The Abscess Thread - queries, advice and tips

[diamonddogs]

A lot of our horses are suffering at the moment it seems

Can we use this thread to report how our nags are doing, and for tips and tricks for treating please, as I think we all have our own ways of doing things and it would be nice to share.

Report: mine's doing brilliantly now and will be back in the main field today or tomorrow if she stays sound.

Tip: I found a great tip for making a boot for the interim period when it's too soon to plug the hole up and they still need a nappy on but they don't need a poultice any more. Get longish strips of gaffer tape and stick them on to your thigh, overlapping the long edges (about four or five should do it) then put another four or five overlapping again on top at right angles to the first lot. Then lift the whole caboodle off your thigh, slap it over the nappy and let the foot down. Stick the whole thing up round the hoof, trim if necessary, and off you go.

Great for when they've had enough of being faffed about with and they're snatching feet out of your hand!

 

[Brightbay]

I just removed the entire lateral bar from my horse's hind hoof - he had a horrible abscess back in March/April, and it clearly underran most of the lateral sole before breaking out the top. Last week, the old sole fell off, and today the bar just came off as I was cleaning the hoof! I intended to keep it to study later, but I put it in a bucket with some headcollars and the hoof pick while clearing up around the field - when I got back some curious horse had tipped everything out on the ground and my interesting piece of post-abscess hoof had disappeared! Horse has been completely sound since a couple of days after it burst, btw, and back out hacking.

Tip: I found a great tip for making a boot for the interim period when it's too soon to plug the hole up and they still need a nappy on but they don't need a poultice any more. Get longish strips of gaffer tape and stick them on to your thigh, overlapping the long edges (about four or five should do it) then put another four or five overlapping again on top at right angles to the first lot. Then lift the whole caboodle off your thigh, slap it over the nappy and let the foot down. Stick the whole thing up round the hoof, trim if necessary, and off you go.

I do a version of this - I have a rectangular Ikea plastic chopping board, and before leaving for the field, I make up the duct tape "boot" by doing the overlapping strips. The advantage is that it stays dry and unwrinkled on the board until you have done the poultice and vetwrap, then you just peel it off in one piece and slap on to the hoof, place hoof down and fold edges up and pinch together. Using good quality duct tape, this method results in "boots" that last 24 hours in the field 3M Outdoor waterproof tape is the best.

 

[diamonddogs]

...Last week, the old sole fell off, and today the bar just came off as I was cleaning the hoof!

I think I would have died! I was bad enough when my big toenail fell off in the bath nearly a year after the original injury...

3M Outdoor waterproof tape is the best.

Thanks for the recommendation

 

[mightymammoth]

great idea for a thread

 

[NZJenny]

I don't do anything. I have had two nightmare experiences of vets digging holes in soles, so these days I don't. IME and talking to others, the abscess will always track its own way out anyway, so you still have to go through the healing process as well as deal with a hole.

I leave the horse in the paddock to move as much as it wants or can - circulation, IMO, is the best healing tool and movement is the key to that. I don't usually bother tubbing, as the abscess will break out of a soft area anyway and my horses are not that great at standing still, with a foot in a bucket.

I have had far better outcomes interfering as little as possible and nothing terrible has happened. I last dealt (or not) with one last winter, fingers crossed not this year.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I know this is slightly more expensive than the nappy idea but it works.

Piece of poultice cut to size, breast pad, vet wrap then silage tape. Neat, tidy and done in secs. (don't use much vetwrap, just enough to secure padding)

 

[maccachic]

I don't do anything. I have had two nightmare experiences of vets digging holes in soles, so these days I don't. IME and talking to others, the abscess will always track its own way out anyway, so you still have to go through the healing process as well as deal with a hole.

I leave the horse in the paddock to move as much as it wants or can - circulation, IMO, is the best healing tool and movement is the key to that. I don't usually bother tubbing, as the abscess will break out of a soft area anyway and my horses are not that great at standing still, with a foot in a bucket.

I have had far better outcomes interfering as little as possible and nothing terrible has happened. I last dealt (or not) with one last winter, fingers crossed not this year.

