Sanity check please, trip to the beach?

[sarahann1]

I’m slowly losing the will to live. Now 2 and half years on the abscess merry go round and I really want to get off it!

Very long story short - my mare has had recurring abscesses, last year she was operated on to debride her pedal bone to remove the septic area we thought would be the route cause. This year we’re into our second abscess in the same hoof. She’s on 11th day of double dose of antibiotics, still got pus coming out.

Hot tubbing is out of the question, she won’t stand for it, so I’ve been syringing salt water into it every night.

Now I’m thinking a good 30min wander in the sea might be beneficial. Like I said, I want off the Merry go round, I’m desperate. So, stupid or no?

 

[Lipglosspukka]

The sea isn't just salt though. It's also full of germs.

I get conjunctivitis from the sea.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Has she been tested for Cushing's? Even if she is young, or has had a negative ACTH test, I would ask the vet to do a TRH-Stim test. My mare had recurrent abscesses until she had a positive Cushing's test and went on Prascend. I lost a young Shire mare to what I now believe to have been Cushing's, although that was never diagnosed.

 

[sarahann1]

The sea isn't just salt though. It's also full of germs.

I get conjunctivitis from the sea.

Good point. I’m losing all sense of reason and intellect the longer this is going on.

 

[sarahann1]

Has she been tested for Cushing's? Even if she is young, or has had a negative ACTH test, I would ask the vet to do a TRH-Stim test. My mare had recurrent abscesses until she had a positive Cushing's test and went on Prascend. I lost a young Shire mare to what I now believe to have been Cushing's, although that was never diagnosed.

She hasn’t, the vet thinks very unlikely as it’s always the same hoof and she’s otherwise showing no symptoms at all. I’ll mention it again and see what the vets are saying.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I would run the idea past your Vet to see what they say.

I'm so sorry that your horse has had such an awful time with abscesses for so long. It must be utterly soul destroying. Do they think that there is still - despite the operation - something underlying going on in the hoof or metabolically, that is causing it to re-abscess?

 

[sarahann1]

I would run the idea past your Vet to see what they say.

I'm so sorry that your horse has had such an awful time with abscesses for so long. It must be utterly soul destroying. Do they think that there is still - despite the operation - something underlying going on in the hoof or metabolically, that is causing it to re-abscess?

Soul destroying is about right. Vets are being a bit vague just now to be honest. We’re throwing antibiotics at her in the hope of getting it cleared, if it doesn’t, they’ll take swabs to see what antibiotic might work best. Then shoes on to help reduce concussion on the area if we get it cleared out.

Definitely going to ask about metabolic issues.

 

[chaps89]

Have you a rehab yard with a cold water therapy spa machine nearby? That might be better (if they'll allow it, I think ours won't if there's open wounds)

 

[sarahann1]

Have you a rehab yard with a cold water therapy spa machine nearby? That might be better.

Unfortunately not, not even within a couple of hours drive away

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I was just thinking about how some laminitics have a signature hoof that always 'gets' laminitis first... maybe for some reason this hoof is more prone to abscess?

I don't personally understand the thinking behind shoeing to reduce concussion. There are plenty of slo-mo videos out there showing the same horse shod and unshod and they definitely imply that unshod is less concussive. However if shoes might help for whatever reason (even magic), there is no harm in trying. If the worst comes to the worst - you can take them off again, no big deal.

Oh another thought - have they ruled out keratoma?

 

[cauda equina]

Recurring abscesses would make me wonder if there's a foreign body in there

 

[splashgirl45]

you say vet doesnt think she has cushings, has she been tested? i suspected cushings in my mare and called the vet out to do a test. before she did the test vet checked her over and said she thought it was unlikely, her reading was 172 i knew there was something wrong as she seemed depressed to me but didnt have obvious signs. once she had been on prascend for a while i got my sparky girl back..

