Yayyy it's an abscess! Also quick question

[NellRosk]

Was panicking last week because horse went suddenly lame. Farrier has been out to him this morning and cut out a big abscess, so relieved! Got a text from him to say to keep him in for a few days to stop infection going in and to poultice it. I'm just wondering when I do turn him out, say on Friday, shall I cover it? I'm worried mud and dirt will go up and cause another one. Also if I cover it, the field is so muddy a dressing would get sucked off in seconds! Thoughts please!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

The last abscess my mare had last (muddy) winter was a nasty one which the farrier cut out successfully. I poulticed it for a few days, but wrapped the foot with a piece of thick plastic from a feed sack. This worked well and withstood the bog of a field. After a week-and after the discharge had been cleared, I was advised to just chuck her out with the foot uncovered. The rationale being that the suckiness of the mud would prevent the mud drawing too far up. Not sure about that but I jet washed it every evening with the hose and sprayed the area and she was fine.
Previously, I'd kept her box rested until I could apply Keratex hoof putty (great stuff) but the mare doesn't tolerate box rest too well and movement when possible is better for abscesses, so it's always a balancing act and dependent on the particular abscess.
If you can wrap a nappy and cover it with a feed sack once its drained, I'd try that really.

 

[JillA]

Once you have stopped poulticing (i.e. no more gunk is appearing on the animalintex) pack the hole with sugardine, which is a mix of sugar and iodine, or alternatively Stockholm tar. They will hasten the healing process and help to seal it against more mud etc. If you are on very sandy soil you could do with a cover - a boot, or some vetrap with layers of duct tape covering it) for a few days just to be on he safe side.
Be careful about tying a polythene bag - if it is tight enough to keep it on it could be damaging the tendons and ligaments in the pastern, it has been known (told to me by a very good farrier years ago).

 

[Pinkvboots]

Once his comfortable walking I would turn out with the poultice on, just cover with a nappy and a plastic feed bag and cover with duct tape, if you cut lengths of tape and stick them together so you make a square big enough to cover the bottom of the hoof you use less tape, I always make sure I can get my fingers down the bag so its not too tight on the leg or if your worried I have bandaged the leg before I put the bag on.

 

[Orangehorse]

What I did was nappy, vet wrap to keep the nappy on, then plastic bag and I DID tie it round the pastern, but not tight, just enough to prevent it slipping back over the foot, so you fold the extra plastic back down tothe foot. Then cover the whole lot in duck tape to try and make it water proof (hint, buy out shares in Vet Wrap and Duck Tape!).

Some people claim that this will becompletely waterproof, but I found that however careful I was with the duck tape, my horse always managed to wear a hole in the toe,but it did its job enough to keep the wound site clean.

The abcess is encaspulated within the foot, so there is a barrier between walls of the abcess and the tissues of the foot, which is why that if one bursts in the field, when maybe the owner wasn't aware of it, the horse doesn't die of blood poisoning. But I think we all like to be safe rather than sorry and dress it and protect the wound site.

 

[NellRosk]

The last abscess my mare had last (muddy) winter was a nasty one which the farrier cut out successfully. I poulticed it for a few days, but wrapped the foot with a piece of thick plastic from a feed sack. This worked well and withstood the bog of a field. After a week-and after the discharge had been cleared, I was advised to just chuck her out with the foot uncovered. The rationale being that the suckiness of the mud would prevent the mud drawing too far up. Not sure about that but I jet washed it every evening with the hose and sprayed the area and she was fine.
Previously, I'd kept her box rested until I could apply Keratex hoof putty (great stuff) but the mare doesn't tolerate box rest too well and movement when possible is better for abscesses, so it's always a balancing act and dependent on the particular abscess.
If you can wrap a nappy and cover it with a feed sack once its drained, I'd try that really.

Thank you, the plastic bag idea sounds good! There's some non-muddy paddocks at the yard but I doubt YO will let me put him in there, for fear of trashing them. He is unshod on his hinds so I might stick a hoof boot on for a few weeks out hacking to stop grit going up and causing another one.

Once you have stopped poulticing (i.e. no more gunk is appearing on the animalintex) pack the hole with sugardine, which is a mix of sugar and iodine, or alternatively Stockholm tar. They will hasten the healing process and help to seal it against more mud etc. If you are on very sandy soil you could do with a cover - a boot, or some vetrap with layers of duct tape covering it) for a few days just to be on he safe side.
Be careful about tying a polythene bag - if it is tight enough to keep it on it could be damaging the tendons and ligaments in the pastern, it has been known (told to me by a very good farrier years ago).

I've heard of that sugardine, I'll give it a go because I have some iodine down at the yard No not on sandy soil, just lots and lots of sloppy mud I might try and fence off the muddiest corner where the gate is because they stand there waiting to come in, that might help if he's not stood in the mud because the rest of the field is relatively dry. Point noted about the bag being too tight, thanks

 

[NellRosk]

The abcess is encaspulated within the foot, so there is a barrier between walls of the abcess and the tissues of the foot, which is why that if one bursts in the field, when maybe the owner wasn't aware of it, the horse doesn't die of blood poisoning. But I think we all like to be safe rather than sorry and dress it and protect the wound site.

Yes definitely, much better to be safe than sorry! I wouldn't be this worried if it was summer and the field was dry but I just look at the field and see all this horrendous mud :eek3:

 

[Scarlett]

I use Red Horse Hoof Stuff to fill any abscess holes and protect them from the mud. It seems to stay in for days even in the worst conditions and it's got nice stuff in it that will help clear up infection.

 

[NellRosk]

I use Red Horse Hoof Stuff to fill any abscess holes and protect them from the mud. It seems to stay in for days even in the worst conditions and it's got nice stuff in it that will help clear up infection.

Thank you, I've just bought some and also some of the sole paint because he gets really bad thrush. Never used Red Horse products before, excited for my goodies to come!