Stubborn abscess

[SEL]

Last Tuesday mare presented with that sudden lameness that's either an abscess or something serious - I went with abscess

We haven't had any rain in the SE for ages so her feet (barefoot) are like rocks. Wet poultice for 2 days, then dry poultice and we seemed to be on the mend. There was definitely pus and looked to be coming out the side of her frog.

Yard move last Friday and a variety of acrobatics as she settled in. Was a bit 'off' on the ouchy leg but today is definitely back to being lame again. Not hopping, but definitely lame right fore.

I'm hoping its just remaining pus which can't find its way out. I used to have some fabulous drawing paste but the firm don't make it any more. I can wet poultice again to try and soften her hoof - but anyone got any magic remedies I can steal?

 

[The Trooper]

Soak in warm epsom salt water SEL, for as long as she will tolerate it.

 

[turkana]

A couple of years ago I had trouble with re-occuring abcesses with my horse, at one point both front feet were affected, I followed vet & farrier advice, with poultices & hot tubbing with epsom salts but I wasn't getting anywhere; I spoke to a friend who is a medical rep for a wound care company, she told me to stop what I was doing & use maluka honey instead. She gave me some medical grade honey & they cleared up straight away.
They haven't come back since but if it happens again I will go use honey again

 

[SEL]

Soak in warm epsom salt water SEL, for as long as she will tolerate it.

About 30 seconds when I tried last year - I think my feet were well soaked though.

I'll give it another go!

 

[SEL]

A couple of years ago I had trouble with re-occuring abcesses with my horse, at one point both front feet were affected, I followed vet & farrier advice, with poultices & hot tubbing with epsom salts but I wasn't getting anywhere; I spoke to a friend who is a medical rep for a wound care company, she told me to stop what I was doing & use maluka honey instead. She gave me some medical grade honey & they cleared up straight away.
They haven't come back since but if it happens again I will go use honey again

How did you apply it? Just a paste on the bottom of a nappy or poultice?
There's no obvious hole which I think might be part of the reason the pus isn't draining.

 

[The Trooper]

About 30 seconds when I tried last year - I think my feet were well soaked though.

I'll give it another go!

Try lifting the opposite diagonal, this may be difficult dependant on the pain that she is in however. My Belgian cross was a nightmare when she got an abscess, a proper mare to deal with.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

When my Draft mare had a recurrent abscess which we just couldn't clear up, she was eventually (after a blood test) diagnosed with Cushings and the Prascend made a great difference to her feet as well.

 

[The Trooper]

There's no obvious hole which I think might be part of the reason the pus isn't draining.

I don't want to insult you, but has a farrier/trimmer look at the foot to see if they can open it up and let it drain?

 

[Leo Walker]

A corner cut off a plastic feed bag and used as a boot is usally better tolerated than tubbing. It depends how they react to a plastic bag attached to their leg though!

 

[pistolpete]

I’m in the same boat! I’ve been Epsom salt bathing in a poultice boot. Thought we’d got to the end of it but seems not!

 

[turkana]

The vet dug out the first one & the farrier did the other foot, I then put honey in the hole with a cotton wool plug; the foot was dressed in a clean dry nappy. I reapplied the honey daily for a few days, then every other day for a few more days. At first she could hardly weight bear but as soon as she could she stayed out in rubber "wellys"
Good luck

 

[SEL]

I don't want to insult you, but has a farrier/trimmer look at the foot to see if they can open it up and let it drain?

I hate having people digging around the foot tbh - I've seen them make what is a pretty minor problem an awful lot worse.

 

[SEL]

A corner cut off a plastic feed bag and used as a boot is usally better tolerated than tubbing. It depends how they react to a plastic bag attached to their leg though!

She's oddly fine with plastic - in fact having fun removing that might distract her from eating for a while......

I might try a sopping wet poultice, plastic bag and a tonne of tape and see if that softens the sole enough.

 

[SEL]

When my Draft mare had a recurrent abscess which we just couldn't clear up, she was eventually (after a blood test) diagnosed with Cushings and the Prascend made a great difference to her feet as well.

Luckily that's a test we had done fairly recently and she was negative (& nowhere near). I think we just have a rock hard foot with rather a lot of retained sole.

 

[turkana]

My farrier told me that if a horse has rock hard feet it can make dealing with an abcess difficult to deal with as it's difficult for the infection to get out as the foot is so tough. My horse is barefoot & has got hard feet, so you might be having the same problem.

