WIT? - Foot problem - absess? puncture?

[RainbowDash]

Hi all,

No pics to offer but I'll be as descriptive as possible.

Boyo was shod two weeks ago. Two days after he was hopping lame on left fore. Five days box rest and farrier checked foot - said he was sound & ready for work. Since then he's been brought into work in hand - two days ago I brought him in and on picking his feet out spotted a clear-spit-like discharge - not much so cleaned foot off, didn't ride - checked later - track and clear liquid present - poutice applied - no result as came off and dragged through muck.

Today checked foot, cleaned foot - small hole in groove of frog/sole - leaking clear fluid - no real smell. Any ideas what this is? Farrier due to check it tomorrow - the foot isnt bothering boyo - could it be a puncture? Stone/rock - there are some in his field ( 4 on 6acre). Just wanted some feedback before farrier comes..

Thanks all. Choccy Hob-Nobs on offer for getting this far :-D

 

[Gloi]

It sounds like a puncture wound to me, though it could be an injury/abscess somewhere else that has broken out a that place.
It seems a little ominous that he went lame two days after he was shod, that sounds about the right length of time to build up the pressure inside his hoof from a nail injury at the time of shoeing, either from when he was nailing the shoe on or, as happened to one of my youngsters, messing about and putting his foot down on a nail.

 

[cptrayes]

An abscess would normally have an unmistakable stink. The timing is perfect for a nail bind, but not for exiting at the frog, especially with no smell. So my guess is also a puncture. If so, you need to be very careful to keep that hole open so that it heals from the bottom and doesn't seal in an infection. I hope he has tetanus cover? If he was mine I'd syringe hydrogen peroxide at 3% dilution hard into the hole twice a day.

 

[RainbowDash]

Hi both, Thanks for your replies. Been a hectic day so have only just had time to reply.

Update - poutice stayed put this time and thankfully it was clean. Farrier checked it we have concluded it was a puncture - whatever it was must have gone in and come straight back out. Just need to keep Boyo in over the weekend - keep the foot clean and back to gentle work.

Phew.