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It might be worth x rays again to see if there is something else going on, my mare was similar had reoccurring abscess on same foot the pedal bone became infected so she had an op to remove part of it, it did solve it but she had cushings and was ems so I would definitely get your mare tested, my horse was only 14 when she tested positive for both she was retired from an injury so couldn't be ridden.

When her feet were infected I had to syringe what the vet called chicken antibiotics orally apparently they are really strong, we also used iodine for the foot twice a day and she had a surgical plate for a while to keep it clean.

Rossdales did all the treatment they were brilliant I would consider getting a referal to a big equine hospital they are so much more thorough.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was just thinking about how some laminitics have a signature hoof that always 'gets' laminitis first... maybe for some reason this hoof is more prone to abscess?

I don't personally understand the thinking behind shoeing to reduce concussion. There are plenty of slo-mo videos out there showing the same horse shod and unshod and they definitely imply that unshod is less concussive. However if shoes might help for whatever reason (even magic), there is no harm in trying. If the worst comes to the worst - you can take them off again, no big deal.

Oh another thought - have they ruled out keratoma?

My cushings ems mare only got an abscess in one foot and when she had laminitis that's was the worse one, most horses I have known get laminitis always tend to have one that's worse.

 

[TPO]

I had almost 5yrs of reoccurring abscesses in hind hooves; mainly near hind.

LOTS of vet involvement, 2 surgeries, umpteen different shoes (he was normally BF & ultimately did better when I went back to this).

Had an established track from mid frog to the bag of the heel bulb as well as abscesses in the sole.

Nothing in xray or scans and thankfully not into the pedal bone.

No one was able to give a diagnosis, cause or reason.

He was never uncomfortable enough to pts but with hindsight I wish I had made that call rather than get stuck in the cycle.

Ultimately I got him abcess free for over a year by taking him back barefoot, out as much ad possible and stopped trying to fix him.

Prior to that I've been there with tubbing (or not tubbing) and stringing etc. I did manage to crack the tubbing most of the time, because it was a hind I could pull on tail and/or life other hind if it was comfortable for him. I also bought a soaking sock meant for the white lightning (?) thrush soak and a soaker hoof boot.

I've just recently seen a new invention of a soaking boot actually that might work for you. Trying to think where I saw it and who made it ?

I really feel for you. Reoccurring abscesses were a nightmare and it was really hard going. At one point my routine around working was 4.30am to 11.30pm to make sure he was tubbed, cleaned, dried, poultice & bandaged with an immaculate stable around a full on full time job. It was exhausting.

Hopefully yours is "only" and infection that the antibiotics can help.

These are the newish soaking boots I was thinking of

https://www.redpostequestrian.co.uk...h8CN798T5fI8v2cKernB8VE9laSvGXyIaAhwaEALw_wcB

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

She hasn’t, the vet thinks very unlikely as it’s always the same hoof and she’s otherwise showing no symptoms at all. I’ll mention it again and see what the vets are saying.

If I were you I would insist on having the test done, unless the vet can come up with a different underlying cause for persistently recurrent abscesses

 

[champagne_charolais]

Could you soak the hooves in a foot bath designed for cattle/sheep? Any farmer friends that would let you borrow a foot bath and a few high gates. Walk your horse in and park her between the gates so all four hooves are submerged.

 

[champagne_charolais]

Could you soak the hooves in a foot bath designed for cattle/sheep? Any farmer friends that would let you borrow a foot bath and a few high gates. Walk your horse in and park her between the gates so all four hooves are submerged.

 

[Nasicus]

Have you tried a medicine boot for tubbing? You can get ones that do up tight around the leg to stop them flinging them off, I have a Shires Poltice boot I use for soaking, just pop it on, do it up, and pour the liquid in the back. You do need to be speedy pulling the strap tight with ones that lose their nut wearing a boot, but once it's on and done up it says there, and if they slosh it around and get most of the liquid out, just add some more.
https://www.naylors.com/shires-poultice-boot-blue-grey#129=3690

 

[Marnie]

I had one of these and it worked pretty well my horse that wouldn't stand with a tub was quite happy to stand in this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DYPM89K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1