Urgent advice needed please :(

Queenbee

Queenbee

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Hi all, Ben came in lame last night, I wasn't there but my friend let me know, I decided to see how he was overnight as it could have just been that he stepped on a stone or something. Sadly this is not the case, I've bought him in, hosed the mud off his legs, let them dry and had a check... Nothing, no heat or swelling, hoof wise, he's not reacting hugely, but does seem a bit reactive when I'm messing around with the white line, which with this crappy weather isn't as tight as it should be :(. I'm assuming it's an abcess. In over 20 years of horse ownership I've never dealt with an abcess, until now my horses have been blessed with a lack of these!!! I've just checked and I'm out of animalintex and vetwrap so have to go to the store anyway.... So, yes I know hot tubbing is a must (that will be fun) but Reccomendations for easy, effective and durable poultices please???!!!

I've just ducked home for some lunch and would be grateful for any tips, he seems tender (in the sense that he's not to happy to walk but will, noticeably lame but not looking to be in absolute agony, which is good as I'm sure I've read a million times that bute is not good for abscesses.

Please help me to help my boy :(
 
I've always used nappies for hoof poulticing - they stay on really well and are more cost effective than vet wrap.

Would your farrier call and see if he can pare it?
 
I would just leave it for a while, no need to soften an already water logged foot. See what tomorrow brings. No bute, don't mask anything that may or may not be brewing.
 
I sound incredibly dense with this, but in my defence, I've never had to do it.... Do you put anything in the nappy.... Or just use the nappy itself as a poultice?!!
 
Put boiling water on the nappy, let it cool until you can touch it, squeeze excess water out and put it on the hoof.
Wrap vetwrap around it, then put strips of duct tape (don't wrap duct tape in same way as vetwrap, it tightens too much) over the bottom and sides of hoof. Done.

If you can turn out in a non muddy place then you can tie a feed sack around it, or just leave in.

Change every 24 hours, wet nappy for no more than 3 days and dry one after that.

Good luck.
 
Held together with cable ties?! Fides I see you keep recommending this product

Besides I need something today, not something I have to order in, thanks anyway
 
Personally I always get my farrier out sharpish with a lame horse, it does sound like an abscess. Unless it looks like it is breaking out above the hoof I would rather it was pinpointed and the pressure released.

However I am lucky in that my farrier will usually come out the same or next day - love my farrier.

I also use nappies, but I would usually use Animalintex for the first 24 hours, then switch to a nappy as described above.

If it makes you feel better my farrier has said that he has seen soooo many abscesses this winter and one of mine has a nappy on as we speak!
 
Queenbee said:
Held together with cable ties?! Fides I see you keep recommending this product

Besides I need something today, not something I have to order in, thanks anyway
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Twice... They're good so I recommended them. If you need something today a nappy and electrical tape is what I have used in the past
 
Buddy'sMum said:
Do nappies really work as well as Animalintex? Have I really been wasting my hard earned dosh all these years?
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Yes, and yes :D
Animalintex is just a super absorbent pad, as is a nappy.

LJR said:
Personally I always get my farrier out sharpish with a lame horse, it does sound like an abscess. Unless it looks like it is breaking out above the hoof I would rather it was pinpointed and the pressure released.
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I'm the opposite.

It's far better for an abscess to burst and drain by itself, rather than the farrier choosing the exit route and making a hole there.
I've only ever had 2 where the farrier needed to dig them, in what is probably over a hundred I've dealt with. It's like leaving a spot to build up and burst instead of trying to squeeze it too soon! :D
 
LJR said:
Personally I always get my farrier out sharpish with a lame horse, it does sound like an abscess. Unless it looks like it is breaking out above the hoof I would rather it was pinpointed and the pressure released.

However I am lucky in that my farrier will usually come out the same or next day - love my farrier.

I also use nappies, but I would usually use Animalintex for the first 24 hours, then switch to a nappy as described above.

If it makes you feel better my farrier has said that he has seen soooo many abscesses this winter and one of mine has a nappy on as we speak!
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LJR, who's your farrier, I've just had a call back from mine and he said exactly the same! He is coming tomorrow dear of him :). The odd thing is though, that he came in lame last night, went out lame this morning, came in hopping at about 1.30. Then when I went up at 3.30 I decided to walk him up the yard to see how he was, he wasn't sound, but he was much more comfortable than when he had initially come in. I wouldn't have expected that from an abscess, and there is certainly no indication that anything has burst, so I'm almost wondering if it is an abcess or something else, still, I'm going to rule out the foot first and go from there, either way he's on box rest for the moment.
 
Patterdale said:
Yes, and yes :D
Animalintex is just a super absorbent pad, as is a nappy.



I'm the opposite.

It's far better for an abscess to burst and drain by itself, rather than the farrier choosing the exit route and making a hole there.
I've only ever had 2 where the farrier needed to dig them, in what is probably over a hundred I've dealt with. It's like leaving a spot to build up and burst instead of trying to squeeze it too soon! :D
Click to expand...


I think this is why I like my farrier so much, he is very much a less is more kind of man, he isn't gung-ho about hoiking off hoof, he's also pro barefoot so, I'm much happier to have him come out and have a look, than not.
 
What ever poultice you chose, I would always recommend putting silver foil over the top before bandaging, this not only helps keep it in place while you are putting the bandage on, but also doubles the heat retention time in the poultice
 
Ooh, good tip HF, the farrier came out today and located the abscess in seconds which was right at the surface, it's now draining into a nappy :)
 
Nessa4 said:
They always have for us when we've been dealing with abcesses - held on with duct tape - cheap cheerful and effective!
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Nappies and animalintex are not the same thing. The drawing and healing properties in animalintex is a type of boric acid, that is what draws and heals.
I think there would be uproar if boric acid was used in nappies!!
 
sugar and iodine mixed into porridge consistency and put on from day three onwards as a poultice will help harden the foot and keep bacteria at bay.

Also hot poultice for day one, and dry poultice for day two and day three - you don't want the hoof environment too damp.

Shoe back on day seven to ten. :)
 
Thanks AC, i havent seen him yet today as YO does him in the morning, but he was wet poulticed day one (after the abscess was lanced), Im chuffed that he kept that on for a full 24 hrs, and when I went up it was coming out red, not black. dry poulticed next, hopefully that is still on ( in off to check in a minute). He was still tender yesterday, hopefully not today, but if he is my farrier wants me to call and let him know so he can come and check him out.
 
Yay! More progress today, he is much sounder, poultice still in place, walking well and not tender on the turn either. Another poultice on and tucked back up in a nice clean dry warm bed
 
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