 

[Andalucian]

Strong barefeet, in dry weather are tough for the abscess to breach. I estimate 7-10 days of poulticing, relentlessly, don't give up. And make sure to poultice the coronary band too, as this is the most likely exit point on such a foot.
Pad with a double layer of cotton wool roll, then vet wrap, then gaffer tape or hoof boot. Extra Cotton Wool encourages movement and pushes the poultice right into the collateral grooves.
Good luck.

 

[SEL]

Strong barefeet, in dry weather are tough for the abscess to breach. I estimate 7-10 days of poulticing, relentlessly, don't give up. And make sure to poultice the coronary band too, as this is the most likely exit point on such a foot.
Pad with a double layer of cotton wool roll, then vet wrap, then gaffer tape or hoof boot. Extra Cotton Wool encourages movement and pushes the poultice right into the collateral grooves.
Good luck.

Thank you! I think I can feel a bit of heat on the coronary band but I hadn't thought to take the poultice up that high - last week's bit of pus came out the side of the frog.

Extra cotton wool and gaffer tape I can do.

I'm thinking that I'll keep going until Monday and if it doesn't look to have blown then call the vet. She has rock hard feet and I've had bad experiences of both vets and farriers digging around for abscesses. She's fine in herself and happy walking on it luckily.

 

[Andalucian]

I've had vets hold their hands up, and give up with feet like this. Keep going for a full 10 days over the coronary band, you'll get there.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Luckily that's a test we had done fairly recently and she was negative (& nowhere near). I think we just have a rock hard foot with rather a lot of retained sole.

I hope you are right but we had a different horse whose ACTH tests kept coming aback negative - very low readings- but the TRH stim test was *800* when normal upper limit is 100. ACTH test done on the same day was still well within range.

 

[SEL]

I hope you are right but we had a different horse whose ACTH tests kept coming aback negative - very low readings- but the TRH stim test was *800* when normal upper limit is 100. ACTH test done on the same day was still well within range.

That's interesting. She's due some more steroids Nov / Dec so I will be re-testing her insulin levels then so could ask for the TRH test. What made you double check?

 

[Trouper]

Sorry - late to this post. Magnesium Sulphate paste (readily available from chemists) is a drawing paste made from Epsom Salts and glycerine. It may be easier to apply to a difficult area and longer lasting in contact than simply soaking in Epsom Salts. Usual method - apply and cover but do check regularly (as I am sure you are already doing!) as it works fast and you don't want to overdo.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That's interesting. She's due some more steroids Nov / Dec so I will be re-testing her insulin levels then so could ask for the TRH test. What made you double check?

We thought her symptoms pointed to Cushings and she also had Equine Asthma (COPD) which was beginning to be a real problem, she was on steroids, and we wondered if putting her on Prascend would help that too. It did, for a short while but sadly she was only on Prascend for a few months before being pts.

 

[Gloi]

I much prefer the abscess coming out at the coronary band than a hole being dug in the sole, always seem to heal better afterwards.

 

[SEL]

I much prefer the abscess coming out at the coronary band than a hole being dug in the sole, always seem to heal better afterwards.

Pretty sure it's coming out by the frog. Hard to tell because my beautifully applied poultice was removed by 3pm by a very cross mare - but had signs of gunk around the frog.

More tape has been applied...

 

[pistolpete]

My boy is still lame. I’ve been poulticing for days. Loads of ooze by frog but still trickling out of exit hole. Gawd it’s tedious.

 

[SEL]

My boy is still lame. I’ve been poulticing for days. Loads of ooze by frog but still trickling out of exit hole. Gawd it’s tedious.

Nice to know I'm not alone! Definitely coming out one side of the frog.

 

[pistolpete]

Gave up and had vet this morning. Sunday!! Argh! Had another exit hole dug so really hope he will heal now.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Hope you get healed up now, pistolpete.

How's yours getting on SEL? Hope you're getting some progress.

 

[pistolpete]

Thank you. He went off his food this morning. That’s why I had to call vet. He’s so sensitive bless him.

 

[SEL]

Hope you get healed up now, pistolpete.

How's yours getting on SEL? Hope you're getting some progress.

Sorry missed this.

I found some old drawing paste (black gunk). Scraped it into a nappy and taped it on for 24 hours. She came in sound and the foot stunk when the poultice came off. Too much black gunk to spot pus but her hoof has since given up a huge chunk by her frog so I'm guessing that's the exit.

Sadly Equinatural don't make magic black gunk any more or I'd stock up.

How's yours doing Pistolpete?