100% agree

 

[melissa1971]

Mine has just come in today lame slight bit of heat round heal so poulticed it up checked an hour ago and yuk it's an abscess lol burst on the heal so poulticed again and in tonight will turn out in morning unless still very lame

 

[diamonddogs]

Well, she went out yesterday and managed to get her boot off so came in with a hoof full of mud and shredded nappy and vet wrap . The hoof really needed a good soak but she won't stand in a bucket, so I did something I should have done two years ago - I went to the local tack shop and spent £20 on a Davis boot. She was terrified of it so I left it under her haynet while I got on with some other stuff to desensitise her a bit then put in on her foot. She stood nicely while I poured in an Epsom salts solution, stood quietly for ten minutes, then flatly refused to pick her foot up so I could take it off! After about twenty minutes huffing and puffing I got the thing off. I've plugged the hole up with Keratex and she'll go back out with her mates tomorrow.

So, two recommendations for you today. 1) Get a Davis boot for soaking and 2) put a lump of Keratex down your bra to soften. I was all hot and bothered fighting to get her foot up and it was lovely and soft when I was ready for it!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

So, two recommendations for you today. 1) Get a Davis boot for soaking and 2) put a lump of Keratex down your bra to soften. I was all hot and bothered fighting to get her foot up and it was lovely and soft when I was ready for it!

lol thanks for tip two, will be trying that!

get Gorilla Tape, it takes a huge pounding and as my boy is a box walker and walks the toe of the normal stuff bare its a god send

 

[Clava]

I don't do anything. I have had two nightmare experiences of vets digging holes in soles, so these days I don't. IME and talking to others, the abscess will always track its own way out anyway, so you still have to go through the healing process as well as deal with a hole.

I leave the horse in the paddock to move as much as it wants or can - circulation, IMO, is the best healing tool and movement is the key to that. I don't usually bother tubbing, as the abscess will break out of a soft area anyway and my horses are not that great at standing still, with a foot in a bucket.

I have had far better outcomes interfering as little as possible and nothing terrible has happened. I last dealt (or not) with one last winter, fingers crossed not this year.

I have recently come to this conclusion too, I've had them cut out , had them poultice and left them, and no real difference in outcome and healing time. Obviously check carefully for any stones lodged in the hoof causing the problem though.

 

[diamonddogs]

Forgot to mention - I spoke to a farrier on the yard today (not mine) and asked him about removing Keratex. He said it doesn't ever go completely hard, about the same as in the tin, so it's a bit of a faff but you can get it out of the hole if necessary. He also said not to turn out in mud or wet without taping as it will probably get pulled out.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Forgot to mention - I spoke to a farrier on the yard today (not mine) and asked him about removing Keratex. He said it doesn't ever go completely hard, about the same as in the tin, so it's a bit of a faff but you can get it out of the hole if necessary. He also said not to turn out in mud or wet without taping as it will probably get pulled out.

playing the dumb card here what does taping mean?

 

[diamonddogs]

Gaffer tape over the padding

 

[amandap]

I have recently come to this conclusion too, I've had them cut out , had them poultice and left them, and no real difference in outcome and healing time. Obviously check carefully for any stones lodged in the hoof causing the problem though.

Same here, I find there are less problems than when dug. I wouldn't leave broken leg lame for more than a couple of days though, but that is usually a symptom of huge pressure, so bursting is often soon to follow I believe and has been my experience in one case.

Years ago the vet dug huge holes in my mares hoof (broken leg lame) it relieved her a bit but created tons of longer term problems keeping her clean and comfortable. Looking back she had very thin soles and I think the digging about just exacerbated her discomfort in recovery.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Gaffer tape over the padding

you know i actually thought that's what that meant lol.

 

[diamonddogs]

LOL

 

[Ranyhyn]

Can I join the club?
Mine was acting like she was going to die on Friday, wouldn't weight bear on her hind left heel. If I hadn't seen a similar act from my previous mare I probably would have died on the spot. However I coaxed her in (she's out 24/7) and duly poulticed til the stink stopped and then dry poulticed til I was happy. She had residual heat and puffiness in the hoof/fetlock area for one day and then today she's back to normal. I'll hold off riding til Sunday and then I'll bring her back in with gentle walking for a week or two and see how we go.
I am in agreement with doing as little as possible.

 

[diamonddogs]

So if they're on three legs, how long does it normally take for the abscess to pop, then? I had nearly three weeks of soaking, poulticing, bandaging, you name it before she came even close to sound after it was dug out. The farrier said it was in quite deep.

