farrier out to advise you on how to handle the foot. He may well be able to plug the hole.

 

[Happy Horse]

I can't understand what you are saying but if the hole cleses too soon the vet will reopen it to let the infection out - this does not make him an idiot. Try posting again so we can understand you and you may get some help.

 

[dunc_n_toby]

keep a dressing on it until there is nothing at all on it. Do bear in mind that the bute could disguise any lameness as it is a pain killer/anti inflamatory. I personally wouldn't ride her, can you walk her out in hand?

 

[jackscrag]

farrier is coming 2morrow btw

jackiex

 

[Dougie]

forgive me for being a tad slow but this black goo...is that not puss...and would that not be classed as an abcess??? if it is...which it is where i am then the vet did the right thing!! abcesses occasionaly have to be re opened several times to allow all the infection to go!!

 

[hussar]

I too am finding your post a little hard to follow but my older horse is in exactly the same situation - has a punctured frog. My vet cut away the affected frog and I've been poulticing since Tuesday. It now looks as though there's nothing left to drain and he's perfectly sound, so I'm going to dry bandage over the weekend and see what happens.

I turn him out in a Boa boot with a turnout sock over it to protect the collar of the boot. I won't risk riding him until the vet and farrier are happy and the shoe is back on.

 

[jackscrag]

Right when the vet came he opened her wound again and it bled fresh red blood no pus or anything. he gave her antibiotics as a precaution but he said their was no infection.

2 days later the wound started leaking silver slimey fluid but only a little what you may call this pus ? - i am not an expert

day later it changes to black slimey fluid

I have been dressing her foot to keep it clean with animalintex as soon as the wound started with the pus

I havent seen no abbcess... to me i believe the wound got infected when the vet reopened the wound which is why im annoyed

the reason i call him an idiot is because his surgery phone is plugged to the fax machine more often than not and you cant reach him, he was also very abrubt with me he made me feel like id called him out for nothing, saying it wasnt infected and shaking his head, but aparantly he is known for being rude and abrubt and many on yard have stopped using him for this reason.

I am new to yard and area and just phoned the first vet i got number for.

her foot is now looking much better 2day and the little bleed she had seems to have done her the world of good she has lost only a centimeter of black pus since

jackie

 

[scrat]

I have recently had to deal with a nasty abscess in our mares foot and it took a lot longer than we expected to clear up. We initially called the vet as we were not sure why she was lame. He told us that it was an abscess and to call the farrier to deal with it ( I wish we had it would have saved a bill of £130!!!) Any way we ended up poulticing for almost 3 weeks and despite the farrier digging a hole in the sole to release the pus it eventually burst out through the coronet band. Although prescribed by the vet, the farrier said not to give bute. The vet did not want her to have antibiotics as he said her body should fight any infection itself. She became sound a couple of days after the yuk started coming out of the coronet band, before that she was in agony. The pus in her case was like cold tea, quite thin and very smelly although I understand it can be black too. I have still not started to ride yet as I want to be sure that the hole in the sole and the split in the coronet band have healed properly, I will ask the farrier to do this when he is due in a couple of weeks. It was a nasty, painful condition and I hope I don't have to deal with another one!

 

[AmyMay]

Your vet did what any vet would do actually - so don't be quite so quick to have a go.

Your horse sounds as if she's developed a mild infection in her foot - hence the puss. The vet re-opened it (as the blacksmith would have done) to allow the puss to drain out. You have been right in poultessing - but don't go too mad with it.

Personally I would have the horse turned out. You can quite easily cover the foot to prevent dirt getting in - and if the shoe is off even better.

Don't ride her until you are sure that the infection is all gone.

 

[judymoon]

if the hole isn't enormous then you could just 'plug' it during the day with cotton/gamgee. flushing it with peroxide is an old one that in my experience works! maybe a little controversial. Foot abcess/puncture is always tricky and frustrating regards cleanliness but patience always pays off!! No one likes to see holes dug in feet either by vet or farrier but foot problems are probably the most common work for vets and the black/silver pus or infection is better out than in and if it doesn't come out of the sole it will burst at the coronet band which is even more detrimental to foot growth etc. I've seen some amazingly large amounts of sole taken off in the past as a vet nurse in Kentucky and they have all recovered eventually and i have seen the results of abcesses that have been left undrained and seen horses literally walk out of a foot, not pretty! Your vets fine and your fine, be patient!

 

[jackscrag]

Hole has closed she's sound now and happily back in worka good result
jackie

 

[goeslikestink]

keep it clean and dont ride her-- giver time of to heal properly
the vet is doing the right thing
make sure you clean the hole thorughly wash it dry it plug it
iodine helps to clear infections of the feet i have put it straight on a hole in the foot then poultice -- lots of padding then bandaged
you can turn them out if you put a cahrry bag cut the handles of
then put old sock on over the top normally a mans sock as its bigger than a females socks then bandage the sock thas pulled as far up the leg as you can get it-- you bandaged the leg aprt to keep the sock in place-- then the foot well protectect and you can turn out--
the sock and the carry bag keep the leg warm and helps
to draw out the infection in the foot--
normally within a few days to week can resume riding
but the hold has to be pluged once dry and no pus nor blood

as regards to blood -- if the hole bleeds theres no infection
if it has a gunky stuff there is --

 

[mostfunintown]

I usually turn out with vetrap bandaging over the poultice i just normally wrap it in ductape it seals it a treat. hope to help!!