What to do after abscess in barefoot horse when turning back out?

Porkie

Porkie

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My old man currently has an abscess, he is being hot poulticed twice a day and it's begininng to come out.

i'm just wondering, as he is barefoot, once the abscess has subsided and he is ok to start going back out again is there anything in particular I should do?

Someone on my yard said they have some stuff you can spray over the area to seal it to make sure nothing else gets in in to agrrivate it but I've never heard of it so am unsure.

obviously he won't go out again until it's gone and he is sound but are there any precautions I should take when he first goes out being he is barefoot?
 
If you're worried, you could pop a boot on.
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baby nappies wrapped around foot, would help to keep mud out and inside on the source, little cotton wool plug with some stockholm tar changed daily.
 
Once the puss has cleared and you've stopped poulticing, I use a Davis Boot to turn out, whilst the area is still very sensitive and before i've got my shoe back on, and I put sole paint on, to harden the hole that the vet has dug out. Sole paint is bought from the vet. It's pretty good stuff.

As your boy is barefoot, you might not need to use the Davis Boot, unless you want to keep it clean, but you could also make a waterproof boot using nappies and duct tape. Ask your vet about the sole paint.
 
It sort of depends on how big the hole is, where it's located and how sensitive the horse is.

I'd be inclined to spray with iodine and wrap the foot in nappy and lots of duct tape for a few days. Once the foot tissue is looking harder and less sensitive I'd plug the hole with keratex putty and just carry on as normal.
 
Mine has just recovered from an abscess and is also barefoot, and I have turned him out (in a drier field!) with no boots, nothing. He's been out for 4 days for 12 hours a day, and is fine. Good luck!
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Call your farrier and ask about some hoof putty you can put in the drain hole, its great and when you normally pick the hooves out the putty will come out also.

Just be aware for any abnormal smells, slight heat in the hoof that could mean its started festering again.

Just as a point, when in similar situations I also when the abscess has gone and back on turn out flush the area out after hoof picking with 3% HP.

I agree totally Nappies are wonderful as dressings, they absorbent, and provide the padding you need when used with duck/gaffa tape.
 
Where did the abscess burst out from? Provided it's coming out naturally i.e. vet didn't dig a hole then it'll seal over naturally and I wouldn't do anything... in fact I'd be turning out now. Bit different if vet has dug a hole - then I'd boot up unless I had a very dry field to turn out into.
 
my foal had quite a big hole left by an abcess, vet told me to soak a small piece of cotton wool in iodine and stuff the hole, leave a small tuft sticking out so you can pull it out every few days and stuff a new bit in! until it grew out/foot was trimmed

worked a treat
 
Agree with Sam the iodine works a treat!

However, if your horse is suffering with reoccuring abscesses (bruises to the foot caused by being barefoot) then you need to talk to your farrier about VETTEC SOLE GUARD.

This is the stuff that gets put on and seals the foot giving a cushion to the sole and support. Your farrier will only put it on if your VET gives the go ahead that the abscess has cleared totally.
 
I'm with donklet on this one... turn him out, he'll be fine
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I have fussed and faffed over so many abscesses in the past. Kept horses in, hot poulticed etc etc and they have dragged on for ever. Had one this year, poulticed and stabled for one night . Horse was stessed at being kept in so decided to chuck him out in the field, he walked the abscess out after 24 hrs and healed quicker than I've ever had one heal before. You usually find with a barefoot horse that they burst out through the coronary band and therefore are up out of most of the mud.

If you can get him to an area where he has some hard ground to walk on then all the better but I would turn him out and leave alone
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