She's now out in a field that's as far as you can get away from the yard and the only access is up a stony path. And she's still not 100% and I don't know what to do! I'm stuck between a rock and a stony place, because she's happy in the field, moving about and weight bearing but quite footy at the gate where the mud's dried in ruts. Part of me wants to leave her where she is to save the long walk back to the yard, and the other part wants her back on box rest wrapped in cotton wool on a feather mattress.

I'm on big yard, so naturally everyone's got a different opinion on what to do!

 

[Ranyhyn]

I had one go months before it went properly. When it did she dropped the whole sole then at a later date.

I have never felt happy about going digging, so I too prefer to get them to burst "naturally".

I think abscesses are such a subjective thing that its really hard to say how long it will take. My horse is a little tentative on her feet still ( 5 days after me finding the abscess) but all the big signs of discomfort (not weightbearing, heat, smell and puffiness) have gone, so she'll be out Friday.

I think its worse to keep subjecting their feet to changes - ie, if they're used to being out on moderately wet ground, I think its a pretty good idea to get them back that way as soon as you can because its my laymans understanding that too much change in enviroment can actually cause abscesses in the first place through making the feet expand and contract leaving the white line susceptible to germies... could be wrong but thats my theory.

 

[maccachic]

Mines have never gone longer than a week (normally a couple of days), but they are out 24/7 movement is the key to resolving these quickly in my opinion. Once balance was corrected in his feet I didn't have to deal with them anymore, the odd one would show up during trimming - small exit hole but horse was never lame with it.

 

[amandaco2]

Mine has just got one on coronet band, the fields are really boggy so I am polticibg until clean, keeping in, in hand walking and horse walker daily until it looks dry.....

 

[LizzieRC1313]

My horse went lame sat & we have no experience of abscesses. Vet dug a small hole but only a small amount of puss has come away (yesterday) after poulticing since then. He got poultice off today so no way to tell if more came out today but looks quite dry. He's not on 3 legs anymore but certainly not 100%. We are keeping him in cause now he's missing a shoe & we don't want him compensating & damaging other leg. Obviously advice on here contradicts that!! Speaking to vet again Monday. Horses!!!! Can you get them where not much comes away once they've been burst?

 

[throughtheforest]

Oh dear there are so many abscess sufferers about. After the one healing in the off hind, the near hind now has one, luckily my farrier calmed me down and reassured me that this is really common and he doesn't look to have any underlying conditions just silly hooves. Oh well back to poulticing and tubbing, I must say I'm bloody good at poulticing now lol.
Hope all your neddies feel better soon and don't go through round 2 like mine is .

 

[amandaco2]

Mine have never had one!before now. The old g*t is nearly 30 and never had one...shes a loon so hopefully never unless its dry enough to treat in field!

 

[amandaco2]

You can try to tub the foot to help draw it out.
Vet v suprised mine had one, hooves are v good with thick walls.

 

[diamonddogs]

...Can you get them where not much comes away once they've been burst?

Mine had one like this last year. The vet was involved with that one as she got distressed and looked like she was going to colic, otherwise I'd have just left it with the farrier, and he'd put her on antibiotics, so wasn't overly concerned that nothing much came out.

My first experience with one was a mild explosion and pus all over the yard! Very dramatic, but the mare was sound immediately after.

 

[LizzieRC1313]

My horse's seems like it hasn't burst, its like it is draining slowly out of the hole. Annoying cause everyone who has had one burst seems to think they go sound as soon as it has all come out, but this could be draining for ages! was meant to be going to the gallops today as well Poulticing twice a day now to see if that helps draw it out, might start using nappies as the poultice stuff is costing a bomb.

 

[throughtheforest]

Luckily Nero's first one burst quickly and I hope this one does too. 2 in the space of one month! I am putting it down to the pasture, but I've put him on formula 4 feet and when I can pick up his other hooves he's having keratex hoof hardener on too. Do you think this should prevent anymore from forming? Our pasture does have standing water and the ground all over is sponge which doesn't help.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Mine has exited now outside from heel round for about an inch. Ugly thing but horse is happy enough to be prodded - so she's going to start walking out under saddle for a fortnight. Otherwise with this weather is nigh on impossible to toughen up her feet.